Ask yourself: 'If I needed a kidney, how much risk would I be willing to take?'

For a person already in need of a kidney transplant, a willingness to accept infection risk can come down to the amount of the infection risk, in this case as it pertains to HIV, the age of the donor -- and how long the patient has been waiting.

The waiting is hard.

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania asked 175 kidney transplant candidates about their willingness to accept a kidney from a donor who might be at higher risk of viral infection. Most (58.9%) would accept at least some risk.

The results may not surprise. But they're a sobering reflection of a crucial need. And they're worth thinking about: How much risk would you accept? The answer for those not on the wait list may depend on whether they know someone on the wait list.

Here's ...

•  the study, as it will appear in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

•  the press release from the American Society of Nephrology.

•  statistics from the National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse on kidney and urologic diseases.

•  general information from the Mayo Clinic on kidney transplants.

•  a recent L.A. Times article about the long-term health of people who donate kidneys (at least as good, if not better, than people who don't donate kidneys)

•  a first-person piece, also from The Times, about kidney donation.

•  and information from the National Kidney Foundation on how to become a living donor.

-- Tami Dennis

Illustration credit: Jon Conrad / For The Times

 

Comments

[minetti]

I never thought of that angle... the need for kidneys and the risk of grabbing one and later on finding out it is infected with HIV.

I think the move to a healthier diet should really be imposed to be able to take care of the kidneys... I think with this post and writeup hard headed sensitive kidney-owners may start really taking care of themselves...

http://www.studiodentisticominetti.eu/webpages/cosafacciamo.aspx

[e]

Compare with willingness to get HIV, et als by having sex.