Bacteria in the blood may be reason heart attacks so fatal to dialysis patients
Dr. Keiichi Sumida works in his office at the University of Tennessee Health Sciences on Monday, July 20, 2020. Dr. Sumida has received nearly $3 million for work into the role bacteria may play in causing inflammation that often is fatal in end-stage renal failure. (Greg Campbell/Special to The Daily Memphian)
Ten to 15 years ago, the notion that bacteria could be in the blood was heresy. Now, it may be the reason dialysis patients often die of heart attacks while they await kidney transplant.
Topics
Dr. Keiichi Sumida UTHSC Dr. Csaba Kovesdy DaVita Kidney Care Dr. Manish Talwar James D. Eason Transplant Institute at Methodist University HospitalJane Roberts
Jane Roberts has reported in Memphis for more than 20 years. As a senior member of The Daily Memphian staff, she was assigned to the medical beat during the COVID-19 pandemic. She also has done in-depth work on other medical issues facing our community, including shortages of specialists in local hospitals. She covered K-12 education here for years and later the region’s transportation sector, including Memphis International Airport and FedEx Corp.
Want to comment on our stories or respond to others? Join the conversation by subscribing now. Only paid subscribers can add their thoughts or upvote/downvote comments. Our commenting policy can be viewed here.