Aquaretics and PCKD
One of the big stories at the ASN this year was the announcement of the results of the TEMPO trial which were simultaneously published in NEJM. It has been known for some time that ADH is implicated in…
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Gearoid McMahon
Miracle Drug – Part 2
In a previous post, we discussed the dangers of subgroup analyses. Specifically, performing increasing numbers of post-hoc subgroup analyses increases the risk of a type 1 error while the inevitable reduction in numbers tested in subgroup analyses decreases…
Does that taste bad? – Part 2
Following on from yesterday’s post about turtles who may have a taste of urine in their mouths, here’s an interesting historical diversion about doctors who, in the past, intentionally drank urine to diagnose disease. An article in Scientific…
Does that taste bad?
Better known as a delicacy in the Far East, the Chinese softshell turtle has generated some interest in the Nephrology world because of its unusual means of urea elimination. A paper was recently published in the Journal of…
Spare the Chloride
Fluid therapy is essential in ICUs and not surprisingly there is still much controversy about which fluid to use, how much and when. Nephrologists often roll their eyes at other subspecialty’s preferences, e.g. surgeon’s preferences for Ringers, citing…
Image of the Month – GN with a twist
A man in his 30s with no significant medical history presented to the ED following a fainting episode. Routine screening found an abnormal creatinine, hematuria and proteinuria. Serological work-up including complements were negative. In view of a slowly…
1000th Post
In celebration of our 1000th post, we asked Matt Sparks. a former editor of the Renal Fellow Network who is now a faculty member at Duke University in North Carolina for his perspective on his time with this…
eJournal Club – Kidney Biopsies
This month’s eJournal Club concerns a paper (with an accompanying editorial) reporting the experience of renal biopsies in Norway. One issue that arises again and again is whether or not patients should undergo outpatient biopsies. The argument against…
Bardoxolone – The final chapter?
Sometimes when something appears too good to be true, it is too good to be true. Last year, a paper was published in the NEJM reporting a preliminary study of bardoxolone for the treatment of diabetic nephropathy. At…
Honey for the Achilles Heel
In the PD literature, peritonitis has been referred to as an Achilles’ heel because it could lead to catheter removal and PD treatment failure. Topical antibiotics have been used for prevention of an exit site infection (ESI) which…