Performance scores and kidney discard rates: the challenging balance for transplant centers - BMC Series blog

Performance scores and kidney discard rates: the challenging balance for transplant centers - BMC Series blog

Sumeska Thavarajah

Dr. Sumeska Thavarajah is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Su is committed to education and dedicated to bringing community awareness on kidney disease through her work with the National Kidney Foundation serving Maryland and Delaware. Su has served as the Chairman of its Medical Advisory Board for the last six years and has been a member of the board since 2012. Much of Su’s work has focused on the development of patient education programs for dialysis and transplant options. She has been honored with the National Kidney Foundation’s Linda Cameron Award for Patient Services, for donating her time at community health screenings and assisting the Programs & Advocacy committee. Dr. Thavarajah joined the BMC Nephrology editorial board in October 2019 as a Blog Editor for the journal.

Performance scores and kidney discard rates: the challenging balance for transplant centers

This month in BMC Nephrology, a study by Lee et al. found that the survival rates of dual kidney transplant grafts, from deceased donors over the age of 70, were similar to those of single kidney transplant grafts. This study questioned whether this practice could in the future expand the donor pool. In our third BMC Nephrology blog, Blog Editor Dr. Sumeska Thavarajah explores the challenges that transplant centers face in sourcing sufficient, acceptable kidney allografts and how this new research could inform future strategies to overcome current barriers.

Sumeska Thavarajah 20 Jan 2020

Image source: Pixabay

With the rising rates of obesity, type II diabetes and an aging population, the number of individuals developing end-stage renal disease (ESRD) is increasing globally.  With more individuals seeking kidney transplantation, the gap between those waiting for a transplant, and available kidney allografts, is unfortunately widening. Efforts with more potent immunosuppressive agents, protocols with desensitization, educational efforts, altruistic donors, and swap programs have made live donor transplants more accessible.