6,000 to be screened to find if kidney probs community specific

NAGPUR: The Nephrology Society and district health officials of Yavatmal will be screening more than 6,000 adults from five villages in the district for possible kidney disorders.
This was decided after a meeting was held on Friday to discuss modalities to probe reasons behind the high number of chronic kidney disorder (CKD) cases being found in these pockets.
The study would also attempt to find if the incidence of chronic kidney disorder (CKD) is high in a particular community. The matter was first raised by Ajay Rathore, a pathologist, who found a high number of cases of CKD in Asola village of Yavatmal. It has also been observed that patients are mainly from the Banjara community.
The individuals to be screened will have to fill up a questionnaire that would also have a column on caste and religion. The purpose is to find whether the incidences of kidney disorder are high in a particular community. If it is within a scale of 10 out of 1000, it will be termed as normal levels. However, if its higher than 10, further studies can be taken up, said Dr Prahlad Chavan, district health officer at Yavatmal.
However, a section of doctors say that the patients of a certain community may be high because of their being the predominant population in that area.
All the four villages chosen for the study are from different blocks to ensure that samples are taken from cross sections of persons and communities. The four villages — Asola, Dhampur Wadbrahmi, Dhundi, and Rampur — are at a substantial distance from each other.
The exercise would include taking blood and urine samples of all adults in these villages. It is expected that the work may be completed within 6 to 8 days.
President of the Nephrology Society Dr Monali Sahu said that due to the sample size involved, this could be a one of its kind of study. All the relevant details like blood pressure, sugar and other parameters for the kidney would be recorded, she said. Based on findings, further studies like sonography or renal biopsy can be done. If clusters are identified water samples would be checked too, Sahu added.
Sahu said that chances of other pockets having high CKD cases like Asola are high. The society is keen to take up studies in such areas too, she said.