When You Should See a Nephrologist?

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Nephrologists are physicians who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of kidney disease. What conditions are treated by a kidney doctor, and when is a referral to one of these specialists needed? If you haven't heard about nephrology (the study of kidney disease) before, it's not surprising. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is often referred to as the "silent killer," as many people have mild symptoms or no symptoms at all when they are diagnosed.

There are many different terms which can be used to describe kidney disease which can add to the confusion. As noted above, Nephrologists are doctors who treat kidney disease, with the Greek term "nephros" meaning kidneys. You may also hear the term renal disease used to describe kidney problems. The term renal comes from the Latin root "renes" which also means kidneys.

Conditions Treated by Kidney Doctors (Nephrologists):

Kidney doctors care for people who a number of different types of kidney disease including:

  • Acute kidney injury: Acute kidney disease refers to the rapid onset of kidney disease often related to conditions such as shock (reduced blood perfusion of the kidneys), dehydration, or kidney problems related to surgery
  • Chronic renal failure: Chronic kidney disease can be caused by a number of different conditions (see below)
  • Kidney stones: There are different types of kidney stones which may or may not cause symptoms
  • Kidney infections (pyelonephritis): The term "urinary tract infection" refers to a spectrum of conditions ranging from bacteria in the urine, to symptomatic bladder infections, to infection of the kidneys (pyelonephritis).

The time it's best to see a nephrologist can certainly vary depending on your particular conditions. That said, you should ideally be seen by a nephrologist once your creatinine is high enough to be called CKD Stage 4. That would mean a GFR of less than 30.

Seeing a nephrologist is vital. Multiple medical studies have clearly proved that patients who are referred late to nephrologists are more likely to die, or progress to dialysis.

Our esteemed journal PULCNR is looking forward for the upcoming issue (Volume 4: Issue 1) for the upcoming year issue as all the authors are invited to submit their recent scientific work through manuscripts in the mode of Research/Case Reports/Case Studies/Reviews/Short Review/ Short Communications/Commentaries/Short Commentaries/Letters to Editor/ Image articles etc., from different regions around the world.

Manuscripts can be uploaded online at Editorial Tracking System https://www.pulsus.com/submissions/clinical-nephrology-research.html or as an email attachment to clinicalnephrology@molecularbiol.com

Thanks and Regards,
Editorial Manager,
Clinical Nephrology and Research: Open Access
Contact: +44-20-3608-4181