Human kidneys play a vital role in overall health and wellbeing. The organ functions to filter and remove toxins from the blood. Other responsibilities of the kidneys include the regulation of the PH and levels of potassium in the body, activation of vitamin D to assist the body in the absorption of calcium, as well as the production of hormones essential in the regulation of blood pressure (Fraser & Blakeman, 2016). As such, maintaining a healthy kidney is not only a top individual but a worldwide priority. Yet, such a priority is jeopardized by disorders such as chronic kidney disease (CKD) that affects a significant number of people across the globe. The following paper delves into this condition with a view to understanding its signs and symptoms, prevalence, existing methods of surveillance, epidemiology, current screening and related guidelines, and a plan to address it as a nurse practitioner. The plan will include evidence-based interventions whose outcomes are measurable. In doing this, the paper hopes to not only enlighten on CKD but also contribute to reducing its prevalence. Preventing CKD would be significant in mitigating other health issues such as cardiovascular conditions.
Background and Significance
Chen, Knicely and Grams (2019) posit that CKD simply refers to a continuous malfunction of the kidney or even an abnormality in its structure, featuring a glomerular filtration rate less than 60 ml/min/1.73 m2. On the same note, Webster et al. (2017) argue that it could also be described as signs of kidney damage spanning over three months, notwithstanding the cause of such degradation. According to Fraser and Blakeman (2019), CKD is, most of the time, asymptomatic during the early stages when it would be simpler to manage. As it progresses, it becomes highly likely to result in cardiovascular outcomes and other complex conditions. CKD has symptoms that are often mistaken for other kidney conditions. However, the common signs and symptoms include periorbital and pedal edema, shortness of breath, nausea and vomiting, pain of the bones, inexplicable and constant drowsiness, mental fatigue, uremic frost, muscle cramps, impotence, persistent hiccups, blood in stools, and sleep apnea, among others (Arora, 2019). The disease is often more prevalent among older people, and risk factors include a history of diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases, smoking, and even obesity (Fraser & Blakeman, 2016).
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2019) notes that CKD is highly prevalent, with some 15% of American adults (37 million people) suffering from the condition. These statistics could be underestimating the prevalence rate owing to the fact that about 90% of U.S. adults do not realize they suffer the disorder, even those whose kidneys do not function properly (CDC, 2019). Various states have different prevalence and incidence rates, depending on numerous factors. Below is a prevalence/incidence rate table for the state of Illinois.
| Characteristic | Prevalence 2018 [Source: (Lederer et al., 2018).] | Prevalence 2017 [Source: AHRQ, n.d.] |
| Total | 20, 770 (0.12%) | 1.0% |
| Age (53 and above) | 0.12% |
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| Sex | Male- 6717 (32.8%) |
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| Race | Female-14053 (67.7%) |
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| Race | Non-Hispanic Whites- 42.4% |
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| African Americans-20.9% |
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| Hispanic- 28.1% |
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The results in the table above are consistent with the national statistics provided by the CDC (2019), which notes that Americans above the age of 65 are the most affected, with an estimated total of 38% of the population diagnosed with CKD. The graph below presents the national CKD statistics.