Calciphylaxis is a rare but severe dermatologic condition affecting end-stage renal disease individuals for reasons which remain obscure. Histologic biopsy is the gold-standard for making the diagnosis; it typically demonstrates calcification within the media of small and medium-sized…
We are well-versed in describing to our soon-to-be ESRD patients their options: kidney transplant, hemodialysis, or peritoneal dialysis. However, in many developing countries, these options do not exist, or there may be a significant delay in getting them…
There is an interesting article in the most recent New England Journal of Medicine describing the epidemiology of the now infamous Baxter heparin recall which occurred over the past year or so. In brief, a Missouri pediatric dialysis…
Check out this video I found of the alleged first-ever home dialysis patient in England. Very civilized, except for the fact that it looks like the patient is using a permanent femoral dialysis catheter–something which would be used…
DOPPS is an acronym which stands for “Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study.” It is one of the largest prospective study of ESRD patients worldwide and is comprised of a random sampling of dialysis patients in a random…
The Hemoglobin A1c has proven to be one of the most utilized and helpful tests in the management of diabetes. Instead of relying on random blood sugars to adjust a diabetic’s insulin regimen, the HgbA1c (which increases in…
Ototoxicity–which can occur via both auditory and vestibular mechanisms–is one of the major side effects of aminoglycoside use, particularly in dialysis patients. A recent paper looked at N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) as a potential strategy for preventing ototoxicity in…
Renagel (sevelamer hydrochloride) is one of the most utilized phosphate binders in the U.S., though its superiority compared to other (and cheaper) phosphate binders remains controversial. One of the theoretical benefits of using Renagel is that it should…
The constant “K” pops up in many forms in nephrology, particularly in the realm of dialysis, as each dialysis membrane has its own characteristic K values. There is first and foremost the Kt/V equation, the currently accepted…
We prescribe them with abandon to our CKD and ESRD patients…Nephrocaps, Renavit, whatever you want to call it. How many nephrologists do you think are able to name all the ingredients in this vitamin-containing tablet? The not-so-secret ingredients:…
