 | Pam Harjo
is Director of Community Services and the HIV/AIDS Department at Hunter Health Clinic. She is a member of the Wichita Indian Mission United Methodist Church where she is a Certified Lay Speaker. She is also certified as an HIV/AIDS Educator, Counselor, and Trainer. She currently serves as a Member of The Kansas West Conference Native American Council. Pam is a member of the Kansas State Community Planning Group, and the Chickasaw Tribe of Oklahoma. She is past Board Member of The National Minority AIDS Council, The Child Care Association, The Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA), and Leadership Wichita Alumni. Pam and her husband Jerry have four children, and two grand-children. You may contact Pam at at (316) 262-3611 ext.124. |
Health & Medicine
2002-11-01 16:36:00
What is ESRD?
: What is ESRD? Who is most susceptible?
ANSWER: I must remind you that I am not a medical doctor and my answers are coming from my own experience and in layman terms. ESRD stands for end-stage renal disease. This is the diagnosis given to a person who has permanent, total (or almost total) kidney failure. With ESRD, kidneys are no longer able to properly clean out the harmful wastes that build up in the blood, and those diagnosed with ESRD are put on kidney dialysis in order to stay alive. Many of these people are put on a waiting list for kidney transplants after they are placed on dialysis. The people who are most susceptible to ESRD are persons who have had chronic, long-term diseases that are debilitating to the normal function process of the kidneys. The more common diseases that come to mind are diabetes, hypertension, urinary stone disease, polycystic kidney disease. Many HIV/AIDS patients can over a long period of time have kidney and liver damage because of highly toxic medications they must take to fight HIV. Native Americans are the race in the U.S. most likely to develop ESRD because of diabetes. All communities of color in the U.S. put on transplant lists, (especially Native Americans) have a very hard time finding matching donors, this translates to high rates of death from kidney failure or complications due to dialysis in the Native American community. The United States has 5% of the population (more than 13 million) who are effected with kidney and urologic diseases, and claim about 260,000 lives each year.
