Despite the knowledge that AV fistulas and grafts give superior outcomes when compared to dialysis catheters, there remain a large chunk of patients who begin dialysis without a fistula or graft. Conversely, there are also examples of “unnecessary…
Because of the generally poor GI absorption of iron in the setting of ESRD, iron supplementation in dialysis patients is now carried out by intravenous formulations of iron complexed to various carbohydrates. The idea is that these carbohydrate…
Here’s a cool little feature from the folks at CBS News describing the use of the “Lifeport Kidney Transporter”–a new hypothermia-perfusion device which functions as a significant upgrade from the standard cooler in which donor kidneys are transported…
As the longevity of non-renal organ transplants increases, so too does the risk of eventually getting chronic kidney disease. The occurrence of post-transplant CKD is relatively common due to two primary factors: (1) a dependence on calcineurin inhibitors…
Traditionally surgeons have relied on a well-honed abdominal exam, combined with abdominal imaging usually in the form of an iv-contrast CT scan, to make the diagnosis of acute appendicitis. Nevertheless, there remain significant instances of “false negatives” (usually…
Quick one today: interesting article in a recent issue of C-JASN by Shantouf et al that demonstrates a link between serum alkaline phosphatase levels and vascular calcification in patients with ESRD. Briefly, the study examined 137 randomly-selected ESRD…
The issue comes up all the time: you try and set up one of your ESRD patients for a procedure requiring iv contrast, such as a cardiac catheterization or a PE-protocol CT scan. You get a call from…
Quick review of the autoantibodies that may be useful in the diagnosis and management of patients with lupus-related kidney disease: anti-nuclear antibody (ANA): as well as know from our internal medicine days: very sensitive, but not very specific….
Maintaining adequate glycemic control in patients with diabetic kidney disease can be a challenge. First, it is hypothesized that worsened glycemic control will lead to a greater tendency towards diabetic nephropathy. Second, individuals with more advanced CKD are…
As has been extensively detailed over the past week, one of the key guilty parties in the large federal sting operation exposing shockingly Sopranos-type corruption throughout the state of New Jersey was this man: Levy Isaac Rosenbaum, allegedly…
