Nephrologist Interview Preparation Guide

Also known as renal failure, a medical condition in which the kidneys fail to adequately filter waste products from the blood.

A condition with a wide range of causes in which the kidneys are damaged and unable to fully remove waste and excess fluid from the body. Left untreated, kidney disease can progress to kidney failure.

A severe form of acute renal failure that develops in people with severe illnesses like infections or with low blood pressure. Patients may need dialysis. Kidney function often improves if the underlying disease is successfully treated.

The condition of having too few red blood cells. Healthy red blood cells carry oxygen throughout the body. If the blood is low on red blood cells, the body does not get enough oxygen. People with anemia may be tired and pale and may feel their heartbeat change. Anemia is common in people with chronic kidney disease or those on dialysis. (See also erythropoietin.)

Slow and progressive loss of kidney function over several years, often resulting in permanent kidney failure. People with permanent kidney failure need dialysis or transplantation (see transplant) to replace the work of the kidneys.

A genetic kidney disease that develops before birth or in the first few months of life. Congenital nephrotic syndrome usually leads to end-stage renal disease and the need for dialysis or a kidney transplant by the second or third year of life.

A cleansing liquid used in the two major forms of dialysis’hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. Dialysis solution contains dextrose (a sugar) and other chemicals similar to those in the body. Dextrose draws wastes and extra fluid from the body into the dialysis solution.

A calculation of how efficiently the kidneys are filtering wastes from the blood. A traditional GFR calculation requires an injection into the bloodstream of a fluid that is later measured in a 24-hour urine collection. A modified GFR calculation requires only that the creatinine in a blood sample be measured. Each laboratory has its own normal range for measurements. Generally, the normal range for men is 97 to 137 mL/min/1.73 m2 of body surface area. The normal range for women is 88 to 128 mL/min/1.73 m2.

A drug given to suppress the natural responses of the body’s immune system. Immunosuppressants are given to transplant patients to prevent organ rejection and to patients with autoimmune diseases like lupus.

A thin sheet or layer of tissue that lines a cavity or separates two parts of the body. A membrane can act as a filter, allowing some particles to pass from one part of the body to another while keeping others where they are. The artificial membrane in a dialyzer filters waste products from the blood.