BC Working Group Creates Globally Unique Tool to Balance Acute and Chronic Dialysis Needs During Pandemic

Soon after the COVID-19 pandemic first began in early 2020, it became clear that the novel coronavirus could cause a substantial number of people to develop acute kidney injury and require dialysis treatments – consequently driving an increase in demand for dialysis machines and services. Mobilizing quickly, a working group of health professionals and patient partners, coordinated by BC Renal, sought to create an ethical triaging framework for managing dialysis resources during the pandemic.

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New Deprescribing Toolkit Aims to Ease the Pill Burden for Hemodialysis Patients

Hemodialysis (HD) patients are all too familiar with taking many medications simultaneously – averaging 12 or more per day. However, many of these medications may not be necessary.

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Dietitians and Nephrologists Team Up to Explore the Impacts of Oral Supplements

As part of a novel research project, a group of nephrologists, dietitians and statisticians came together to explore unique questions related to oral supplement use in non-dialysis kidney patients in British Columbia. The results show that oral supplement use is associated with improved outcomes for some key indicators of nutritional status. 

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Complex Factors Influence Treatment Timing for Children with Kidney Failure 

When a person’s kidney disease advances beyond a certain point, kidney replacement therapy (KRT) is a critical, life-prolonging option. However, regardless of what kind of KRT is chosen, some risks are involved. Therefore, finding a balance of when to begin KRT – where the risks and benefits are carefully weighed – is important.

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Two Studies Inform More Personalized Treatment for Adults and Children with IgA Nephropathy

For many patients with IgA Nephropathy (IgAN), their disease can progress slowly and the level of treatment required may be minimal for years on end. But patients with a more progressive form of the disease may require earlier and more aggressive treatment with immunosuppression, which comes with difficult side effects.

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Staff Profile: Zainab Sheriff
Resarch Coordinator,
BC Renal Network

The BC Renal network encompasses the kidney programs of the province’s regional health authorities. The majority of clinician researchers who work within the network may be conducting two or three clinical trials at a given time. But for Zainab Sheriff, who works as a research coordinator, the average is about six or seven simultaneously.

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Researcher Profile:
Rachel Carson
Nephrologist, Island Health

A person who is good at analytics and math is faced with many potential career paths that are interesting and impactful. For Dr. Rachel Carson, these strengths almost led her to pursue a PhD in biotechnology after an undergraduate degree in engineering. 

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