March is National Kidney Month. In honor of this, we interviewed Allison Mitchell, DNP, APRN, AGNP-BC, to discuss kidney disease. Dr. Mitchell has been a valuable part of our Nephrology team since 2018. She is also a member of the National Kidney Foundation and the American Society of Nephrology.
The kidneys are organs located in our abdomen that remove toxins/waste from our blood through urine. Dr. Allison Mitchell, a certified Nurse Practitioner (NP) in the Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, likes to think of them as the "balancing organs" of the body. For this reason, she says they are complicated yet fun to study.
Her approach to kidney health is to first understand who is at risk for kidney disease.
“This allows us to have important conversations with our patients to prevent kidney disease: a proactive approach vs. reactive," she says. "We can empower our patients to know their numbers and prioritize their health”.
She adds, “Preventing kidney disease comes with identifying those at risk and encouraging lifestyle changes that can prevent or slow the progression of kidney disease. These lifestyle changes would be a low-salt diet, meticulous blood pressure and glycemic control, and avoiding nephrotoxic medications/agents such as NSAIDs and IV contrast when possible. There are several medications that are known to delay the progression of kidney disease that could also be prioritized in these high-risk patients such as RAAS and SGLT2 inhibitors”.
During her initial intake of a patient with kidney disease, Dr. Mitchell's approach is first to spend the time with patients to help them understand chronic kidney disease (CKD), including the etiology of their disease process, their numbers (i.e. labs), their personal risk of progression, and how to prevent further decline. She often uses graphs, risk calculators, and thorough education on progression risk. This may include lifestyle changes, diet recommendations, the addition of medications, and to avoid nephrotoxins.
Dr. Mitchell cautions, “The number of patients diagnosed with renal disease is growing rapidly. In all areas of healthcare, we will encounter patients with CKD. I encourage everyone to help us identify those at risk for kidney failure so that we can have a proactive approach in treating and preventing CKD.”
Learn more about services in the Division of Nephrology.
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