Nephrology

Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy (CRRT) is the standard of care for management of critically ill patients with acute renal failure. Part of the Pittsburgh Critical Care series, Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy provides concise, evidence-based, bedside guidance about this treatment modality, offering quick reference answers to clinicians' questions about treatments and situations encountered in daily practice. Organized into sections on theory, practice, special situations, and organizational issues, this volume provides a complete view of CRRT theory and practice. Tables summarize and highlight key points, and key studies and trials are included in each chapter. The second edition has been updated to include a new chapter on the use of biomarkers to aid in patient selection and timing, extensive revisions on terminology and nomenclature to match current standards, and the most up-to-date information on newly developed CRRT machines.Less

Kidney disease is a crippling disease that affects approximately ten percent of the population worldwide, with more than 2.6 million individuals estimated to receive renal replace therapy. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is fast becoming a major public health issue even in resource poor settings, with some estimates predicting a disproportionate increase in countries such as China and India. Consequently, renal protection has become a vital and critical component of prevention. While observational data suggests that awareness remains low, the concept of renal protection is currently under-recognized in promoting recovery as well as preventing further renal loss. Kidney Protection: Strategies for Renal Preservation is a clinically applicable review of the current medical care and research that aims to address the awareness gap. The authors combine renal protection research and clinical practices with an interdisciplinary approach that is inclusive of nephrology,urology, critical care, anesthesia, emergency medicine and clinical medicine.Written by experts in the field of nephrology, the authors have also included applicable photographs and line drawings. The specific topics covered include: protection of the kidneys in hypertension, diabetes and heart disease, exposure to contrast including coronary angiogram, atherosclerosis, and more. This handbook is formatted to emphasize clinical practice points and major systemic illnesses. Additionally, it features the latest evidence-based practice guidelines for optimal renal outcomes, thus, making it a concise reference for the busy clinician interested in understanding the basics of kidney disease assessment, renal injury prevention, and renal preservation.Less

Metabolic and electrolyte disorders can pose special challenges to physicians caring for the critically ill patients. Constrained by time and circumstances, clinicians require rapid access to information to help assess and manage these often life-threatening conditions. This resource presents an easy-to-use roadmap, emphasizing the interactions among problems and suggesting clear lines of action. Keeping the physiopathological mechanisms to the essential, and maintaining an uncluttered format, each chapter provides guidelines to understanding "how did we get here" and "what should we do now", as quickly and safely as possible. Chapters describe clinical presentation and management of the most common renal, electrolyte, acid-base, metabolic and endocrine disorders, complicating the course of critically ill patients. Less