Renal and Metabolic Disorders

Metabolic and electrolyte disorders can pose special challenges to physicians caring for the critically ill patients. Constrained by time and circumstances, clinicians require rapid access to information to help assess and manage these often life-threatening conditions. In this book, a readily useable road map is presented, emphasizing the interactions among problems and suggesting clear lines of action. Keeping the physiopathological mechanisms to the essential, and maintaining an uncluttered format, each chapter provides guidelines to understanding ＂how did we get here＂ and ＂what should we do now＂, as quickly and safely as possible. Chapters describe clinical presentation and management of the most common renal, electrolyte, acid-base, metabolic and endocrine disorders, complicating the course of critically ill patients.

Contributing authors are all experts in their respective fields, who regularly engage in the day-to-day management of critically ill patients. In a rapidly changing field, the authors have endeavored to maintain an updated approach, emphasizing the most recent evidence on diagnosis and management. Although controversy in the interpretation and management of some problems is inevitable, the editors see it as a desirable way to depict differing interpretations and solutions for each problem. Each chapter ends with a selected list of key references to facilitate in-depth review of each subject.

As with other titles in the Pittsburgh Critical Care Medicine series, this book is intended for frequent use by both ＂budding experts＂ as well as by seasoned practitioners in need for of quick and effective reference.

Dr. Kellum is actively involved in education, research and administration. Dr. Kellum’s research interests span various aspects of Critical Care Medicine, but center in critical care nephrology, sepsis and multi-organ failure, and clinical epidemiology, including consensus development and research methodology. He has authored more than 250 publications and has won several awards for teaching. He lectures widely and has given more than 300 seminars and invited lectures worldwide related to his research.

Jorge Cerdá, MD, FACP, FASN is currently a Clinical Professor of Medicine at the Albany Medical College, where he actively participates in the teaching and research program.
Dr. Cerda’s main research interests have been in the field of Critical Care Nephrology and Chronic Kidney Disease and are focused on acute kidney injury (AKI) post cardiac surgery, continuous renal replacement therapies in AKI, and the epidemiology of AKI. Additionally, he currently participates in research on the management of secondary hyperparathyroidism and in multicentric trials in the treatment of IgA Nephropathy.