Article Tags: nephrology

Effectiveness of a Brief Point of Care Ultrasound Course at a National Nephrology Conference 

Abhilash Koratala, MD; Nilam J. Soni, MD MS; Rupal Mehta, MD; Nathaniel Reisinger, MD – The rising demand for point of care ultrasound (POCUS) instruction during nephrology fellowship has been limited due to a shortage of trained faculty and courses designed specifically for nephrologists. A hands-on POCUS pre-course was organized during the April 2023 National Kidney Foundation (NKF) Spring Clinical Meeting to address this challenge. The course consisted of pre-recorded lectures and a 4-hour hands-on workshop guided by multidisciplinary POCUS experts.

Point of Care Ultrasonography to Monitor Decongestive Therapy in Heart Failure: Seeing is Believing

Abhilash Koratala, MD – Point of care ultrasonography (POCUS) is a non-invasive bedside diagnostic tool that aids in clinical decision-making process. In addition, it allows to monitor the efficacy of therapeutic interventions in real time. As such, nephrologists can enhance patient care by adopting this skill, especially in those with simultaneous cardiac dysfunction and difficult to manage fluid status.

Ultrasonography in Acute Kidney Injury

Andrew A. Moses, MD MA; Hilda E. Fernandez, MD – Advances in the use of ultrasonography can enhance our ability to better characterize acute kidney injury (AKI). AKI is a clinical syndrome characterized by a rapid decrease in kidney excretory function with the accumulation of products of nitrogen metabolism and other clinically unmeasured waste products, and may proceed to include clinical manifestations including decreased urine output, development of metabolic acidosis, and electrolyte abnormalities.

Focused Cardiac Assessment in Kidney Care

Vineet Veitla, MD; Bhavna Bhasin, MD – Point of care ultrasonography (POCUS) is considered to be a very useful and informative extension of the bedside physical exam. The information obtained from POCUS allows for real time assessment for expedited decision making to improve efficiency in patient care and management.

POCUS in Intensive Care Nephrology

Randi Connor-Schuler, MD; Jonathan Suarez, MD – Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a significant problem for patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU), both due to the high incidence and associated mortality with rates of AKI requiring renal replacement therapy (RRT) of over 5%, and mortality rates with AKI of over 60%.

Nuts and Bolts of a POCUN Program

Noelle M. Northcutt, MD; Nathaniel C. Reisinger, MD – For those that have experienced how much point of care ultrasound can positively impact patient care, the potential of an organized point of care ultrasound program is moderated by the reality of building such a program from scratch. We have watched novice and intermediate users ride the roller coaster of ambition and reality checks at each of the hands-on skills sessions across the nation.

Bedside Assessment of the Kidneys and Bladder Using Point of Care Ultrasound

Patrick J. Taus, MD, PhD; Surya Manivannan, MD; Ria Dancel, MD – Given the contrasting echogenic characteristics of the urinary system and their easily identifiable distortion in response to numerous pathologic processes, the sonographic examination of the kidney and bladder can provide a wealth of clinical information. Although performed for decades as a referral and comprehensive radiologic study, improvement in the cost and performance of portable ultrasound devices has now made point of care ultrasound (POCUS) accessible to a growing number and variety of healthcare providers.