Dictionary
the branch of medicine concerned with the kidney - its development and anatomy and physiology and disorders
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Wikipedia
dablinkSee the article on the kidney for the anatomy and function of healthy kidneys and a list of diseases involving the kidney. Nephrology is the branch of internal medicine dealing with the study of the function and diseases of the kidney. The word ''nephrology'' is derived from the Greek languageGreek word ''nephros'', which means "kidney", and the suffix ''-ology'', or "study of".
Scope of the specialty - Most diseases affecting the kidney are not limited to the organ itself, but are systemic disorders. Nephrology concerns itself with the diagnosis of kidney disease and its treatment (medication, dialysis), and follow-up of renal transplant patients. Given that most renal conditions are chronic diseasechronic, nephrologists "grow with their patients".
Who sees a nephrologist? - Patients are referred to nephrology specialists for various different reasons, such as : Acute renal failure, a sudden loss of renal function Chronic renal failure; another doctor has detected symptoms of declining renal function, often a rise in creatinine Hematuria (blood loss in the urine) Proteinuria the loss of protein espeically albumin in the urine Kidney stones Cancer of the kidney, mostly renal cell carcinoma Chronic diseaseChronic or recurrent urinary tract infections Hypertension that has failed to respond to multiple forms of anti-hypertensive medicationUrologyUrologists are surgical specialists of the urinary tract. They are involved in renal diseases that might be amenable to surgery: Cancer of the kidney Kidney stones Diseases of the Bladder and prostate
Diagnosis - As with the rest of medicine, important clues as to the cause of any symptom are gained in the history and physical examination.Laboratory tests are almost always aimed at: urea, creatinine, electrolytes, calcium and phosphate levels, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein and urinalysis. Collection of a 24-hour sample of urine can give valuable information on the concentrating capacity of the kidney and the amount of protein loss in some forms of kidney disease.Other tests often performed by nephrologists are: Renal biopsy, to obtain a ''tissue diagnosis'' of a disorder when the exact nature or stage remains uncertain.; Medical ultrasonographyUltrasound scanning of the urinary tract; Computed axial tomographyCT scanning when mass lesions are suspected; Scintigraphy (nuclear medicine); Angiography when the blood vessels might be affected
Therapy - Many kidney diseases are treated with medication, such as steroids, DMARDs (disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs), antihypertensives (many kidney diseases feature hypertension). Often erythropoietin and vitamin D treatment is required to replace these two hormones, the production of which stagnates in chronic renal disease.When symptoms of renal failure become too severe, dialysis might be required. ''Please refer to dialysis for a comprehensive account of this treatment.''If patients proceed to renal transplant, nephrologist often monitor the immunosuppressive regimen and the infections that can occur at this stage.Medicine Category:Nephrology !de:Nephrologiefr:Néphrologiei d:Nefrologiit:Nefrologiahe:נ רולוגיהja:腎臓学pl: Nefrologiapt:Nefrologiaru:Не фрологияfi:Nefrologia< /text>
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Websites
International Federation of Kidney Foundations
The International Federation of Kidney Foundations (IFKF) fosters international collaboration and exchange of ideas which will improve the health, well-being and quality of life of individuals with kidney disease
http://www.ifkf.net/
Springer LINK
Information about scientific books and journals of the Springer publishing group, CD-ROM publications, software products, and catalogues, and online access (by subscription) to some contents.
http://link.springer.de/
HDCN
Provides up-to-date, selected information on renal disorders and their treatment, hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, and about hypertension, dialysis, and clinical nephrology topics.
http://www.hdcn.com/
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