Saturday, April 23, 2016

The Profession Of A Kidney Doctor

By Matthew Perry


The kidney is the organ that is involved with removing excess waste products and fluid in the body through the process of excretion. Urine is produced in this organ and is mainly composed of waste products. Besides removing excess waste products, kidneys also play a vital role in regulating body salts, acid content, and potassium among other materials. Another function performed by kidneys is the stimulation of the production of red blood cells. Red blood cells regulate calcium, blood pressure, and metabolism of electrolyte in the body.

Kidneys are very important organs in the body because of the vital functions they perform. Serious health problems are caused by mild problems with the organs. Therefore, immediate medical attention from a kidney doctor should be sought the instance one suspects the existence of a problem. Nephrologists are medical practitioners whose specialty is in treating diseases affecting kidneys.

The term nephrologist is derived from a Greek word nephros. The translation of the word nephros from Greek to English means renal or kidney while ologist means a person who studies. The word kidney doctors and the term nephrologists are employed interchangeably. Nephrologists have training in internal medicine, but they undergo more training and specialization to be able to treat diseases affecting kidneys.

Nephrology falls under the branches of internal medicine. Becoming an expert in nephrology requires being a degree holder a medical school that is accredited. One must first complete a bachelor degree before they can be admitted into a medical school to study this profession. A three-year residency is part of the qualification process. Completing the residency is mandatory before certification.

In Cleveland, OH, part of the certification process requires applicants to take and pass the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) certification exam. Besides the normal residency period, applicants may also need to complete a year or two of laboratory or clinical research. This helps to make the practitioners more qualified and specialized in a specific area.

Residency programs cover a lot of areas in nephrology including disease management and diagnosis. They receive training in all surgical procedures pertaining to dialysis such as placement of catheter and vascular access. They become experts in peritoneal dialysis, hemodialysis and all other dialysis treatments. They also receive training in performing kidney biopsies. Before qualifying in any specialty, leaners must take and pass a separate qualification exam.

Generally, nephrologists treat patients referred to them by general physicians or primary care physicians. They treat and care for a wide range of diseases including acute renal failure, high blood pressure, PKD, CKD, and kidney stones. They also perform transplants of kidneys and dialysis. Care begins after reviewing the medical history of the patient first.

Urine and blood tests are part of the diagnosis process. How well the kidneys are working can be told from these tests. If the tests are not sufficient, the practitioner may conduct an ultrasound or a biopsy. However, it is important to know that nephrologists cannot perform surgery. This is because their training does not cover surgical procedures.




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