Cover -- Contents -- Introduction -- 1 Chronic renal failure (CRF) -- Functions -- Definitions -- Epidemiology -- Diagnosis and progression -- Causes of ESRF -- Renal presentation syndromes -- Clinical features of CRF -- Treatment options -- Prognosis -- Patient education -- 2 Renal biopsy -- Indications for renal biopsy -- Tests -- Patient education before the procedure -- When NOT to do a biopsy -- Complications -- Aftercare -- Patient education -- 3 Renal angiogram -- Indications -- Before the procedure -- Patient education before the procedure -- After care -- Risks -- Contraindications -- Alternatives to renal angiogram -- Patient education -- 4 Assessment of acute renal failure -- Causes -- Assessment of ARF -- Patient education -- 5 Management of acute renal failure -- Life-threatening complications -- Does the patient need dialysis? -- What if the patient is not getting better? -- Common complications during an episode of ARF -- Recovery from ARF (especially ATN) -- Management of the recovery phase -- Patient education -- 6 Nephrotic syndrome -- Definition and clinical features -- Causes -- Complications -- Investigations -- Treatment -- Patient education -- 7 Renal bone disease -- Pathogenesis -- Diagnosis -- Treatment -- Parathyroidectomy -- Patient education -- 8 Anaemia and EPO -- Why anaemia? -- Treatment -- Side effects -- Patient education -- 9 Peritoneal dialysis and catheter insertion -- Pre-operative care -- What happens afterwards? -- Patient education -- 10 Peritonitis and other problems with PD -- Patient education -- Peritonitis -- Organisms -- Clinical presentation -- Diagnosis -- Treatment -- What if the patient's condition does not improve? -- Other infective complications -- PD catheter malfunction -- 11 Vascular access for haemodialysis -- Arteriovenous fistula -- Clinical assessment -- Complications.

Other forms of access: grafts -- Patient education -- 12 Complications of haemodialysis catheters -- Complications -- Haemodialysis catheter thrombosis -- Patient education -- 13 Transplants -- A kidney becomes available -- When the patient arrives -- Assessment - clinical -- Investigations -- Medication -- When the patient gets back from theatre -- What next? -- The long term -- Patient education on leaving hospital -- 14 Non-concordance with treatment -- Patient education -- What is non-concordance? -- What are the causes? -- What can you do as a doctor or nurse? -- 15 Death and bereavement -- Telling the relatives -- Discontinuing dialysis - the patient's choice -- Patient education before dialysis is stopped -- Death without choice -- Appendix: Hints on prescribing -- Specific drugs -- Glossary of abbreviations -- Further reading -- Index.