There was an interesting article and accompanying editorial in JASN this month about the role of polarity in the development of cystic renal diseases. The maintenance of epithelial cell polarity is vital for the normal functioning of the…
The Brenner Hypothesis–developed by Barry Brenner of the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, author of the well-known Brenner & Rector “The Kidney” textbook–states that individuals with a congenital reduction in nephron number have a much greater likelihood of developing…
It was not an unusual event during my clinical fellowship to get a call from the cardiac team asking for dialysis in a patient with hyperkalemia and acute renal failure. On a few occasions the hyperkalemia seemed disproportionate…
Dr John Gennari had another typically excellent review of metabolic alkalosis in AJKD in October. He suggests an alternative means of classifying a metabolic alkalosis according to the etiology of the alkalosis along with the physiological basis for…
Recently, we were asked to see a patient on the consult service with a rising creatinine, a BUN of close to 200 and decreased urine output. The patient was a diabetic who had an STEMI several months previously…
One of the true arts learned during renal fellowship is the timing of initiation of dialysis in outpatients with advanced chronic kidney disease. This a crucial skill to develop as the beginning of dialysis has major implications for…
2011 proved to be another exciting year in the world of nephrology. 2010 was dominated with big clinical trials (SHARP, FHN, IDEAL), APOL1 gene variants, Propublica article on HD in the US, and medicare bundling. 2011 proved…
Dr Steele pointed me in the direction of this article from JAMA that was written back in 1927. Although not directly related to the world of Nephrology, it contains advice on building a relationship with your patients and…
As renal fellows, we are always involved in the most severe cases of hospital acquired AKI that require dialysis. Previously on RFN, we examined the impact that these cases have on the long term risk of ESRD. What…
This fall I attended the fourth annual Origins of Renal Physiology course for nephrology fellows at the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory (MDIBL). The course was designed to allow fellows an opportunity to connect with the historical roots…