This site contains information from government publications about kidney & urologic diseases that have been reformatted and reorganized. There are numerous links to the original documents.

The goal is to make the information easier to find and to allow the sharing of information between users.

This is a very big undertaking and you can help me help others. Please add your comments or questions to any topic that concerns you. If you know of additional resources please include links to them.

I am especially looking for:

• Experiences of kidney and urologic patients
• Experiences of family members of kidney and urologic patients
• Experiences of kidney and urologic caregivers
• Experiences of kidney and urologic physicians
• Experiences of kidney and urologic researchers

• Information about specific kidney and urologic products
• Information about specific kidney and urologic treatments
• Information about specific kidney and urologic medications
• Information about hospitals specializing in the treatment of kidney and urologic diseases
• Information about clinics specializing in the treatment of kidney and urologic diseases
• Information about physicians specializing in the treatment of kidney and urologic diseases

If possible please include:

• Links to kidney and urologic websites
• Links to chronic kidney disease websites
• Links to hemodialysis websites
• Links to peritoneal dialysis (PD) websites
• Links to websites for children with kidney disease and their parents
• Links to kidney transplant websites
• Links to sites for caregivers and family members of people with kidney disease
  
• Links to kidney and urologic blogs
• Links to kidney and urologic news articles
• Links to kidney and urologic research articles

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Kidney damage is a constant danger for people with diabetes, especially when their blood pressure is high. Now European researchers report that the addition of a drug, spironolactone, to standard blood pressure-lowering therapy for such patients helps reduce both blood pressure and the amount of albumin protein in urine, a measure of kidney impairment.

Dr. Kaspar Rossing of Steno Diabetes Center in Gentofte, Denmark, and colleagues note in the medical journal Diabetes Care that two types of antihypertensive drugs -- ACE inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) -- have protective effects on the kidneys in diabetics who already have kidney damage.

These drugs work by controlling the release of a hormone called aldosterone. While they're effective initially, aldosterone levels may subsequently rise once more in almost 40 percent of patients, resulting in greater urinary protein levels and a faster decline in kidney function.

full story>>>

AMES, Iowa, Aug 31, 2005 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- Researchers say they've developed a human nephron filter that might make possible a continuously functioning, wearable or implantable artificial kidney.

Acute renal failure surprisingly common

The first multinational study of acute renal failure has found the condition occurs more frequently in intensive-care units than previously thought and is caused most often by septic shock.

These sites have experiences of dialysis patients. If you are on dialysis or facing dialysis, they should provide some help.

• Renalrelating



• Alan Barnes



• DialysisEthics.org

These sites contain experiences of family members of dialysis patients. If you have a family member on dialysis or facing dialysis treatments, they should prove helpful.

• Renalrelating



• Barnes Family

These are some of the best sites for families and caregivers of people with kidney disease. If you know of others please share them by clicking on "comments" below.

• Nephkids Cyber Support Group


• National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP)

These are some of the best kidney transplant websites I've been able to find. If you know of others, please click on "comments" below to let me know.

• United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS)


• Donate Life


• A Patient's Guide to Kidney Transplant Surgery

These are the some of the best kidney disease sites for children and their parents. If you know about any others, please click on "comments" below to let me know.

• Nephkids


• National Kidney Foundation (NKF)


• Kidney Directions


• Children's Organ Transplant Association

These are the best peritoneal dialysis (PD) websites I've found. If you know of any more please click on "comments" below to let me know about them.

• Dialysis Facility Compare
• DialysisEthics.org
• Dialysis Units in the USA
• Independent Dialysis Foundation
• International Society of Peritoneal Dialysis - ISPD
• Kidney Directions
• NHS Direct Online Health Encyclopaedia
• RenalWEB
• National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse
• Kidney School
• Kidney Directions
• The Forum of Forum of End Stage Renal Disease Networks (ESRD) Networks
• American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP)

These are some of the best sites I've found for hemodialysis patients and their families. If you know of other sites please let me know by clicking on "comments" below.

• Dialysis Facility Compare
• DialysisEthics.org
• Dialysis Units in the USA
• Independent Dialysis Foundation
• Kidney Directions
• NHS Direct Online Health Encyclopaedia
• RenalWEB
• National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NKUDIC)
• National Kidney Foundation
• Life Options
• Kidney School™
• Home Dialysis Central
• Forum of End Stage Renal Disease Networks
• America Kidney Fund (AKF)
• American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP)

This procedure offers hope for reducing the number of people who need kidney transplants by offering an effective treatment for juvenile onset diabetes.

Baylor received approval from the Food and Drug Administration to begin a research study of islet cell transplantation in July 2004. Fifteen patients, both men and women, between the ages of 18 and 65 will be enrolled in the study. Nationwide, more than one million people have Type 1 (juvenile onset) diabetes, and, each year, nearly 130,000 people receive kidney transplants as a result of the disease.

This is a list of sites that have useful information about chronic kidney disease. If you know of other chronic kidney disease sites please let me know by clicking "comments" below.

• Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) Foundation


• National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse


• National Kidney Foundation (NKF) - Kidney Learning System


• Life Options


• Kidney School™


• Home Dialysis Central


• healthfinder®


• American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP)

Think you are dedicated to your job? A dialysis nurse at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis donated a kidney to one of her patients.

"I felt that I'm healthy and I've been given so much in my life," Plozizka said. "I see all these people who are so sick. I thought there's no reason why I shouldn't I donate a kidney to one of them. It would be my way to give back."

Barnes-Jewish Hospital is one of the leading kidney transplant centers in the country, with one of the lowest rates of rejection. The center averages about 120-130 transplants per year, about 45 percent of those from living donors.

Click here for the full story about this exceptional dialysis nurse.

This is a list of the main kidney & urologic diseases topics covered at this site so far.

Why learn about bladder control?

Good bladder control sounds simple. Just hold on until you get to the bathroom.

It sounds simple. But good bladder control takes teamwork from many organs, muscles, and nerves in your body.

Click here for more information about your body's design for bladder control.

Women and their health professionals share one thing in common: a surprising number would rather not talk about urinary incontinence (UI). Patients may hope their doctors bring up the topic, while their doctors may hope their patients don't. All this silence can lead to more serious medical and psychosocial problems.

Click here for more information about talking to female bladder control patients.

Urine normally flows in one direction--down from the kidneys, through tubes called ureters, to the bladder. Vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) is the abnormal flow of urine from the bladder back into the ureters.

Click here for more vesicoureteral reflux information.

After unexpected wetting, the most common urinary problem among children is infections. An estimated 3 percent of girls and 1 percent of boys have had a urinary tract infection (UTI) by the age of 11. Some researchers believe these estimates are low because many cases of UTI go undetected. The symptoms are not always obvious to parents, and younger children are usually unable to describe how they feel. Recognizing and treating urinary tract infections is important. Untreated UTIs can lead to serious kidney problems that could threaten the life of your child.

Click here for more information about urinary tract infections in children.

Urinary incontinence is an inability to hold your urine until you get to a toilet. More than 13 million people in the United States--male and female, young and old--experience incontinence. It is often temporary, and it always results from an underlying medical condition.

Women experience incontinence twice as often as men. Pregnancy and childbirth, menopause, and the structure of the female urinary tract account for this difference. But both women and men can become incontinent from neurologic injury, birth defects, strokes, multiple sclerosis, and physical problems associated with aging.

Older women, more often than younger women, experience incontinence. But incontinence is not inevitable with age. Incontinence is treatable and often curable at all ages. If you experience incontinence, you may feel embarrassed. It may help you to remember that loss of bladder control can be treated. You will need to overcome your embarrassment and see a doctor to learn if you need treatment for an underlying medical condition.

Click here for more information about urinary incontinence in women.

If you have a problem with urine leakage or blocked urine flow, your doctor or nurse can help. One of the first steps may be urodynamic testing to find precisely what the problem is.

Click here for more urodynamic testing information.

For men under 50, the most common prostate problem is prostatitis.

For men over 50, the most common prostate problem is prostate enlargement. This condition is also called benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH. Older men are at risk for prostate cancer as well, but this disease is much less common than BPH. More information about prostate cancer is available from the National Cancer Institute.

Click here for more information about prostate problems.

Your kidneys perform many functions to keep you alive. They

• filter wastes and extra fluid from your blood
• keep the proper balance of minerals like sodium, phosphorus, calcium, and potassium in your blood
• help maintain a healthy blood pressure
• make hormones that keep your blood and bones healthy

Most people have two kidneys, one on each side of the spinal column in the back just below the rib cage. Each kidney is about the size of a fist and contains about 1 million nephrons. The nephrons are microscopic filtering "baskets" that transfer wastes from the blood to the collecting tubules of the urinary system.

A person may have only one kidney for one of three main reasons.

• A person may be born with only one kidney, a condition known as renal agenesis. Many people with this condition lead normal, healthy lives and only discover that they have one kidney when they have an x ray or sonogram or surgery for some unrelated condition.
  
  
• Some people must have one kidney removed to treat cancer or other diseases or injuries. The operation to remove a kidney is called a nephrectomy.
  
  
• A growing number of people are donating a kidney to be transplanted into a family member or friend whose kidneys have failed.

Click here for more information about solitary kidney condition.

Serious and long-lasting conditions like kidney failure affect many parts of a child's life. Having kidney failure influences a child's self-image and relationships with peers and family. It can lead to behavior problems and make achieving goals more difficult. Being aware of these problems can help you recognize that your child may need some additional guidance or understanding at times.

Click here for more information about school & family problems of children with kidney failure.

Proteinuria describes a condition in which urine contains an abnormal amount of protein. Proteins are the building blocks for all body parts, including muscles, bones, hair, and nails. Proteins in your blood also perform a number of important functions. They protect you from infection, help your blood coagulate, and keep the right amount of fluid circulating through your body.

As blood passes through healthy kidneys, they filter the waste products out and leave in the things the body needs, like proteins. Most proteins are too big to pass through the kidneys' filters into the urine unless the kidneys are damaged. The main protein that is most likely to appear in urine is albumin. Albumin is smaller and therefore more likely to escape through the filters of the kidney, called glomeruli. Sometimes the term albuminuria is used when the test detects albumin specifically. Albumin's function in the body includes retention of fluid in the blood. It acts like a sponge, soaking up fluid from body tissues.

Inflammation in the glomeruli is called glomerulonephritis , or simply nephritis . Many diseases can cause this inflammation, which leads to proteinuria. Additional processes that can damage the glomeruli and cause proteinuria include diabetes, hypertension, and other forms of kidney diseases.

Click here for more proteinuria information.

Prostatitis may account for up to 25 percent of all office visits by young and middle-aged men for complaints involving the genital and urinary systems. The term prostatitis actually encompasses four disorders:

• Acute bacterial prostatitis
• Chronic bacterial prostatitis
• Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome
• Asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis

Click here for more information about prostatitis: disorders of the prostate.

Too much glucose (sugar) in the blood for a long time can cause diabetes problems. This high blood glucose (also called blood sugar) can damage many parts of the body, such as the heart, blood vessels, eyes, and kidneys. Heart and blood vessel disease can lead to heart attacks and strokes. You can do a lot to prevent or slow down diabetes problems.

This booklet is about kidney problems caused by diabetes. You will learn the things you can do each day and during each year to stay healthy and prevent diabetes problems.

Click here for more information about diabetes and kidney problems prevention.

Your bladder is a muscle shaped like a balloon. While the bladder stores urine, the bladder muscle relaxes. When you go to the bathroom, the bladder muscle tightens to squeeze urine out of the bladder. If you lose bladder control after childbirth, the problem often goes away by itself. Your muscles may just need time to recover.

Click here for more pregnancy, childbirth, and bladder control information.

Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is a genetic disorder characterized by the growth of numerous cysts in the kidneys. The cysts are filled with fluid. PKD cysts can slowly replace much of the mass of the kidneys, reducing kidney function and leading to kidney failure.

Click here for more polycystic kidney disease information.

Peyronie's disease, a condition of uncertain cause, is characterized by a plaque, or hard lump, that forms on the penis. The plaque develops on the upper or lower side of the penis in layers containing erectile tissue. It begins as a localized inflammation and can develop into a hardened scar.

Cases of Peyronie's disease range from mild to severe. Symptoms may develop slowly or appear overnight. In severe cases, the hardened plaque reduces flexibility, causing pain and forcing the penis to bend or arc during erection. In many cases, the pain decreases over time, but the bend in the penis may remain a problem, making sexual intercourse difficult. The sexual problems that result can disrupt a couple's physical and emotional relationship and lead to lowered self-esteem in the man. In a small percentage of patients with the milder form of the disease, inflammation may resolve without causing significant pain or permanent bending.

The plaque itself is benign, or noncancerous. A plaque on the top of the shaft (most common) causes the penis to bend upward; a plaque on the underside causes it to bend downward. In some cases, the plaque develops on both top and bottom, leading to indentation and shortening of the penis. At times, pain, bending, and emotional distress prohibit sexual intercourse.

One study found Peyronie's disease in 1 percent of men. Although the disease occurs mostly in middle age, younger and older men can develop it. About 30 percent of men with Peyronie's disease develop fibrosis (hardened cells) in other elastic tissues of the body, such as on the hand or foot. A common example is a condition known as Dupuytren's contracture of the hand. In some cases, men who are related by blood tend to develop Peyronie's disease, which suggests that genetic factors might make a man vulnerable to the disease.

Click here for more peyronie's disease information.

When kidneys fail, waste products such as urea and creatinine build up in the blood. One way to remove these wastes is a process called peritoneal dialysis (PD). The walls of the abdominal cavity are lined with a membrane called the peritoneum. During PD, a mixture of dextrose (sugar), salt, and other minerals dissolved in water, called dialysis solution, is placed in a person's abdominal cavity through a catheter. The body's peritoneal membrane enclosing the digestive organs allows waste products and extra body fluid to pass from the blood into the dialysis solution. These wastes then leave the body when the used solution is drained from the abdomen. Each cycle of draining and refilling is called an exchange. The time the solution remains in the abdomen between exchanges is called the dwell time. During this dwell time, some of the dextrose in the solution crosses the membrane and is absorbed by the body.

Many factors affect how much waste and extra fluid are removed from the blood. Some factors--such as the patient's size and the permeability, or speed of diffusion, of the peritoneum--cannot be controlled. Dialysis solution comes in 1.5-, 2-, 2.5-, or 3-liter bags. The dialysis dose can be increased by using a larger bag, but only within the limits of the person's abdominal capacity. Everyone's peritoneum filters wastes at a different rate. In some people, the peritoneum does not allow wastes to enter the dialysis solution efficiently enough to make PD feasible.

Click here for more peritoneal dialysis dose and adequacy information.

With peritoneal dialysis (PD), you have some choices in treating advanced and permanent kidney failure. Since the 1980s, when PD first became a practical and widespread treatment for kidney failure, we've learned much about how to make PD more effective and minimize side effects. Since you don't have to schedule dialysis sessions at a center, PD gives you more control. You can give yourself treatments at home, at work, or on trips. But this independence makes it especially important that you work closely with your health care team: your nephrologist, dialysis nurse, dialysis technician, dietitian, and social worker. But the most important members of your health care team are you and your family. By learning about your treatment, you can work with your health care team to give yourself the best possible results, and you can lead a full, active life.

Click here for more peritoneal dialysis information.

Millions of women experience loss of bladder control, also called urinary incontinence (UI). Some women may lose a few drops of urine while running or coughing. Others may feel a strong, sudden urge to urinate just before losing a large amount of urine. UI can be slightly bothersome or totally debilitating. For some women, the risk of public embarrassment keeps them from enjoying many activities with their family and friends.

UI is a medical problem. Your doctor or nurse can help you find a solution. No single treatment works for everyone, but most women can be treated without surgery. The treatment you select depends on your lifestyle and your preferences. Many women try the simpler treatment options first, such as changing a few habits and doing exercises to strengthen the muscles that hold urine in the bladder. If these behavioral treatments do not work, you may choose to try medicines or vaginal devices. Sometimes mild electrical stimulation to the pelvic nerves may help. And for some women, surgery is the best solution.

Click here for more information about treatments for urinary incontinence in women.

Kidney failure may be acute or chronic. Acute diseases develop quickly and can be very serious. Although an acute disease may have long-lasting consequences, it usually lasts for only a short time and then goes away once the underlying cause has been treated. Chronic diseases, however, do not go away and tend to get worse over time. When the kidneys stop working, doctors use a treatment called dialysis to remove waste products and extra water from patients with chronic kidney failure.

Click here for more childhood kidney diseases information.

For the urinary system to do its job, muscles and nerves must work together to hold urine in the bladder and then release it at the right time. Nerves carry messages from the bladder to the brain to let it know when the bladder is full. They also carry messages from the brain to the bladder, telling muscles either to tighten or release. A nerve problem might affect your bladder control if the nerves that are supposed to carry messages between the brain and the bladder do not work properly.

Click here for more nerve disease and bladder control information.

Nephrotic syndrome is a condition marked by very high levels of protein in the urine (proteinuria); low levels of protein in the blood; swelling, especially around the eyes, feet, and hands; and high cholesterol. Nephrotic syndrome results from damage to the kidneys' glomeruli (the singular form is glomerulus). Glomeruli are tiny blood vessels that filter waste and excess water from the blood and send them to the bladder as urine.

Click here for more nephrotic syndrome in adults information.

Some women have bladder control problems after they stop having periods (menopause or change of life). If you are going through menopause, talk to your health care team.

After your periods end, your body stops making the female hormone estrogen (ES-truh-jun). Estrogen controls how your body matures, your monthly periods, and body changes during pregnancy and breast-feeding.

Click here for more information about menopause and bladder control.

Lupus nephritis is an inflammation of the kidney caused by systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a disease of the immune system. SLE causes harm to the skin, joints, kidneys, and brain.

The causes of SLE are unknown. Many factors may play a role, including

• gender (SLE is more common in women than men)
• heredity (a gene passed down by a parent)
• infections
• viruses
• environmental causes

Some people with SLE may have no symptoms of kidney disease. However, lupus nephritis may cause weight gain, high blood pressure, dark urine, or swelling around the eyes, legs, ankles, or fingers.

Click here for more lupus nephritis information.

If you have advanced and permanent kidney failure, kidney transplantation may be the treatment option that allows you to live much like you lived before your kidneys failed. Since the 1950s, when the first kidney transplants were performed, we've learned much about how to prevent rejection and minimize the side effects of medicines.

But transplantation is not a cure; it's an ongoing treatment that requires you to take medicines for the rest of your life. And the wait for a donated kidney can be years long.

Click here for more kidney transplantation information.

If you have a kidney stone, you may already know how painful it can be. Most kidney stones pass out of the body without help from a doctor. But sometimes a stone will not just go away. It may even get larger. Your doctor can help.

Click here for more information about kidney stones.

Kidney stones, one of the most painful of the urologic disorders, are not a product of modern life. Scientists have found evidence of kidney stones in a 7,000-year-old Egyptian mummy. Unfortunately, kidney stones are one of the most common disorders of the urinary tract. In 2000, patients made 2.7 million visits to health care providers and more than 600,000 patients went to emergency rooms for kidney stone problems. Men tend to be affected more frequently than women.

Click here for more information about kidney stones in adults.

Interstitial cystitis (IC), one of the chronic pelvic pain disorders, is a condition resulting in recurring discomfort or pain in the bladder and the surrounding pelvic region. The symptoms of IC vary from case to case and even in the same individual. People may experience mild discomfort, pressure, tenderness, or intense pain in the bladder and pelvic area. Symptoms may include an urgent need to urinate (urgency), frequent need to urinate (frequency), or a combination of these symptoms. Pain may change in intensity as the bladder fills with urine or as it empties. Women's symptoms often get worse during menstruation.

Click here for more information about interstitial cystitis.

Pyelonephritis is a kidney infection, usually from bacteria that have spread from the bladder.

Click here for more information about pyelonephritis (kidney infection) in adults.

Urinary tract infections are a serious health problem affecting millions of people each year.

Infections of the urinary tract are common--only respiratory infections occur more often. In 1997, urinary tract infections (UTIs) accounted for about 8.3 million doctor visits.* Women are especially prone to UTIs for reasons that are poorly understood. One woman in five develops a UTI during her lifetime. UTIs in men are not so common, but they can be very serious when they do occur.

Click here for more information about urinary tract infections in adults.

Urinary incontinence (UI) is the accidental leakage of urine. Over a lifespan, there are gender differences in the frequency of UI. In childhood, girls usually develop bladder control at an earlier age than boys, and bedwetting (nocturnal enuresis) is less common in girls than in boys. However, adult women are far more likely to experience UI because of the anatomy of their urinary tract and the stresses caused by pregnancy and childbirth. Nevertheless, men may experience UI as a result of prostate problems, and both men and women can experience nerve damage that leads to UI. Its prevalence increases with age, but it is not an inevitable part of aging.

Click here for more information on urinary incontinence in men.

IgA nephropathy is a kidney disorder caused by deposits of the protein immunoglobulin A (IgA) inside the glomeruli (filters) within the kidney. These glomeruli (the singular form is glomerulus) normally filter wastes and excess water from the blood and send them to the bladder as urine. The IgA protein prevents this filtering process, leading to blood and protein in the urine and swelling in the hands and feet. This chronic kidney disease may progress over a period of 10 to 20 years. If this disorder leads to end-stage renal disease, the patient must go on dialysis or receive a kidney transplant.

The IgA protein, an antibody, is a normal part of the body's immune system, the system that protects against disease. We do not know what causes IgA deposits in the glomeruli. But, since IgA nephropathy may run in families, genetic factors probably contribute to the disease.

Click here for more IgA Nephropathy information.

Hemolytic (HEE-mo-LIT-ik) uremic (yoo-REE-mik) syndrome, or HUS, is one of the most common causes of sudden, short-term kidney failure in children. In severe cases, this acute kidney failure may require several sessions of dialysis to take over the kidneys' job of filtering wastes from the blood, but most children recover without permanent damage to their health.

Click here for more hemolytic uremic syndrome information.

MedlinePlus is a goldmine of good health information from the world's largest medical library, the National Library of Medicine. Health professionals and consumers alike can depend on it for information that is authoritative and up to date. MedlinePlus has extensive information from the National Institutes of Health and other trusted sources on over 650 diseases and conditions. There are also lists of hospitals and physicians, a medical encyclopedia and a medical dictionary, health information in Spanish, extensive information on prescription and nonprescription drugs, health information from the media, and links to thousands of clinical trials. MedlinePlus is updated daily and can be bookmarked at the URL: medlineplus.gov. There is no advertising on this site, nor does MedlinePlus endorse any company or product.

Hemodialysis is the most common method used to treat advanced and permanent kidney failure. Since the 1960s, when hemodialysis first became a practical treatment for kidney failure, we've learned much about how to make hemodialysis treatments more effective and minimize side effects. But even with better procedures and equipment, hemodialysis is still a complicated and inconvenient therapy that requires a coordinated effort from your whole health care team, including your nephrologist, dialysis nurse, dialysis technician, dietitian, and social worker. But the most important members of your health care team are you and your family. By learning about your treatment, you can work with your health care team to give yourself the best possible results, and you can lead a full, active life.

Click here for more information about treatments for kidney failure: hemodialysis.

The American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP) is an organization of kidney patients. Their site has tons of great information for kidney patients including a great Kidney, Dialysis and Transplant links page.

Founded 35 years ago, the American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP) exists to serve the needs, interests and welfare of all kidney patients and their families. Its mission is to improve the lives of fellow kidney patients and their families by helping them to deal with the physical, emotional and social impact of kidney disease. To accomplish these goals, AAKP engages in a variety of educational and supportive programs designed:

• to assist patients both to learn more about their disease and to become active participants in planning and managing their treatment;
• to improve patient understanding of and access to rehabilitation;
• to work together for the improvement of public programs that help kidney patients meet their financial and personal needs;
• to reflect the views and concerns of patients to public policy makers and others in the renal community;
• and to provide a lifeline for patients in need of emotional support and reassurance that only other patients can provide.

AAKP is a national organization of more than 12,000 members, including patients, family members, renal professionals, friends and institutional members. It is the only national kidney patient organization directed by kidney patients for kidney patients.

An IRS registered, Sec. 501(C)(3) organization, AAKP is governed by a board of directors under the direction of Brenda Dyson, President. The current board is comprised of 21 members including dialysis patients, chronic kidney disease patients, transplant recipients, healthcare professionals and members of the public concerned with kidney disease. In addition, AAKP has several local chapters with their own boards located throughout the United States, chartered under authority of the national organization. The board, chapters and membership are serviced by a staff of eight employees under the direction of Kris Robinson, Executive Director, at the AAKP National Office located in Tampa, Florida.

This is a UK site that uses Flash animations to help educate patients about kidney disease.

The information is presented in a way that should be very useful for young patients.


They also have links to many other sites useful to kidney patients.

This guy is cool. He named his transplanted kidney "Buccho". Buccho was still functioning two years after a kidney transplant.

Two years ago today I had a kidney transplant. Today I can say that I am healthy (thank God) and Buccho is functioning properly.

This article is by a medical doctor. In the article he explores the ethical dilemmas that health care providers and patients face regarding organ donation.

The article talks about the functions of UNOS (United Network for Organ Sharing), the U.S. government designated organ procurement network.

• Organ Donation: Who, How,Why and also What are the Ethics? (Part 1)
• Organ Donation: Who, How,Why and also What are the Ethics? (Part 2)
• Organ Donation: Who, How,Why and also What are the Ethics? (Part 3)
• Organ Donation: Who, How,Why and also What are the Ethics? (Part 4)
• Organ Donation: Who, How,Why and also What are the Ethics? (Part 5)

This is from an article written by a registered nurse about the beauty of the process of producing urine. It should give you some insight into how much caregivers are into their field.

Ever ponder the miracle of urine? I mean, really ponder, with utter amazement, the beauty of producing waste? I know, as medical personnel, we tend to get overly excited about bodily functions. But, never before have I ever been so fascinated by a living body to produce something as mundane as urine.

The people at Louis C. Herring Laboratory seem to know a great deal about kidney stones. They analyze kidney stones to find out the materials from which they formed.

Their site has great information about kidney stones.

Sections include:

• Kidney stone general information
• Kidney stone FAQ's
• Kidney stone photos
• Kidney stone facts
• Kidney stone references and resources
• Kidney stone analysis techniques

These photos show the amazing variety of different types of kidney stones. The site answers the question, "what are kidney stones made of?" The answer is, "kidney stones can be composed of many types of materials."

The kidneys play an important role in a child's growth. In addition to removing wastes and extra fluid from the blood, the kidneys produce hormones that promote red blood cell production. The kidneys also help regulate the amounts and interactions of nutrients from food, including minerals like calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin D, that are necessary for growth. Finally, the kidneys may also play a role in the metabolism of growth hormone (somatotropin).

Click here for more information about growth failure in children with kidney disease.

Goodpasture's syndrome is a rare disease that can affect the lungs and kidneys. It is an autoimmune disease, a condition in which the body's own defense system reacts against some part of the body itself. When the immune system is working normally, it creates antibodies to fight off germs. In Goodpa