Renal artery stenosis (RAS) can lead to a reduction in kidney blood flow with resultant ischemia of the affected kidney. The consequences of this reduction are a decline in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and activation of the…
When consulted by your infectious disease colleagues as to the cause of new or worsening renal impairment in a patient with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the differential is broad but changing. The classic HIV-associated collapsing glomerulopathy has become…
Cardiorenal syndrome (CRS) is a complex clinical entity that encompasses multiple interactions between the heart and kidney. Ronco and colleagues classified CRS into five types. Below, we’ll focus on CRS type 1, or acute cardiac dysfunction (such as…
If you are like me, you vaguely know about renal scintigraphy but not so much about the details of the radioactive agents or the utility of the scan itself. Basically, renal scintigraphy is a 2D nuclear medicine scan…
Social exclusion is a broad term describing a continuum of inclusion/exclusion characterized by unequal access to resources, capabilities and rights. Social exclusion has been associated with reduced access to health care and worse outcomes. Currently, I work in…
The general notion is that edematous states like acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) respond to the combination of sodium restriction and diuretic therapy. In fact, non-adherence to sodium restriction is believed to be a primary cause of failure…
Last week we covered 5 clinical scenarios involving arteriovenous fistula and graft complications. We now discuss another 5 common scenarios as part 2 of the series. Please note: these cases are vignettes created for educational purposes and patient…
Based on previous studies, the kidney is the most common site of extra hematopoietic involvement in hematologic malignancies, up to 90% in certain series. As with any other kidney disease, the approach to acute kidney injury (AKI) should…
Why should nephrologists perform lung ultrasonography? Determination of volume status is a frequent challenge faced by nephrologists in routine clinical practice and errors in this assessment may result in inappropriate therapy and potentially adverse patient outcomes. Lung ultrasound…
We learn the concept of ‘Fistula First’ since day 1 of fellowship. However primary failure rates have been rather high, with variable numbers reported in different literature. In addition, other complications related to AV fistula and AV graft…