Five Things to Know About Oklahoma Children’s Hospital OU Health Pediatric Nephrology

The kidneys are remarkable bean-shaped organs located just below the rib cage, with one on each side of your spine. Most people are born with two kidneys. The kidneys filter blood and remove waste and water. Healthy kidneys filter about half a cup of blood each minute and remove acid produced by the body's cells. They work continuously to clean your blood and balance electrolytes such as calcium, phosphorus, sodium, and potassium.

Without the correct balance in the body, muscles, nerves, and other bodily tissues may not work as they should. Kidneys also make the hormones to:

• Make red blood cells
• Help bone growth
• Control blood pressure

If kidneys are unable to perform properly, serious health problems can occur.

Understanding Chronic Kidney Disease

Chronic kidney disease, also called chronic kidney failure, occurs when the kidneys are damaged over time. The injured kidneys can't filter waste products like toxins and extra water out of the blood. When chronic kidney disease advances, electrolyte imbalances, excess fluid, and wastes accumulate in the body.

As there are few symptoms of kidney disease in the early stages, you may not realize that you have it until it becomes advanced. Symptoms of advanced kidney disease include:

• Loss of appetite
• Nausea and vomiting
• Weakness and fatigue
• Insomnia
• Muscle cramps
• Changes in urination (more or less)
• Swollen ankles and feet
• Itchy, dry skin
• High blood pressure
• Feeling cloudy
• Chest pain
• Shortness of breath

If your child is showing signs of kidney disease, see your nephrologist immediately — early detection may help prevent kidney disease from progressing to kidney failure.

OU Health Pediatric Nephrology and Hypertension Team

If your child lives with any kidney problem, or has elevated blood pressure, you need experts you can trust with your child’s care. Oklahoma Children’s Hospital OU Health’s Pediatric Nephrology and Hypertension Team provides world-class pediatric nephrology care.

Here are five reasons why the Oklahoma Children’s Hospital Pediatric Nephrology Team is changing kidney care for kids in Oklahoma and beyond:

1. Comprehensive Care for Pediatric Nephrology in Oklahoma City

We are the only health system in Oklahoma providing comprehensive care for kidney diseases and hypertension, including a dedicated dialysis program and a kidney transplant program for children and adolescents.

Our team specializes in diagnosing and managing children and adolescents with a range of acute and chronic kidney-related disorders. This includes congenital kidney and urogenital anomalies, genetic disorders associated with kidney diseases, elevated blood pressure, blood or protein in the urine, and electrolyte imbalances.

Dialysis is a procedure used by people with acute or chronic kidney failure. It filters waste and extra blood fluid, which the kidneys usually do. Dialysis may also be used to prevent kidney failure if someone has been exposed to or swallowed toxic substances.

OU Health is Oklahoma’s only health system with a dedicated hemodialysis and outpatient peritoneal dialysis unit for children and adolescents who live with acute renal failure or end-stage renal disease (ESRD) or who experience acute poisoning.

Children and adolescents with advanced chronic kidney diseases may be suitable candidates for a kidney transplant. OU Health is Oklahoma’s only healthcare resource that performs children’s kidney transplants at the only children’s hospital in the five-state region to receive a silver medal from the United Organ Sharing Network for renal transplant service.

2. Multidisciplinary Team to Care for Your Child

Pediatric nephrology patients at Oklahoma Children’s Hospital receive specialized care from a multidisciplinary team that brings specialists from all departments to coordinate a customized treatment plan for your child. Your child’s care team may include pediatric nephrologists, pediatric nephrology nurses, a pediatric psychologist, child life specialists, social workers, a pediatric pharmacist, and other healthcare professionals from many disciplines.

Having expertise from so many disciplines means that your child’s care team can provide cohesive whole-patient care to address every aspect of their health journey.

Children with kidney problems have access to pediatric nephrology experts through subspecialty clinics, including stone clinics, CKD clinics, vasculitis clinics, and hypertension clinics.

3. Research and Medical Innovations

We pursue research and medical innovations, actively participating in national and international projects to advance the fields of pediatric nephrology and hypertension

The pediatric nephrology team at Oklahoma Children’s Hospital is currently involved in two NIH-funded clinical research projects — (CKiD and CureGN). Additionally, the team is active in the Pediatric Nephrology Research Consortium (PNRC) and holds positions as co-principal investigators and site principal investigators in several clinical research projects.

Oklahoma Children’s Hospital pediatric nephrologist Dr. Ikuyo Yamaguchi, M.D., Ph.D., division Chief of the for Pediatric Nephrology in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, leads a pediatric hypertension clinic at Oklahoma Children’s Hospital. Dr. Yamaguchi is also co-chair of the PNRC hypertension working group.

“We are conducting several clinical trials sponsored by pharmaceutical companies,” said Dr. Yamaguchi. “Moreover, we are active members of the Standardized Care to Improve Outcomes in Pediatric End-stage Kidney Disease (SCOPE) Collaborative and the International Pediatric Peritoneal Dialysis Network. We also participate in Children’s Hospitals’ Solutions for Patient Safety for Nephrotoxic Acute Kidney Injury.”

NIH-funded clinical research projects contribute to better health outcomes, scientific progress, and societal well-being by bolstering the economy, improving productivity, and reducing the costly burden of illness.

4. Education for You and Your Family

We provide classroom and patient-centered education for medical students and residents, shaping the next generation of medical professionals.

The Oklahoma Children’s Hospital pediatric nephrology team is dedicated to educating medical students and residents in outpatient clinics and inpatient services.

“Our education approach is patient-centered and involves a multidisciplinary team,” explains Dr. Yamaguchi. “We also provide classroom teaching on various topics in pediatric nephrology.”

The mentorship program supports trainees in their clinical activities, research projects, and work-life balance and offers a wide range of opportunities for trainees, faculty, and staff in different settings.

These include kidney biopsy meetings, pediatric nephrology conferences, journal clubs, and urology, radiology, and nephrology conferences. Additionally, there are opportunities to obtain further certifications and a master's degree from The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences. The team also participates in local, national, and international meetings.

5. Promoting Public Awareness

Raising awareness of kidney diseases and hypertension in children and adolescents is vital for improving health outcomes in Oklahoma. Hypertension, commonly known as high blood pressure, affects up to 6% of children and adolescents. Childhood hypertension rates have increased fourfold over the last 30 years.

The Oklahoma Children’s Hospital pediatric nephrology team engages with the community to raise awareness of kidney diseases and hypertension in children and adolescents through meet-and-greet events, local public meetings, and social media platforms.

“Our goal is to establish a community center focused on promoting a healthy lifestyle through initiatives such as providing a food market, organizing cooking classes, and offering fitness programs,” said Dr. Yamaguchi.

Pediatric Nephrology at Oklahoma Children’s Hospital OU Health

Learn more about our pediatric nephrology and hypertension services and treatment, request an appointment or get a second opinion, or find out more about the pediatric nephrology team at OU Health by calling (405) 271-4211.