How is my child placed on the waiting list for a new kidney?
An extensive evaluation must be completed before your child can be placed on the transplant list. Testing includes: • blood tests • diagnostic tests • psychological and social evaluation of the child (if old enough) and the family Tests are done to gather information that will help determine how urgent it is that your child is placed on the transplant list, as well as ensure the child receives a donor organ that is a good match. These tests include those to analyze the general health of the body, including the child’s heart, lung, and kidney function, the child’s nutritional status, and the presence of infection. Blood tests will help improve the chances that the donor organ will not be rejected. These tests may include: • blood chemistries – these may include serum creatinine, electrolytes (such as sodium and potassium), cholesterol, and liver function tests. • clotting studies, such as prothrombin time (PT) and partial thromboplastin time (PTT) – tests that measure the time it takes
