Glomerulonephritis is one of the commonest causes of end-stage renal failure worldwide. Although there have been considerable advances in the management of renal failure by dialysis and transplantation, there has been relatively little progress in its prevention. This volume sets out to review current practice in the treatment of glomerulonephritis, which is aimed both at controlling the clinical manifestations, e.g. nephrotic syndrome, and at preventing the progression to renal failure. The term glomerulonephritis covers a wide range of conditions with different immunological, histological and clinical features. This volume therefore starts with reviews of the immunology and pathology of different types of glomerulonephritis. This is followed by detailed consideration of the treatment of the commoner primary and secondary forms of the disease. There are separate chapters on special circumstances, such as glomerulonephritis in pregnancy or following renal transplantation. In each chapter, attempts are made to review the evidence for the effectiveness of treatment, based on controlled trials, immunopathological principles and the authors' considerable experience. Although some aspects of the treatment of glomerulonephritis can be found in the standard texts on renal disease, this volume provides an up-to-date, thoroughly referenced, and practical guide to management. As such, it should be of value to nephrologists and general physicians, including those in training, and to postgraduate students of nephrology.

This text, the proceedings of the 32nd International Conference on Transplantation and Clinical Immunology, held in Lyon, France, on May 25-26, 2000, addresses novel issues in terms of changing indications for transplantation in the management of organ failure, whether humans will remain the only source for organ procurement, prospects for engineering in organ replacement, and whether transplantation will remain the most appropriate approach to organ failure. Some promising treatments are approached, such as enzymic and biochemical replacement, gene therapy, tolerance induction, stem cell transplantation, and xenotransplantation. In addition to the constant improvement in conservative management of organ failure in general, ongoing research in selected fields is reported in the proceedings, such as: liver transplantation vs artificial liver; novel dialysis strategies vs evolving immunosuppression in kidney transplantation; islets transplantation and external implantable insulin pumps vs pancreas transplantation in diabetic patients and circulatory assistance and intramyocardial myoblast injection vs heart transplantation. Pivotal experience in selected emerging transplantations is included, that is, small bowel, limb, skin and neuronal transplantation. Such fascinating perspectives raise medical, economical, and ethical problems which are discussed in this book.

The behavior of the kidney in normal pregnancy, as well as in complicated pregnancy, is a very interesting, but still in many ways an unknown topic in renal medicine. It is undoubtedly difficult to determine, even in normal women, the behavior of renal hemodynamics throughout gestation, since the fear of impairing a new life (i.e., the fetus's life) will limit, for ethical reasons, the use or the frequent repetition of diagnostic tests on the mother. On the other hand, the study of complicated pregnancy even for diagnostic purposes (for planning adequate treatment), except in a few countries that are known for the advanced health education of the population, has to face serious difficulties. First of all, pregnant women usually seek the help of an obstetrician when gestation is already in an advanced stage. This makes it difficult to determine when and how asymptomatic signs of any disease discovered during pregnancy have first occurred. A second difficulty is that frequently the patient does not know whether a given disease has preceded pregnancy. Pregnancy is a condition of young women, and a young woman frequently has never seen a physician; thus, no urine analysis or blood tests have been performed before the gestation. Not infrequently, even blood pressure has never been measured. This will make it difficult to classify hypertension discovered in late pregnancy as pregnancy-induced hypertension or as chronic hypertension in pregnancy.

First principles chapter clearly explains the key concepts, processes and structures of the renal system. Clinical essentials chapter provides an overview of the symptoms and signs of renal disease, relevant history and examination techniques, investigations and management options. Disease-based chapters give concise descriptions of all major disorders, e.g. chronic kidney disease, each chapter introduced by engaging clinical cases that feature unique graphic narratives. Emergencies chapter covers the principles of immediate care in situations, such as hyperkalaemia and kidney stones. Integrated care chapter discusses strategies for the management of chronic conditions across primary and other care settings. Self-Assessment - 80 multiple choice questions clinical SBAs.

Dyslipidemia in chronic kidney disease is a common clinical problem and growing in prevalence. With the recent publication of clinical practice guidelines on the management of lipid related disorders in patients affected by chronic kidney disease, an up-to-date and comprehensive resource of evidence-based literature is needed. Dyslipidemias in Kidney Disease captures the growing body of information on this subject matter. This book presents the latest clinical evidence and management guidance for patients of various demographics and stages of chronic kidney disease. Written for the nephrologist community, as well as cardiologists and general practitioners, this guide will provide practical knowledge and fill a much needed void in the literature.

IgA nephropathy has, in the course of two decades, become one of the most important renal diseases. Not only is it the most common form of glo merulonephritis seen in many countries, its increasing recognition by renal biopsy in this time has allowed sufficient study to conclude that it is also one of the most frequent causes of end-stage renal failure. The clinical features are diverse, and only in a minority do recurrent macroscopic hematuric episodes associated with an upper respiratory tract infection allow a confident clinical diagnosis. All clinicians, from community practitioners to general and specialist internists and surgeons, should be aware of its manifestations in patients of all ages. Its relationship with Henoch-Sch6nlein purpura is especially interesting. The discovery of IgA nephropathy has caused an explosion of interest and research. The disease itself (if indeed it can be regarded as a single entity rather than a syndrome) has been studied extensively by many groups and a synopsis is presented by several of the leaders in this clinical field. Parallel with the increased understanding of the renal disease, there has occurred similar incremental knowledge in such diverse fields as the structure and function of the glomerular mesangium, the biology of mucosal immu nity, and the IgA immune response. This book has collected essays on these topics that emphasize their importance in the rclation to the study of IgA nephropathy."

What regulation shall we have for the operation? Shall a man transfuse he knows not what. to correct he knows not what. God knows how (l)? Dr. Henry Stubbs Royal College of Physicians circa 1670 If dialysis therapy were a new phannaceutical product being evaluated by the FDA now, it might not be approved for marketing. The recommended dose, its potential toxicity, the side effects of under-or over-dialysis as well as its efficacy have been the subject of very few studies. The high mortality rate associated with the treatment may raise a few eyebrows. That it is a life-saving modality of treatment is undoubtedly true for more than 100,000 patients in the United States and for more than a million patients world wide. Because dialysis has extended the lives of many people by a variable period of time, most nephrologists have "rested on their laurels" and did not vigorously pursue studies to optimize these treatments. But facts have a way of intruding in all our lives and the facts are that the overall mortality rate of dialysis patients in the United States is rising and stands close to 25% per year and is closer to 33% per year for patients between the ages of 65 and 74 (2). These mortality figures are considerably higher for age-adjusted dialysis populations in Europe and particu larly in Japan, and certainly for the age-adjusted nonnal population."

Acute Renal Failure in Practice, edited by practising renal physicians, is the essential guide to the clinical management of patients with acute renal failure and its complex, life-threatening metabolic sequelae. This book explains the workings of the normal kidney, illustrates the aetiology and pathophysiology of acute renal disease, and provides practical treatment guidelines relevant to the day-to-day needs of the practising clinician. There is a clear emphasis on the underlying pathogenic mechanisms naturally leading to a full understanding of the rationale behind the recommended treatments. Each chapter is illustrated throughout by coloured tables and diagrams, and incorporates unique easy-to-follow "practice points" algorithms which detail, step-by-step, the precise treatment protocols required to succeed in caring for these complex patients. An entire section is dedicated to dealing with patients who develop acute renal failure in specific hospital settings, such as the labour ward or intensive care unit. Doctors working in a wide range of acute medical specialities frequently encounter patients with acute renal failure and will therefore find this an invaluable clinical handbook.

This thoughtful new book presents strategies for helping end-stage renal disease patients and their families deal with the psychosocial aspects of the chronic long-term illness. Technological advances in the treatment of this disease have offered much hope for improved quality in living which has led caregivers to have a greater concern for preserving the quality of life of their patients. In Psychosocial Aspects of End-Stage Renal Disease leaders in the field of many disciplines share knowledge and reveal problems that are still evident to them in the confrontation with this potentially fatal illness.Five comprehensive sections devote special attention to the different areas of concern for the psychosocial well-being of end-stage renal disease patients. The impact of renal disease on family relationships is covered by examining issues of family responses and coping measures such as marital and family reactions to home and hospital dialysis treatment. Ethical issues in treatment are explored, including the ethics of treatment refusal and a Jewish perspective on kidney transplants. Relations between staff and patients and a timely section on renal disease and special populations, particularly the elderly and AIDS patients, make up the final two sections of this informative volume. Professionals in all allied health disciplines will benefit from this important volume as it demonstrates a model approach, if not the definitive one, for the treatment of the psychosocial aspects of end-stage renal disease as well as other chronic illnesses.

The present volume provides overviews of aging and changes in renal function over time; it devotes chapters to renal parenchymal disease and urinary tract infections; and the sections on geriatric urology cover urinary incontinence and urinary-tract neoplasm, including prostatic cancer. The book summarizes current information on renal replacement therapy in the elderly and reviews such important topics as hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, fluid and acid-base abnormalities as they are seen in older patients, and transplantation in the elderly. Concerning medical care of older nephrology patients, the contributors have reviewed the management of hypertension, current understanding of glomerular disease, current approaches to the diabetic with renal disease, and use of antineoplastic and antimicrobial therapy, all in these special patients. They discuss the prevention of renal failure in older patients, both in diagnostic and therapeutic aspects, and examine sexual dysfunction and indications for surgery in the older patient with obstruction. Finally, the text examines such ethical issues as the use of advanced directives and the allocation of scarce resources.

The thrust here is for those who want to know more than the answer to an exam question - an approach to disease diagnosis and treatment which emphasizes thoughtful consideration of alternatives, finding ones way through uncertainties and lack of knowledge. The annual seminar on which this volume is based has evolved into a forum for open discussion of puzzling questions - actually old questions in the light of new data. To me, the adventure of life is in recognizing the openendedness of all things. So you thought that a certain disease was a settled question? In medicine a "settled" question is a transient conclusion. Even the solutions to the so-called simplest problems have another side. Our aim this year was to air out concepts and conclusions about hypertension, fluid-electrolytes, and tubulopathies. The stars were Drs. Juan Rodriguez-Soriano, Alan Gruskin, and Donald Potter, along with Drs. Gustavo Gordillo, Ronald Kallen, and Antonia Novello as guest faculty. Local stars included Drs. Mary Jane Jesse, Jacques Bourgoignie, and Carlos Vaamonde. Their contributions added to those of the other faculty and registrants, coalesced into vibrant exchanges which are reproduced here for the reader's perusal.

Ethical Problems in Dialysis and Transplantation presents an overview of issues with which nephrologists and decision makers are confronted in their daily practice. The search for a universal system of ethics and theories of justice are addressed. Furthermore the work provides a normative ethical discussion of ways of distributing resources with a view to selection and commercialization. Others chapters discuss a philosophical and religious analysis of stopping treatment and the clinical and ethical aspects of stopping treatment in dialysis. Different views from different countries on the subject of dialysis and transplantation are covered including the views expressed by contributors from India, Africa, Japan, Great Britain and China. The work presents the clinician with a guide to the ethical considerations underlying the treatment of dialysis and renal transplantation patients.

Aspects of cancer and cancer therapies; long-term adjustments of renal donors and recipients; community life (including support facilities and home dialysis); medical aspects of End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD); psychiatric disturbances; public policy issues; the role of the doctor, staff, and society, sexuality and loss of sexual function, surgical aspects; and anticipatory grief, acute grief, and bereavement are all discussed in this book for caregivers working with ESRD patients.

Increasingly, medicine in general and nephrology specifically is based on clinical trials and verifiable presumption. Still, however, much of everyday clinical practice is the consensus of pundits and experts unable to validate their suggestions beyond personal bias.

In this unique volume, several core beliefs in renal medicine are examined and challenged. Starting as assignments for nephrology fellows, this book grew out of surprising revelations' indicating that the emperor has no clothes'.

The book is suitable as a stimulus for provocative discussions for nephrologists, internists, house staff, and medical students.

This Open Access volume provides readers with an open access protocol collection and wide-ranging recommendations for preclinical renal MRI used in translational research. The chapters in this book are interdisciplinary in nature and bridge the gaps between physics, physiology, and medicine. They are designed to enhance training in renal MRI sciences and improve the reproducibility of renal imaging research. Chapters provide guidance for exploring, using and developing small animal renal MRI in your laboratory as a unique tool for advanced in vivo phenotyping, diagnostic imaging, and research into potential new therapies. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Cutting-edge and thorough, Preclinical MRI of the Kidney: Methods and Protocols is a valuable resource and will be of importance to anyone interested in the preclinical aspect of renal and cardiorenal diseases in the fields of physiology, nephrology, radiology, and cardiology. This publication is based upon work from COST Action PARENCHIMA, supported by European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST). COST (www.cost.eu) is a funding agency for research and innovation networks. COST Actions help connect research initiatives across Europe and enable scientists to grow their ideas by sharing them with their peers. This boosts their research, career and innovation. PARENCHIMA (renalmri.org) is a community-driven Action in the COST program of the European Union, which unites more than 200 experts in renal MRI from 30 countries with the aim to improve the reproducibility and standardization of renal MRI biomarkers.

The breadth of the pharmaceutical medicine curriculum can be daunting, but this book is designed to navigate a path through the chaos. Providing a broad overview of all topics relevant to the discipline of pharmaceutical medicine, it gives you the facts in an accessible and user-friendlyformat.
With 136 chapters spread across 8 sections, the text offers a thorough grounding in all aspects of the field, from regulatory control to trial-building and data management. This makes it a useful revision aid for exams as well as giving the reader a taster of areas of pharmaceutical medicine adjacent to their current role. For healthcare professionals already working in the field, the book offers a guiding hand in difficult situations as well as supplying access to the latest recommendations and guidelines. Comparing regulatory bodies and guidelines from around the world, it provides a truly global perspective that allows readers to confidently apply knowledge internationally.
Produced in the style of the accessible Oxford Handbook series with plenty of space for notes, it details the facts in a concise and readable format, without the reader having to dive through page upon page of dense text. Written by authors with over 20 years of experience in the industry, this comprehensive and authoritative guide provides a shoulder to lean on throughout your pharmaceutical career.

When the external Quinton-Scribner arteriovenous shunt was developed in 1960, and, a little later, the internal Brescia-Cimino arteriovenous fistula was developed as a vascular access for hemodialysis, thereby making possible regular dialysis therapy of chronic uremic patients, many nephrologists became surgeons, having learned the type of vascular surgery related to hemodialysis quite well. The same series of events occurred with regards to peritoneal dialysis with the introduction of the Tenckhoff catheter and the need for gaining a permanent access to the peritoneum for chronic ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) therapy. With time, however, problems relating to vascular and peritoneal access have forced many nephrologists to give up their surgery; meanwhile, many surgeons have become quite expert in some sophisticated techniques relating to dial ysis (e. g., vessel grafting, prosthesis implantation, etc.). Today, whether or not involved in this type of surgery, both nephrologists and surgeons remain interested in knowing all available access devices for dialysis as well as the surgical techniques involved. However, all nephrologists involved in dialysis must know how to prevent or treat complications related to dialysis access. Thus, it appeared to me to be quite advisable to have a book in my series, Topics in Renal Medicine, dealing with vascular and peritoneal access for dialysis.

In all varieties of organ transplants, early results have dramatically improved over the past two decades and failures due to acute rejection are becoming rarer. Efficient immunosuppressive regimens have been developed with the objective of very good results at 1, 3 and 5 years. Successful transplants, however, are significantly less frequent at 10 and 20 years, and many patients require retransplantation. Many factors are involved in late graft loss and it is now well recognized that, in addition to chronic rejection, a number of non-immunologic factors play a prominent role. In the case of renal transplantation, a reduced mass loss (transplantation of a single kidney, sometimes from an aged donor, ischemic injury and alteration of some nephrons in the case of early acute rejection) will result in slowly progressing chronic renal failure, even in the absence of any supplementary attack of an immunological nature. The new treatments must be analyzed in the light of their capacity to reduce these late failures. Several preventive measures can also limit both immunologic and non-immunologic factors of late transplant deterioration.

In recent years both doctors and patients have become increasingly aware that many essential drugs may induce unfortunate side-effects in susceptible individuals. The kidney is the principal route of excretion for many of these substances and may as a result become involved in pathological processes. Developments in haemodialysis and haemo perfusion may be of value in increasing the rate of excretion of potentially toxic substances but it is essential that the advantages and disadvantages of these techniques are fully appreciated by all with an interest in clinical practice. This book details the recent advances in understanding of analgesic nephropathy, interstitial nephritis, elimination of poisons and drug monitoring. Each chapter has been written by a recognized expert in the field and provides information of relevance and practical import ance to the average clinician. The developments of the last decade have emphasized that drug toxicity is a subject on which all clinicians, but perhaps especially nephrologists, should be fully informed. ABOUT TH E EDITOR Professor Graeme R. D. Catto is Professor in Medicine and Thera peutics at the University of Aberdeen and Honorary Consultant Phy sician/Nephrologist to the Grampian Health Board. His current interest in transplant immunology was stimulated as a Harkness Fellow at Harvard Medicial School and the Peter Bent Brighton Hospital, Boston, USA. He is a member of many medical societies including the Association of Physicians of Great Britain and Ireland, the Renal Association and the Transplantation Society."

Though kidney transplantation is considered a routine procedure, there are still significant challenges in post-transplant management. "Core Concepts in Renal Transplantation" is a clinically focused authoritative guide to the management of kidney transplantation. This comprehensive, state-of-the-art reference summarizes the recent changes in the field of transplantation, offering the complete range of up-to-date information on all the various aspects of basic immunobiology and the medical care of the transplant recipient. Written by a team of renowned authorities in renal transplantation, this concise resource is intended for both the nephrologist and the non-specialist with an interest in kidney transplantation.

Kidney stone is a significant disease with a 12-15% prevalence in the United States. Patients with a history of stones have a 50% risk of making another stone in 5 years or 80% risk in their lifetime. The goal of this book is to educate the reader on the nuts and bolts of stone disease and to provide new and updated information to help them tackle this painful disease.