Nephrology is the branch of internal medicine dealing with a learn of the work & diseases of the kidney. A word nephrology is from either a Greek word nephros, which means "kidney", and a suffix -ology, or even "study of".

Scope of the specialty
Virtually all diseases affecting a kidney come not limited to the organ itself, however are systemic disorders. Nephrology concerns itself by using a diagnosing of nephrosis & its professional assistance (medication, dialysis), and watch-higher of renal transplant patients. Given that virtually all nephritic conditions come chronic, nephrologists "grow with their patients".

Who sees a nephrologist?
Patients come referred to nephrology specialists for various different reasons, like : Acute renal failure, a sudden loss of nephritic function Chronic renal failure; another doctor has found consequences of declining renal function, often the rise around creatinine Hematuria (blood loss in the urine) Proteinuria the loss of protein espeically albumin in the urine Kidney stones Cancer of the kidney, mostly renal cell carcinoma Chronic or recurrent urinary tract infections Hypertension that has failed to respond to multiple forms of anti-hypertensive medication

Urologists are surgical specialists of the urinary tract. It is exposed within nephritic diseases that will exist as amenable to surgery: Cancer of the kidney Kidney stones Diseases of the Bladder and prostate

Diagnosis
When sustaining a rest of medicine, important clues when to the induce of any effect come gained in the history & physical examination.

Laboratory tests come nigh universally aimed at: urea, creatinine, electrolytes, calcium and phosphate levels, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein and urinalysis. Collection of the Two dozen-hour sample of urine can give valuable facts on a concentrating capacity of the kidney & the total of protein loss in a few forms of nephrosis.

More tests typically performed by nephrologists come: Nephritic biopsy, to obtain a tissue diagnosing of a disorder whenever the accurate nature and severity or even stage remains uncertain.; Ultrasound scanning of the urinary tract; CT scanning when mass lesions are suspected; Scintigraphy (nuclear medicine); Angiography when the blood vessels might be affected

Therapy
Several nephropathy come treated by owning medication, such as steroids, DMARDs (disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs), antihypertensives (many renal disorder feature hypertension). Typically erythropoietin and vitamin D treatment is required to replenish these deuce endocrine, a production of which stagnates around chronic renal disease.

Whenever consequences of renal failure become too severe, dialysis might be called upon. Please refer to dialysis for a comprehensive account of this professional assistance.

Whenever patients proceed to renal transplant, nephrologist often monitor a immunosuppressive regimen and a infections that can occur at this stage.

de:Nephrologie fr:Néphrologie id:Nefrologi it:Nefrologia he:נפרולוגיה ja:腎臓学 pl:Nefrologia pt:Nefrologia