In patients with combined renal and liver dysfunction it is important to differentiate between renal impairment that is secondary to liver disease i.e. hepatorenal syndrome, and conditions where an insult directly affects both the liver and kidney. …
A 70 year old Ghanaian man was recently admitted under our care. He had been diagnosed with aggressive myelodysplasia 2 months previously after presenting with fatigue and abnormal blood results (WBC 50.3, platelets 130 and LDH 928 at…
GFR varies under normal physiological conditions and during illnesses. A popular example is a low GFR in vegetarians and a higher GFR in consumers of large quantities of animal protein, even when they have a similar normal renal…
I was asked to see 74 year old man with an acute on chronic kidney injury. He had 2 days of generalised lower abdominal pain and vomiting but no urinary symptoms or fever. His past history included advanced…
This is an interesting case which I have been managing over the last six months. A 50-year-old male, with no previous medical illnesses, presented with fatigue, weight loss and arthralgia for several weeks. Clinical examination was unremarkable. Investigations…
A small absolute change in serum creatinine level, 0.3 mg/dl, is used by Acute Kidney Injury Network (AKIN) and Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) guidelines to define the presence of Acute Kidney Injury (AKI). The base of…
It’s finally arrived, the fourth annual NephMadness has dropped with 32 new Nephrology concepts battling it out for the month of March to see who will be crowned champion. Fully referenced blog posts on each of the topics…
Positron emission tomography (PET) is a nuclear imaging modality that provides functional imaging of structures based on their ability to metabolize glucose and concentrate specific molecules that have been labeled with a positron-emitting radionuclide. Metabolically active cells (e.g,…
Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are one of the most commonly prescribed medications, mostly because of their efficacy and their favorable safety profile. However, it has been estimated that between 25% and 70% of these prescriptions do not have…
Despite being the world’s most common form of glomerulonephritis, IgA Nephropathy treatment strategies have hereto been controversial, particularly surrounding the use of immnosuppression on top of traditional RAAS blockade. The long awaited, Intensive Supportive Care plus Immunosuppression in…
