Urine Sediment of the Month: Common Crystals!
Crystals are a frequent finding in the urinary sediment. Besides microcrystalline deposits (amorphous phosphates and urates), the most common types of crystals in my practice are: 1. CaOxalate dihydrate (COD) 2. CaOxalate monohydrate (COM) 3. Uric acid …
10 Nephrology Free Open Access Medical Education (FOAMed) Resources
Dear Nephrology Fellows, Since it’s July, we wanted to share 10 free open access medical education (FOAMed) resources that we think will enhance your fellowship experience as both a learner and educator. We encourage you to visit and…
Gout and Chronic Kidney Disease: Do rare variants hold the key to understanding gout?
Understanding chronic kidney disease (CKD), and its associated health risks, has been a priority for clinical and basic researchers alike. For years, the role of serum uric acid levels in CKD as a marker or causal factor have…
SONAR: Endothelin Blockade in Diabetic Kidney Disease
More than 30-million Americans are living with diabetes and 90% of these people have type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2). There are numerous complications associated with long-term diagnosis of DM2, with a prominent concern being the development of impaired…
An Overview of Dialysis Access-associated Steal Syndrome
Introduction Dialysis Access-Associated Steal Syndrome (DASS) has been reported in up to 6% patients with an arteriovenous (AV) access. However, the true incidence of clinically significant DASS, requiring surgical intervention, may be lower as reported in a prospective…
Home Hemodialysis – A Review of Literature
Introduction Home hemodialysis has been around since the mid-1960s, and a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine in 1966 by Hampers and Merrill from Boston, MA reported their 13-month experience with 4 young (age 29-44 years),…
The CREDENCE Trial: Less ESKD in Diabetes “Up Around the Bend”?
In April of this year, the highly-anticipated CREDENCE Trial was presented (and live-streamed) at the International Society of Nephrology (ISN) World Congress of Nephrology in Australia and simultaneously published in NEJM. But before we start dusting off our…
Kidney Biopsy of the Month – Acute Interstitial Nephritis
Acute interstitial nephritis (AIN) is a common cause of acute kidney injury (AKI), estimated to account for 15-20% of cases of AKI. The term AIN does not refer to a specific disease, but rather indicates an immune-mediated form…
Urine Sediment of the Month: Don’t be Fooled by Decoy Cells…A Clue to BK Polyomavirus Reactivation
BK virus (BKV) is a DNA virus that infects up to 90% of the adult population. After initial exposure in childhood, the virus becomes latent in urothelial tissues. In transplant patients, BKV can reactivate in the context of…
The Game of Boards: Examination (preparation) is Coming
As a resident, I received one of the most enduring pieces of advice from a friend who had recently sat through the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Nephrology Board examination. “You’re already late to study for it,…
