Kidney Research At Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust – A Chance For You To Take Part!
Kidney Disease affects a lot of people, but we still do not know everything about it. Salford Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is committed to research, to further our understanding of kidney disease and its causes, in addition, to finding better treatments and management options. Hopefully through advances in knowledge, patients with kidney disease can live a healthier and longer life.
If you have kidney disease, you may be able to help out and be a part of exciting research projects taking place at Salford Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. We are always looking for volunteers and without patients we would not be able to carry out the research at all.
What are the benefits for you in taking part in research?
Some studies may of direct benefit to you depending on what treatment is being tested. With other studies, the results will certainly help change practice and affect management of patients with kidney disease like you. This means that you might be helping yourself and others.
If you are involved in research you will be monitored closely by the study team and so you will receive extra attention in addition to general clinical care. If any investigations reveal any abnormalities we will discuss with your GP (with your consent) or refer you to a specialist clinic (depending on the situation).
Examples of studies that are currently going on:
- BiCARB Study
Sodium Bicarbonate is commonly found in foodstuffs such as baking powder. But it is also present in the body controlling how acidic our blood is. When kidneys do not work so well, our ability to control bicarbonate levels in the blood fails and the blood may become more acidic. This medical research is for people aged over 65years who have chronic kidney disease. It asks the important question of: Does sodium bicarbonate therapy improve function and quality of life in older patients with chronic kidney disease and low-grade acidosis? Recruited patients are randomized to take tablets of bicarbonate or placebo.
If you wish to find out more about this study please contact:
Janet Blood, Research Nurse.
Email: Janet.blood@srft.nhs.uk
Tel: 0161 206 5205
- Chronic Renal Insufficiency Standards Implementations Study (CRISIS Study)
This is a long-term study that has been running since 2002 and now includes over 2500 of our out-patients with Chronic Kidney Disease! We are investigating the factors that are involved in the important outcomes of Chronic Kidney Disease. The main outcomes are worsening of kidney failure, cardiovascular events such as angina, heart attack and stroke, and survival. Research shows that factors such as high blood pressure can lead to worse outcome. Other factors such as anaemia, calcium and phosphate levels can also affect development of other illnesses such as heart and bone disease, and results from the CRISIS study have already contributed to our knowledge. Our genetic make-up can make people more likely to develop diabetes and heart disease; it also probably influences why some people develop worse kidney problems than others. This study looks at the influence of various factors in causes and complications of chronic kidney disease.
This study will not take too much of your time. It only requires one initial visit of 30minutes with a blood test; then an annual clinic visit. There are no extra drugs that you need to take.
If you wish to find out more about this study please contact:
Beverley lane or Christina Summersgill, Research Nurses:
Email: Beverley.Lane@srft.nhs.uk or Christina.Summersgill@srft.nhs.uk
Tel: 0161 206 5205
- Chronic Renal Insufficiency Standards Implementations Study-Haemodialysis (CRISIS-HD Study)
A quarter of our dialysis patients are at risk of sudden or unexpected heart events that can be fatal. This is a much higher rate than in the general population. It is usually because of an abnormal heartbeat. We cannot predict who this may happen to. This study is investigating if it is possible to identify dialysis patients at increased risk using simple bedside tests. These standard tests – that are often performed anyway such as when someone is being considered for an operation – will be carried out on a non-dialysis day. These tests include echocardiogram, heart tracing, blood pressure measurement. Patients in the study would have these tests once a year for 2 years. The results may help identify those at high risk. In the future it is hoped that our results will lead to improved treatments of these heart problems so that risks can be reduced.
This is a simple study to take part in, all that is required is one visit a year for 2 years. It will take about 20 minutes for each visit where an echocardiogram, ECG and blood pressure measurement will be taken. We also provide free taxi transport to take you from your home to the department where the tests take place. There is no waiting for the tests because we organize all the appointments. If we find any abnormalities, we will also let you and your treating renal doctor know.
If you wish to find out more about this study please contact:
Laura Johnstone, Research Nurse or Dr. Diana Chiu, Study Doctor
Laura.Johnstone@srft.nhs.uk or Diana.Chiu@srft.nhs.uk
Tel: 0161 206 5205
- Serum Phosphate Intervention in Renal Replacement Therapy (SPIRiT)- due to start soon.
We use medication to control the blood level of phosphate in dialysis patients. We do this because there is evidence associating high levels of blood phosphate with poor outcomes in dialysis patients. But we do not know if it is the high blood phosphate that causes the problem, if the high blood phosphate in these patients is a chance finding or whether there is a different factor that causes poor outcomes. If that is indeed the case, we might be asking our patients to take a number of tablets which are large, unpleasant and have significant side-effects but may have no clear benefit.
We intend to do a large multi-centre study involving over 3000 patients at a later date. Before we start such a large study, it is very important to know that such a study is possible (feasible). This current study is to determine whether we will be able to achieve the required blood levels of phosphate in patients before we begin the big study.
This study will involve blood tests taken on dialysis, altering or adding phosphate binding medications- commonly used medications, dietary advice and questionnaires. All visits will occur during regular dialysis sessions so there are no extra visits.
If you wish to find out more about this study please contact:
Christina Summersgill, Research Nurse or Dr. Diana Chiu, Study Doctor
Email: Chistina.Summersgill@srft.nhs.uk or Diana.Chiu@srft.nhs.uk
Tel: 0161 206 5205
- Other Trials Supported by the Pharmaceutical Industry
We are also actively participating in 5 trials, funded by drug companies, at present looking at:
- Iv iron in patients with CKD – both receiving and not on dialysis
- Diabetic kidney disease
- Polycystic kidney disease
- Participation
Participation in all studies is entirely voluntary. You may refuse to take part or withdraw at any time. It will not affect your future medical care or your relationship with the medical or nursing staff who routinely look after you.
If you are keen to take part and make a difference today, to find out more information contact:
Telephone: 0161 206 5205
Address: Room D309, 2nd Floor, Clinical Sciences Building, Salford Royal Hospital Foundation Trust, Stott lane, Salford, M6 8HD.
Renal Research Team
- Prof Phil Kalra (Research lead)
- Dr Smeeta Sinha (CRISIS HD)
- Prof Donal O’Donoghue (CRISIS)
- Dr Rachel Middleton (CRISIS)
- Dr Ed O’Riordan (Industry trials)
- Dr Grahame Wood (Industry trials)
- Dr David Lewis (CAPD trials)
- Dr Rosie Donne (CRISIS HD)
- Dr Janet Hegarty (Quality improvement)
Clinical Research Fellows:
- Dr. Darren Green
- Dr. James Ritchie
- Dr. Helen Alderson
- Dr. Diana Chiu
- Dr. Thilini Abeygunaratne
Research Nurses
- Christina Summersgill
- Lesley Haydock
- Joanna Cox
- Laura Johnstone
- Sally Chapman
- Mel Kershaw
- Cath Wilson
- Janet Blood
- Beverley Lane
- Dace Dimza Jones
- Kate Nowalk
Currently we can only involve patients who attend Renal Clinics at Salford Royal Hospital or attend dialysis at Salford Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and its satellite units: Bolton, Wigan and Rochdale. If you attend other hospitals, please ask at your local hospital to see if there are similar research opportunities.