Nephrology Connect

The Division of Pediatric Nephrology at Children’s Mercy Kansas City provides the highest quality care for pediatric patients with kidney and urinary tract disorders. Our outstanding care and leading-edge research has helped us earn recognition as one of the top ten nephrology programs in the nation by U.S. News and World Report for 12 consecutive years.

Our faculty are recognized as experts and leaders by their pediatric nephrology colleagues across the country. Through leadership and participation in national committees and research collaboratives, we are advancing the field of pediatric nephrology and applying what is learned to improve outcomes for patients today and in the future. Utilizing an integrated, collaborative care approach with colleagues in neonatology, maternal fetal medicine, critical care medicine, cardiology, genomics, bioethics and other specialties, we are able to deliver exceptional outcomes for the most critically ill and vulnerable patients.

Leading research collaborations to improve outcomes

Children’s Mercy has played a leadership role in pediatric nephrology research and quality improvement for nearly two decades.

In 2022, the division published more than 35 peer-reviewed manuscripts. Much of that work was done in conjunction with colleagues from around the nation through research collaboratives and partnerships.

Four recent publications focused on:

• Developing Key Clinical Recommendations for Pediatric CKD Management
• Humoral and Cellular Immune Response to 3rd Dose of COVID-19 Vaccine
• Effects of Bardoxolone Methyl in Alport Syndrome
• Subcutaneous C.E.R.A. for the Maintenance Treatment of Anemia in Pediatric Patients With CKD

QI initiative focuses on improving medication safety

Adverse Drug Events (ADEs) from nephrotoxic medication administration are common among children with kidney disease. These children are often medically complex which heightens their risk for polypharmacy and drug-drug interactions.

Collaborating with a multidisciplinary workgroup, Darcy Weidemann, MD, pediatric nephrologist, is leading a quality improvement initiative to: 

• Heighten clinician awareness of patient eGFR;
• Improve contrast safety to contemporary evidence-based standards of care;
• Refine medication ordering and pharmacy verification of medications. 

The initiative is focused on reducing adverse events by at least 20% in children with impaired eGFR in both the inpatient and outpatient settings.

Preventing Progression of Kidney Disease: A Q&A with Tarak Srivastava, MD

Pediatric nephrologist and researcher Tarak Srivastava, MD, FASN, was recently elected to the Society of Pediatric Nephrology Research board of directors.
 
In this interview, Dr. Srivastava discusses his laboratory research focus, the problems he's trying to solve, progress that has been made, and opportunities for the future.

Recent publications

Spector BL, Harrell L, Sante D, Wyckoff GJ, Willig L. The methylome and cell-free DNA: current applications in medicine and pediatric disease. Pediatr Res. 2023 Jan 16:1–7. doi: 10.1038/s41390-022-02448-3. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36646885; PMCID: PMC9842217.

Johnson RJ, Warady BA. Does kidney transplant improve health-related quality of life for youth with chronic kidney disease? Kidney Int. 2023 Feb;103(2):256-258. doi: 10.1016/j.kint.2022.10.021. PMID: 36681454.

Singh NS, Johnson RJ, Matheson MB, Carlson J, Hooper SR, Warady BA. A longitudinal analysis of the effect of anemia on executive functions in children with mild to moderate chronic kidney disease. Pediatr Nephrol. 2023 Mar;38(3):829-837. doi: 10.1007/s00467-022-05682-3. Epub 2022 Jul 21. PMID: 35861871.

Morgans HA, Schuster JE, Warady BA. Pediatric Vaccine Hesitancy and COVID-19. Am J Kidney Dis. 2023 Jan;81(1):13-14. doi: 10.1053/j.ajkd.2022.07.003. Epub 2022 Nov 3. PMID: 36334987; PMCID: PMC9630134.