The general nephrology clinic currently sees 3,500 patient visits for initial evaluation and follow-up each year at locations in St. Louis Children’s Hospital and its outreach clinics. Emphasis is on the management of congenital and hereditary kidney disorders, urinary tract infections, kidney stones and related conditions, acute and chronic glomerular and tubular diseases, hypertension, and kidney disease secondary to systemic disorders. Special interests of our faculty include chronic kidney disease, bone and mineral disorders, kidney transplantation, renovascular hypertension and hereditary kidney diseases.
A separate transplant clinic meets weekly at St. Louis Children’s Hospital for long-term management of pediatric kidney transplant recipients. Our service performs an average of eight to ten kidney transplants per year and has performed almost 300 transplants since inception.
The division maintains an active consultation service for hospitalized patients, including the management of fluid, acid-base, and electrolyte disorders, hypertension, acute kidney injury and treatment of primary kidney diseases and systemic diseases with secondary kidney involvement. Kidney replacement therapies are provided in the pediatric and neonatal intensive care units. Available options include hemodialysis, continuous renal replacement therapy, peritoneal dialysis and aquapheresis.
Chronic hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis are available for patients with end-stage kidney disease. Hemodialysis is performed in the St. Louis Children’s Hospital Dialysis and Infusion Unit, which was designed to reflect the special needs of pediatric patients. Patients who elect peritoneal dialysis, which is performed at home, undergo intensive training with monthly visits for on-going care. The care of chronic dialysis patients is based on a team approach, with participation by dialysis nurses, nephrologists, social workers, psychologists and dietitians to individualize each patient’s care.
Clinical highlights
- 10 division faculty
- Robust pediatric nephrology program providing a wide range of clinical services:
- General outpatient nephrology
- Inpatient nephrology, including consultative services (SLCH, Mercy Creve Couer)
- Full range of kidney replacement therapies (acute and chronic hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis, continuous renal replacement therapy, aquapheresis)
- Comprehensive pediatric kidney transplant program
- Apheresis services (therapeutic plasma exchange, red blood cell exchange, stem cell collection, leukoreduction, extracorporeal photopheresis)
- Active participation in multidisciplinary clinics and programs at SLCH
- Pediatric Nephrology/Urology clinic
- Midaortic syndrome and renovascular hypertension
- Fontan clinic
- Fetal care program
- Active fellowship training program, supported by an NIH T32 training grant
- High level participation in multi-center collaborative studies (NAPRTCS, CKiD, PNRC, SCOPE, IROC, AWARE, AWAKEN, GLEAN)