Clinical Pediatric Nephrology PDF

Preface

The first edition of Clinical Pediatric Nephrology was conceived as a primer of pediatric nephrology. It was devoted primarily to the clinical discussion of commonly encountered renal disorders in children, and was aimed at pediatric nephrology fellows. In addition, it was hoped that the book would be a quick source of clinically relevant information for medical students, house officers and non-nephrologists providing co-clinical care for children with kidney diseases.

The second edition of Clinical Pediatric Nephrology has been thoroughly updated and the book continues to emphasize the clinical implications of our present understanding of pediatric renal disorders. The authorship has been expanded to reflect the diversity of experience within the pediatric nephrology community. All of the chapters in this edition have been rewritten to reflect progress in the areas that they cover, and the number of chapters has been increased to 37. These chapters have been assigned to seven sections. The first section deals with the structure and physiology of the kidney. In addition to consideration of fluid, mineral and electrolyte handling, it includes information that is unique and essential to understanding the renal disorders that affect infants and children. Indeed, these developmentally determined responses to perturbations differentiate pediatric nephrology from the broader renal medicine. The second section addresses our assessment of the patient, as well as the context of that assessment, by considering epidemiology and the principles of diagnostic evaluation. The third section covers pathogenetic, diagnostic, and therapeutic aspects of primary and secondary parenchymal renal diseases. The fourth section elucidates renal tubular disorders, and section five discusses acute and chronic renal failure and its treatment. Hypertension is the focus of the sixth section, and the book concludes with a section or urologic problems and other surgical disorders.

While preparing such a text with friends and colleagues is a labor of love, it represents the culmination of significant efforts by all involved in the project. At the outset, we would like to thank all of the contributors who have worked within very tight deadlines to provide manuscripts for the new edition of the book. The outstanding editorial, production and marketing team at Informa Healthcare medical publishers, the new publishers of Clinical Pediatric Nephrology, have provided exceptional support and encouragement through all phases of this project. We are especially grateful to Robert Peden and Oliver Walter for recognizing the merits of producing a revised second edition of this book. Their personal involvement has been instrumental in the development of this book. Catriona Dixon, the Production Editor of this edition, has been a delight to work with. While valuing the constraints of time for the editors and contributors, she has skillfully managed to keep the process flowing efficiently. Her keen interest in enhancing the visual appeal of the book has been central in producing a more user-friendly format of the text, images, tables, and diagrams. Closer to home, we appreciate the assistance of Robyn Mann who provided the crucial link between the editors and the authors, and managed to get us all together for conference calls.

Each of us wishes to profoundly thank our families who have always provided a steady and stable shelter from the often distracting and sometimes stormy winds of any academic enterprise. Their selfless devotion has kept all of us well anchored and focused in our endeavor.