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Divisions
Nephrology
Sudhir V. Shah, M.D. Professor and Director
Clinical Programs and Facilities
The Division of Nephrology maintains inpatient and consultative clinical
programs at the University and VA Hospitals. There is an inpatient
Nephrology Service at University Hospital located on a renal ward unit and a
renal consultation service for both hospitals. Dialysis units and renal
clinics are located at both hospitals, and a renal transplant program is
housed at University Hospital.
The Division sponsors a number of regularly scheduled conferences including
weekly Journal Club, End Stage Renal Disease Conference, and Renal
Transplant Conference. Nephrology morning report is conducted once weekly. A
series of lectures discussing renal physiology and pathophysiology are
conducted each month for the house staff and students rotating on the
consult service. There are a number of research conferences in Nephrology
attended in conjunction with other divisions given by the faculty or
visiting professors.
On either the inpatient or the consult service, teaching rounds are made
daily and the students and house staff are exposed to a wide variety of
fluid and electrolyte problems, acute and chronic renal failure, and
hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis techniques. The house staff on the
consult service also attend a weekly outpatient renal clinic at the
University.
This year we will perform approximately 80 renal transplants, including
pancreatic-renal transplantation. The nephrology staff is involved in the
preoperative evaluation to determine suitability for transplantation, as
well as postoperative hospital course of the recipient. This includes
management of fluid and electrolyte balance, diagnostic evaluation of renal
function (including biopsy), and management of immunosuppressant agents.
Outpatient care is also provided by the Nephrology staff.
Research Programs and Facilities
The Division of Nephrology maintains an active program of research, both
basic and clinical. The basic research activities of the Division are
supported by NIH, the Veterans Administration, the American Heart
Association, and the clinical research is supported in part by the
pharmaceutical industry. The major research projects include: the role of
phospholipase A2 in acute ischemic injury to the kidney; the role of
reactive oxygen species in renal injury, utilizing freshly isolated
glomeruli and cultured cells, the role of endonuclease in renal epithelial
injury, carbamylation in renal failure leading to vascular injury and in
vivo models of glomerular disease and acute renal failure.
A major thrust in the division is on translational research. Novel agents to
block the reactive oxygen species in renal injury models are planned to be
evaluated in clinical trials. The role of carbamylation of proteins in renal
insufficiency is being looked into in a large prospective trial to see if
they influence cardiovascular burden of the disease.
Clinical studies include many pharmaceutical sponsored trials on
hypertension, anemia and transplantation. A multi center cooperative study
sponsored by NIH is ongoing to look at the outcome of acute renal failure in
relationship to the intensity of dialysis support provided.
Contact Information:
Cindy Reid
Project Program Specialist/Assistant to Dr. Shah
4301 W. Markham St., #111D/LR
Little Rock, AR 72205
Phone: 501-257-5831 or 5832
Fax: 501-257-5827
ReidCindyD@uams.edu
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