We offer you a select range of publications on a wide range of kidney related conditions and treatments. To order any of our kidney health publication resources, use our special Resource Order Form to access precise, up to date information on a wide range of kidney related conditions and treatments. 

 For hearing impaired - TTY/Voice 133 677 | Speak & Listen (SSR) 1300 555 727

Latest important kidney health publications - Hyperphosphataemia Patient Booklets

We are delighted to present the Hyperphosphataemia Patient Booklet - an excellent publication written for kidney patients who have been diagnosed with high phosphate in their blood.

This booklet, published by Shire Australia in collaboration with Kidney Health Australia, may also be downloaded here in several languages other than English *Arabic *Chinese *Italian *Greek  *Hindi *Urdu *Vietnamese. These files are quite large and may take time to open with Adobe Reader - but they will open. You can also ring our KHIS line to order hard copies or have electronic versions sent to you.

Phosphorus is a naturally occurring mineral. We get phosphorus from the food we eat. Some food is very high in phosphorus like nuts, legumes e.g. beans, chick peas etc, cereals, grain and dairy produce. Phosphorus is found in your body as ‘PHOSPHATE’ and is needed for building strong teeth and bones as well as keeping other parts of your body healthy. It is found in every cell in your body.

When your kidneys fail to work, phosphate can build up in the blood. This build up of excess phosphate is called hyperphosphataemia.

Shire Australia has provided this information as a guide for patients. It is not intended to replace the advice of your health care professional. Should you require further information about hyperphosphataemia please consult with your doctor.

Living with Reduced Kidney Function – A handbook for self-management of chronic kidney disease

This book is for people who have recently been informed that they have reduced kidney function related to the early stages of chronic kidney disease. In this handbook you will find information about the normal functioning of your kidneys, about the first signs indicating that they may not be working properly and about what you can do to try and prevent further development of your kidney disease. Free downloads of extra health record sheets, treatment plans and other tools from this handbook are available to print whenever you need them.

Cost of folder - $20 each (inc GST and postage)
Bulk orders - $20 each (Inc GST) plus postage

The original edition of the Handbook Living with Reduced Kidney Function was published in Sweden in 2004. We would like to sincerely thank Kerstin Bergström and Per Ǻke Zillén for developing this wonderful resource and providing Australians with chronic kidney disease, the opportunity to use this Handbook. 

Thanks also to Genzyme for providing an unrestricted educational grant that supports development costs associated with the Australian edition of this publication.

Living with Kidney Failure (7th edition)

This book is designed an as informative resource for people with kidney failure, their families and carers. Kidney failure and Chronic Kidney Disease failure is a life changing event for those affected, and for their families and friends.  Nothing is untouched by the words from your doctor "your kidneys are showing signs of failure and we need to talk about what that means".

This book does not cover all aspects of kidney failure; it should be regarded as an introduction.  It is written to give those newly diagnosed with kidney failure an overview of what might lie ahead and how kidney disease will impact on their lives of those affected and their families.  It is written with an emphasis on getting on with 'living' despite having kidney failure.

Cost of booklets - $15 each (inc GST and postage)
Bulk orders (over 10 copies) $12 each (inc GST) plus postage

Supported by an unrestricted educational grant from Baxter Healthcare

Back on the Menu - Recipe Book for a restricted low potassium diet

This booklet and the easy to follow recipes in it were developed for people who need to control the amount of potassium in their diet, particularly those with kidney disease or those requiring haemodialysis, who have been advised by their doctor to follow a low potassium diet. The authors would like to stress recommendations for renal diets vary widely between individuals - this recipe book is best used in conjunction with dietary advice from a dietitian experience in renal nutrition. 

Cost of booklets - $15 each (inc GST and postage)
Bulk orders (over 10 copies) $12.00 each (inc GST) plus postage

The Australian DUG Handbook - Location Guide (A4 folder)  The Dialysis Unit Guide (DUG) provides accurate and up to date information in an easy to use format. There are tips on planning a holiday while on haemodialysis as well as suggestions about medical information which Renal Units may need from you. The  DUG is a Kidney Health Australia resource which lists the location and contact details for most public and private Australian Renal Units. It may be used for a number of purposes including referrals, relocation and short term stays.

This book has been published by Kidney Health Australia, and recently been released for sale. A diagnosis of chronic kidney disease at any stage is a life changing experience for most people. It is a wonderful collection of stories gathered with loving care by Melissa Darnley, from people with kidney problems and their families. They share their challenges from coping with the isolation and shock of diagnosis, through treatments including dialysis and transplant, their insights into living well and their hopes for the future. 

Read review on this book from USA CKD Blog website - Dialysis from the Sharp End of the Needle

Lupus Intus (The wolf within) - By Suzanne Ferschl
Take the time to read and discover how this 'wolf ' transforms into a butterfly

Reviewed by Melissa Darnley BA Dip Ed (Teach/Lib) Yahoo Dialysis Buddies for Kidney Health Australia - her comments:
"Terms such as ‘survivor’, ‘sufferer’, ‘resilient’ and ‘battler’ are often applied to people who have incredibly rich and full lives whilst managing a challenging chronic disease. Somehow these words are not enough to describe Suzanne Ferschl and the spirited life journey she is traveling on and has documented so honestly in her autobiography of living with the inflammatory autoimmune disease, Lupus Intus.

I had mixed emotions when I first picked up this book with the large dark wolf and red butterfly on the cover. My first impression, as one of many others also with a chronic disease, was of empathy and sadness for Suzanne. I questioned whether I really needed to take on the burden of someone else’s suffering at this point in my life by reading this book and yet I wanted to know more about her and this disease Lupus Intus.

However, as you begin to turn the pages you feel thankful that she has equipped herself so courageously to ‘live every minute of every day’ with such an amazing spirit that leaves you unable to resist joining her and reading all of her journey to date.

The book is written in two parts, the first is her story of growing, living, loving and surviving through many serious complications with her disease. The second part is a diary of her medical history, along with some rather confronting pictures of her amputations, but together the two parts make for a very compelling read. You need to listen to and accept the challenges Suzanne has faced and feel some of the emotions and pain that are part of what has made her who she is today. Then her story comes to you with such raw intensity and honesty, yet flows so effortlessly, that you are left at the end speechless at the inner strength and indomitable spirit of this woman. You feel strangely uplifted and it calls you to question your own courage and determination and to reassess whether you are living your own life well, regardless of the state of your own health. This is a book everyone should read. As Suzanne writes ‘like most extremes life throws at you, living with an illness will either make or break you. It’s about life crumbling around you and having to rebuild an entirely new landscape from the broken parts’ and ultimately ‘it’s about accepting “your lot” and be(ing) happy with what you have left’." 

Click link to find out more about Lupus - The renal (kidney) system  USA website
Order this book directly from the website www.lupusintus.com - cost $30A (delivery extra)

Innovative and interesting guide, Bush Tucker in Kidney Failure and Diabetes, written especially for people with CKD who wish to eat Indigenous foods - lists a selection of more common foods eaten in rural and remote regions. It is designed to assist the dietician and patient make appropriate choices.

Hard copies are available from the Renal Resource Centre 1800 257 189 www.renalresource.com

For composition of other foods, a more complete reference is available in "Tables of Composition of Australian Aboriginal Foods" by Janette Brand Miller, Keith W. James and Patricia MA Maggiore 1993.

Free Kidney Education Publications