Interventional cardiologists are able to perform minimally invasive procedures, such as angioplasty and stenting, due to imaging technologies that allow them to see inside the heart and blood vessels without open surgery. Such imaging often requires injection of contrast media, which are generally safe, but for some patients with drug sensitivities or compromised kidney function, contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) can result. CIN is a major complication that can increase in-hospital mortality. This issue of Interventional Cardiology Clinica addresses the management, treatment, and prevention of renal complications in the catheterization laboratory.

Kidney anomalies are the most frequent abnormality detected on prenatal ultrasound. Some are inconsequential and others are life-threatening. All must be addressed by neonatologists. This edition of Pediatric Clinics of Perinatology covers these anomalies. In addition, it addresses a variety of other nephrology and urology issues that neonatologists confront. Some are rare and the chapter may then serve as an important resource. Others are common, and thus will provide updated information on diagnosis and management.

Non-neoplastic diseases are the focus of coverage in this issue of Surgical Pathology Clinics. Topics include: Non-neoplastic diseases in kidney cancer; Nephrectomy for non-neoplastic causes; Autopsy renal pathology; Practical approach to kidney donation workup; Kidney allograft pathology; Renal infections; Amyloidosis - all subtypes; Histologic classifications in renal pathology - pros and cons; Renal molecular pathology; Emerging concepts and controversies in renal pathology. This issue is intended for surgical pathologists and those with clinical practices in diagnostic renal pathology and kidney research. Anthony Chang, whose clinical practice and research is focused on renal pathology, leads this issue.

This book provides a comprehensive look at renal cell carcinoma, exploring its biology as well as current and future molecular targets for renal cancer carcinoma.

This issue of Clinics in Geriatric Medicine features expert clinical reviews on Renal Disease in Older Adults which includes current information on topics such as Anatomic/ Physiological Changes with Aging, Acute Kidney Injury in Older Adults, Electrolyte Problems in Older Adults, Glomerular Disease in Older Adults, Hypertension in Older Adults, Chronic Kidney Disease in Older Adults, End-stage Renal Disease in Older Adults, Decision Making in the Older Adult Patient with Advanced Kidney Disease, Obstructive Uropathy in Older Adults, Drug Dosing, Transplantation in Older Adults, and Slowing the Aging Process.

The treatment of hypertension has become the most important intervention in the management of all forms of chronic kidney disease. Chronic Kidney Disease and Hypertension is a current, concise, and practical guide to the identification, treatment and management of hypertension in patients with chronic kidney disease. In depth chapters discuss many relevant clinical questions and the future of treatment through medications and or novel new devices. Written by expert authors, Chronic Kidney Disease and Hypertension provides an up-to-date perspective on management and treatment and how it may re-shape practice approaches tomorrow.

This issue of the Urologic Clinics provides a timely update on Renal Cancer and the evolving treatment standards in urology.? Articles include Contemporary Imaging of the Renal Mass, Surgical Approach to Multifocal Renal Cancers, and Systemic Therapy Prior to Surgery.? Effects of the various existing surgical approaches on long-term renal function is also discussed, along with a review of the current trends in surgical management of renal cancers with specific attention to utilization of laparoscopic approach, partial nephrectomy, ablative technologies and observation.

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a recognized risk factor for cardiovascular events and death. The coexistence of CKD and heart failure is increasing in prevalence worldwide and requires a unique and subtle approach to patient management. The Kidney in Heart Failure focuses on the changes that occur in kidney physiology as a function of a failing heart. This comprehensive resource covers epidemiology, pathophysiology, management of kidney disorders and advances in nephropathy management. In addition, the latest therapies, common heart failure dilemmas and kidney disease markers are included. Each chapter is co-authored by a Nephrologist and Cardiologist, offering a unified perspective to these chronic conditions. This indispensible volume provides the reader with the depth-of-knowledge needed for assessing and treating the cardio renal patient.

Topics for this issue will include: Epidemiology of RCC;New Insights into the Biology of RCC;Pathology of Renal Neoplasms;Imaging in RCC;Small Renal Tumors: Prognosis and Management;The Role of Surgery in the management of RCC: Nephrectomy and metastatectomy;Cytoreductive Nephrectomy: Rationale and current Applications;Adjuvant Therapies in RCC and Management of Side Effects from Current Therapies in RCC

The focus of this book is to provide a nephrology reference manual for the developing pediatrician and pediatric nephrologist. Its objective is not only to inform but also to teach -- one that inspires thinking in the reader. The contents and level of teaching in the manual are intended for trainees at four different levels: medical student, intern, resident and fellow. This handbook provides what other nephrology textbooks cannot -- a useful and practical guidebook that is written to teach at a level that is appropriate for various stages of learning. Each chapter focuses on a specific topic, followed by several patient cases, and with an answer and discussion of each case.

The kidneys participate in all vital processes of the body to maintain overall homeostasis and health. When kidneys are injured during surgical interventions, metabolic and hemodynamic control is disrupted, leading to dysfunction associated with greater mortality, length of hospital stay and cost.

"Peri-operative Kidney Injury" presents the epidemiology, risk factors, diagnosis, treatment and outcomes associated with kidney injury during the peri-operative period. Concepts and principles of care to prevent kidney complications during surgical procedures are provided to equip health care professionals along with strategies to manage acute kidney injury and associated challenges when they occur. Chapters detail diverse surgical settings, ranging from the more common, such as abdominal, cardiac and vascular surgeries, to the intricately complex, including the use of the left ventricular assist device and organ transplants. This practical and comprehensive text blends the evidence-based standards of care with cutting edge advances in the field, while also providing the reader with a peek into innovations on the horizon.

Recent work has begun to elucidate at the molecular level how albumin is handled by the kidney and how albuminuria develops in various proteinuric diseases including minimal change disease and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis. This volume provides a comprehensive overview of the renal handling of albumin - from basic mechanisms to the pathophysiology of proteinuric diseases. In describing the basic mechanisms of albuminuria, a particular highlight will be the focus on advanced imaging techniques such as intravital microscopy that have allowed a detailed "window" into albumin transit through the kidney. The volume will cover the epidemiological studies which show that albuminuria is a strong and independent marker of kidney disease progression and cardiovascular events, the molecular details of albumin handling in the kidney at the level of the glomerulus and the proximal tubule and the pathophysiology of proteinuric diseases including minimal change disease, membranous nephropathy, focal segmental glomerulosclerosis and diabetic nephropathy.

People with diabetes are two to four times more likely to develop cardiovascular disease.? Insulin resistance, which leads to diabetes in 1 in 4 people who have it, affects 60 million Americans and is also a cardiovascular disease risk factor.? It is important for cardiologists to understand the reasons why diabetes and insulin resistance cause increased cardiovascular risk so they can help their patients control these risk factors.

This timely volume provides an overview to the causes, effects on systems and clinical approaches of metabolic acidosis. Beginning with a basic understanding of the physiology, pathophysiology and development of this disease, subsequent chapters cover the characteristics and context of the processes that can cause it and a thorough presentation of management strategies. Recommended treatments include those carried out by the health care provider as well as the individual patient, such as dietary management. Clinicians and healthcare professionals will find the tools needed to recognize, work up and manage patients with metabolic acidosis in this practical and concise resource.

This manual provides practical and accessible information on all aspects of general nephrology, dialysis, and transplantation. It outlines current therapies in straightforward language to help readers understand the treatment rationale, and does not assume extensive knowledge of anatomy, biochemistry, or pathophysiology. Consisting of 33 chapters written by 31 experts from four continents, this volume covers all the practical tips in the emergency and long-term management of patients with electrolyte disturbance, acid-base disturbance, acute renal failure, common glomerular diseases, hypertension, pregnancy-related renal disorders, chronic renal failure, and renal replacement therapy. It is thus an essential source of quick reference for nephrologists, internists, renal fellows, and renal nursing specialists, and is also suitable for graduate students and research scientists in the field of kidney diseases.

Liver Transplantation: Challenging Controversies and Topics grew out of a need I perceived within the fields of transplant hepatology and liver transplantation. Liver transplantation has rightly gained recognition as an established therapy for end-stage liver disease. Few would argue that liver transplantation is one of the few truly lifesaving and life-altering treatments within medicine and surgery. Not many realize that 20 years passed from the time of the first human liver transplantation in 1963 to its acceptance as therapy by the 1983 NIH Consensus Conference on Liver Transplantation. In 2008, 25 years will have passed since the 1983 NIH conference-a mere 25 years for a field that has provided patients hope, doctors options, and to some the "gift of life. " Many issues in liver transplantation involve indications, patient selection, and outcomes after transplantation-these are standard topics, covered by textbooks of hepatology and transplantation. In contrast, the field of liver tra- plantation is young, evolving, dynamic, and issues and decisions are often controversial. Thus, Dr. Trotter and I, as well as our colleagues at the University of Colorado, felt that a text with a different focus was required, one that highlighted controversy and challenged dogma. Out of this perceived need emerged Liver Transplantation: Challenging Controversies and Topics. To meet the transplant community's need for emerging information about liver transplantation, Dr. Larry Chan, Dr. Igal Kam, and I initiated the Controversies in Transplantation Conference.

Gabriel of Urantia asked the question, in the beginning of his struggle with dialysis, "God, why is this happening to me?" Throughout his 8-month dialysis experience, 3 days a week, 4 hours a day, being tied down to a chair while his blood flowed from his body through a machine and back, he realizes-from the people he meets also on dialysis and in the hospitals after post-kidney-transplant-that very bad things happen to very good people. He met young and old alike, tied down to the machines just like he was, and the young people were the hardest for him to resolve in his mind with God and also to try to give them hope. As a minister, he felt obligated to do so. Being a Pastor of a church (Global Community Communications Alliance-a very social, environmental, and spiritual activist church), he knew that bad things happened to good people who try to change the world. But this disease is personal, between him and God you might say. So he had to discover for himself why God allowed this to happen to him and to the other very good people he met with various traumatic illnesses in the hospitals and dialysis centers. Gabriel of Urantia tries to explain how he felt along the path, from the beginning to the receiving of his new kidney from his 22-year-old daughter and gaining the hope and health to continue not only his spiritual work, but his work as a musician, guitar player, and singer (in which he was planning a tour around the country with his 11-piece Bright & Morning Star Band), while now taking immunosuppressant drugs to keep him alive. He had all the fears that a new transplant patient has. How long will the kidney last? What other affects do these drugs have on my body? He writes about his experience with the medical world, the services he experienced from both very qualified people and those not so qualified (experienced and inexperienced care givers), as well as the bureaucracy of the medical field and insurance companies (both private and governmental). He realized that often in the medical field, the right hand didn't know what the left hand was doing and the patient suffered the results. Beyond that, Gabriel of Urantia tries to give hope to people with life-threatening illnesses by sharing his faith in the Creator to all who may read his book. A must-read for anyone on dialysis or with any life-threatening illness, from a writer who went through this and can identify with what they are going through and give them hope through this trauma in their lives.

Therapeutic regimens for visceral leishmaniasis (also Kala-azar, Dum-dum fever or black fever), caused by parasitic protozoa of the Leishmania genus, evolve at a pace never seen before. Spread by tiny and abundant sand flies, the parasite infects internal organs and bone marrow and if left untreated will almost always result in the death of the host. In developing countries successful diagnosis and treatment are complicated by asymptomatic cases, undernutrition and Kala-azar/HIV co-infections.

This book brings together world-renown experts writing state-of-arts review on the progress in diagnosis and treatment of visceral leishmaniasis, ultimately leading to the complete elimination of this fatal disease from South Asia. The chapters provide valuable information for disease control as well as therapy and the diagnostic improvements necessary for early treatment, subclinical detection and drug-resistant cases. The presented methods allow for points-of-care testing in the endemic area, enabling rapid detection in resource-poor settings with easy handling and low costs.

This book provides essential information for scientists, medical practitioners and policy makers involved in the diagnosis, treatment and elimination of Kala-azar.

Fluid, electrolyte, and acid-base disorders are central to the day-to-day practice of almost all areas of patient-centered medicine - both medical and surgical. Virtually every aspect of these disorders has experienced major developments in recent years. Core Concepts in the Disorders of Fluid, Electrolytes and Acid-Base Balance encompasses these new findings in comprehensive reviews of both pathophysiology and clinical management. In addition, this volume offers clinical examples providing step-by-step analysis of the pathophysiology, differential diagnosis, and management of selected clinical problems. Written by leading experts in fluid, electrolyte, and acid-base disorders, this reference is an invaluable resource for both the nephrologist and the non-specialist physician, or medical trainee.

PNL is the gold standard for the management of large and/or otherwise complex renal stones. Since its introduction in the seventies PNL has undergone considerable evolution, mainly driven by the improvement in access techniques, endoscopic instrument technology, lithotripsy devices and drainage management. The conventional prone position for PNL has been challenged in the last two decades by a variety of modifications, including the supine and Galdakao-modified supine Valdivia positions, which make simultaneous retrograde working access to the collecting system possible and have proven anesthesiological advantages. The Galdakao-modified supine Valdivia position allowed the development of ECIRS (Endoscopic Combined IntraRenal Surgery), a technique exploiting a combined antegrade and retrograde approach to the upper urinary tract, using both rigid and flexible endoscopes with the related accessories. The synergistic teamwork of ECIRS provides a safe and efficient, minimally-invasive procedure for the treatment of all kinds of urolithiasis. The aim of this book is to share with the urologic community worldwide our experience, our standardization of all the steps, and tips and tricks for the procedure.