Specialty Area: Nephrology

Description of Specialty: Nephrology involves the diagnosis and treatment of medical diseases of the kidney, body fluids and electrolyte disorders.

1. Diagnosis: Proteinuria and the Nephrotic Syndrome

Questions that should be asked:

  1. What is this illness and how is it caused?
  2. Is it serious and can it be treated?
  3. Can I be cured or will the illness come back?
  4. Will my activities or lifestyle be affected and for how long?
  5. What will the treatment consist of and will I require a special diet?
  6. What type of tests will be needed and what is an IVP, an ultrasound examination and a renal biopsy?
  7. Do the medicines used to treat this condition cause other problems?

2. Diagnosis: Hematuria

Questions that should be asked:

  1. What is this illness and how is it caused?
  2. Is it serious and can it be treated?
  3. Can I be cured or will the illness come back?
  4. What will the treatment consist of and will I require a special diet?
  5. What type of tests will be needed and what is an IVP, an ultrasound examination and a renal biopsy?
  6. Why will a urologist be needed?
  7. Could this be cancer?

3. Diagnosis: Acute Renal Failure

Questions that should be asked:

  1. What is this illness and how is it caused?
  2. Is it serious and can it be treated?
  3. Can I be cured or will the illness come back?
  4. What will the treatment consist of and will I need a special diet?
  5. Will I have to have kidney dialysis treatments and, if so, what does this involve?
  6. If I am making a lot of urine, how can my kidneys not be working?

4. Diagnosis: Chronic Renal Failure

Questions that should be asked:

  1. What is this illness and how is it caused?
  2. Is it serious and can it be treated?
  3. Can I be cured or will the illness come back?
  4. Will my activities or lifestyle be affected and for how long?
  5. What will the treatment consist of and will I require a special diet?
  6. Will I have to have kidney dialysis treatment and, if so, what does this involve?
  7. Will I need to have a kidney transplant and, if so, what does this involve?
  8. If I am making a lot of urine, how can my kidneys not be working and if I am anemic, will I need blood transfusions?

5. Diagnosis: Glomerulonephritis

Questions that should be asked:

  1. What is this illness and how is it caused?
  2. Is it serious and can it be treated?
  3. Can I be cured or will the illness come back?
  4. What will the treatment consist of and will I require a special diet?
  5. What type of tests will be needed and what is an IVP, an ultrasound examination and a renal biopsy? Will this go away completely?

6. Diagnosis: Pyelonephritis

Questions that should be asked:

  1. What is this illness and how is it caused?
  2. Is it serious and can it be treated?
  3. Can I be cured or will the illness come back?
  4. What will the treatment consist of and will I require a special diet?
  5. How can I keep this from happening again?

7. Diagnosis: Interstitial Kidney Disease

Questions that should be asked:

  1. What is this illness and how is it caused?
  2. Is it serious and can it be treated?
  3. Can I be cured or will the illness come back?
  4. What will the treatment consist of and will I require a special diet?
  5. What types of tests will be needed and what is an IVP, an ultrasound examination and a renal biopsy?
  6. What can be done to prevent further damage?

8. Diagnosis: Kidney Disease in Diabetes

Questions that should be asked:

  1. What is this illness?
  2. Can this illness be treated?
  3. Can I be cured or will this illness return?
  4. What will the treatment consist of and will I require a special diet?
  5. If I follow this diet and take my medicine, will my kidneys get better?

9. Diagnosis: Kidney Disease in Hypertension

Questions that should be asked:

  1. What is this illness and how is it caused?
  2. Is it serious and can it be treated?
  3. Can I be cured or will the illness return?
  4. What will the treatment consist of and will I require a special diet?
  5. If I follow my doctor's recommendations for diet, weight loss, exercise and take my medicines regularly, will my kidneys get better?

10. Diagnosis: Kidney Disease in Lupus

Questions that should be asked:

  1. What is this illness and how is it caused?
  2. Is it serious and can it be treated?
  3. Can I be cured or will the illness come back?
  4. What types of tests will be needed and what is an IVP, an ultrasound examination and a renal biopsy?

11. Diagnosis: Hyponatremia and Hypernatremia

  1. Questions that should be asked:
  2. What is this illness and how is it caused?
  3. Is it serious?
  4. Can I be cured or will the illness come back?
  5. What will the treatment consist of and will I require a special diet?
  6. How can I keep this from happening again?

12. Diagnosis: Hypokalemia and Hyperkalemia

Questions that should be asked:

  1. What is this illness and how is it caused?
  2. Is it serious?
  3. Can I be cured or will the illness come back?
  4. Will I have to have kidney dialysis treatments and, if so, what does this involve?
  5. How can I keep this from happening again?

13. Diagnosis: Hereditary Diseases of the Kidney

Questions that should be asked:

  1. What is this illness and how is it caused?
  2. Is it serious and can it be treated?
  3. What types of tests will be needed and what is an IVP, an ultrasound examination and a renal biopsy?
  4. What are the chances of others in my family, especially my children, getting this and should they be tested?

14. Diagnosis: Nephrolithiasis

Questions that should be asked:

  1. What is this illness and how is it caused?
  2. Can I be cured?
  3. What will the treatment consist of and will I require a special diet?
  4. What types of tests will be needed and what is an IVP, an ultrasound examination and a renal biopsy?
  5. What can I do to keep this from returning?

Herbert Lubowitz, M.D. Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Medicine Washington University School of Medicine St. Louis, MO

                                                                                           

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