DEATH OF DR. ROBERT GERONEMUS LEAVES VOID

The doctors and staff of THE KIDNEY GROUP mourn the loss of friend and colleague, Dr. Robert Geronemus, killed as a pedestrian in a hit and run accident in Miami on Saturday evening January 24th,2009. Dr. Geronemus shared a warm collaborative relationship with our doctors(he was Dr. Valle's first boss)and was known as a pioneer in many groundbreaking areas of nephrology, particularly CVHD a form of critical care dialysis. He served as former President of the Florida Society of Nephrology(a position he held several times). Our sincere condolences to his wife Lori and their four daughters on the loss of a wise and wonderful physician.

NOMOGRAMS PREDICT KIDNEY TRANSPLANT OUTCOMES(click title to read full text of original article)

BY COMPLING STATISTICS GATHERED FROM THOUSANDS OF TRANSPLANTS, SURGEONS ARE NOW ABLE TO PREDICT THE SUCCESS OF A TRANSPLANT BASED ON VARIOUS FACTORS SUCH AS ORIGINAL DIAGNOSIS OF RECIPIENT, AGES OF DONOR AND RECIPIENT AND SERUM CREATININE OF DONOR. IN ALL, 18 VARIOUS STATISTICS WERE ASSESSED FROM CASES COMPILED BY UNOS AND STUDIED BY THE CLEVELAND CLINIC.
THE HOPE IS THAT BETTER PREDICTION WILL LEAD TO BETTER ORGAN SUITING TO RECIPIENT AND INDIVIDUALIZED TREATMENT PLANS FOR THE POST TRANSPLANT PERIOD.

HOW TO PREVENT A FALSELY HIGH POTASSIUM LEVEL

Is it me or does most high potassium levels come in on Friday afternoon and we have to race to contact the patient ? Often it is a falsely elevated potassium level but because it can be LIFE THREATENING we assume nothing and you must repeat it. (if however you have a chronically elevated potassium this article really does not pertain to you).

What can you do to ensure your level is not falsely high? Actually alot. First mention to the technician that you have had a high potassium in the past and are concerned that the specimen not be hemolyzed. Hemolyzed means clotted. When the cells clot or burst they release potassium and falsely elevate the value. Sometimes the lab notes the specimen was hemolyzed and sometimes they don't. Hemolyzed or not-we still need to repeat it.

Ask that you be allowed to not clench your fist or pump the fist prior to the blood being drawn. You can also ask for the specimen to be taken in a heparinized container(an agent to prevent clotting). When the blood tube sits around all day it can hemolyze so labs later in the day are often sitting around for shorter periods. Ask what their pick up policy on the labs is.(labs done in a doctor's office often sit around longer vs. done directly at a lab center). Unfortunately although a potassium level is not a fasting test, other lab tests you may be having sometimes have to be fasting so you may not be able to go later in the day. Ask if the tube will be spun(centrifuged)there. If so ask the technician to spin it right away.

Because potassium elevation is so common(number one reason in The Kidney Group we call back on your labs)the technician should be familiar with these requests. If not ask to speak to the head technologist.

Last but not least. Make sure the front desk in our office knows how to get a hold of you..your mobile number, your work number and the number of someone else we can reach in case we cannot find you. In the unlikely event you do have an alarming lab result, having the best way to get a hold of you can literally save your life. It is why we update your information every visit. I know it is annoying but experience tells us it is necessary.

TRANSPLANT REJECTION HALTED BY CANCER DRUG

Exciting research out of the University of Cincinnati was revealed this week in which transplant rejection was halted and reversed by use of a cancer drug. It was reported in the Washington Post this weekend and the researchers speculated that the role of plasma cells and the antibodies they produce have perhaps been underestimated. The side effects of the use of the drug were described as manageable. The Kidney Group is encouraged by this avenue of research and we in fact have patients who are currently on the list for a kidney transplant with the hospital that generated the research. Your physician here at The Kidney Group can answer any questions about the study you may have. Click the title of this post for a link to the full story.