08793 - Nephrology (A)

Learning outcomes

The course aims to provide the student with the fundamental theoretical and professional elements for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of the main primary and secondary renal diseases and relevant syndromes including the main imbalances in the homeostasis of fluids, electrolytes and acid-base balance. It will be characterized by providing a correct methodological and notional approach to the discipline through the strengthening of notions, critical capacity and a multidisciplinary approach to pathologies and imbalances in the nephrological field. Prevention, epidemiology, pathogenesis, histological-morphological characterization, the clinical significance of laboratory tests, differential diagnosis and pharmacological and therapeutic treatments of kidney diseases will be addressed to introduce adequate decision making aimed at preventing possible complications . The path that the student will undertake will analyze aspects relating to renal pathologies including chronic kidney disease in its territorial significance, acute renal failure, dialysis, and kidney transplant. At the end of the course the student will be aware of the basic notions of the main pathologies of nephrological interest, of the biochemical, instrumental and clinical investigations necessary for the diagnosis and outlines of therapy in the four main areas of nephrology, 1) disorders of the homeostasis of fluids, electrolytes and acid-base balance, 2) the clinical diagnostic part, 3) dialysis and 4) kidney transplant. Thanks also to participation in scheduled internships that will offer a practical path in 4 areas, at the end of the course the student has the theoretical-practical basis for the recognition and treatment of pathologies by evaluating the symptoms, clinical signs, laboratory and instrumental tests and the prognostic aspects

Course contents

1. Clinical, laboratory and instrumental evaluation

2. Electrolyte alterations: sodium and potassium and metabolic acidosis

3. Electrolyte alterations: calcium, phosphorus and magnesium

4. Acute pre-renal renal failure

5. Chronic kidney disease – the progression of kidney damage

6. Chronic kidney disease - minaral bone disorder

7. Diabetic nephropathy

8. Glomerular pathologies with prevalent degenerative damage Minimal change, FSGS, GBM

9. Glomerular pathologies with prevalent proliferative damage (post infectious, lupus, anti-GBM, vasculitis)

10. Glomerular pathologies with IgA, Cryo, MPGN deposits

11. Complement pathologies involving the kidneys

12. Vascular pathology (hypertension, renal artery stenosis, atheroembolic nephropathy)

13. Cystic pathologies

14. Genetic diseases of collagen, Fabry disease and genetics applied to nephrology

15. Interstitial nephritis

16. The onconephrologists

17. Kidney infections, urinary tract infections and lithiasis

18. Renal transplant

19. Extracorporeal replacement treatment

Readings/Bibliography

Garibotto-Pontremoli, Manual of Nephrology, and Minerva Medica

Updated teaching material provided during the course or available via username and password at AMS campus - Alma DL - University of Bologna

Teaching methods

Lectures and exercises at the patient's bedside and in the classroom

Assessment methods

The end-of-course exam aims to evaluate the achievement of the following educational objectives:

- Know in detail the pathogenesis and clinical presentation of the main pathologies with primary or secondary renal involvement.

- Know the main notions of instrumental diagnostics for the recognition of pathologies involving the kidney.

- Know the main notions of renal histology and histopathology related to the illustrated clinical pictures.

- Know the essential elements of therapy of the treated kidney-involving pathologies.

The exam is carried out in oral form with questions that focus on the educational objectives listed above, with a final grade out of thirty. The final grade of the integrated course is defined based on the average of the grades obtained in the Nephrology and Urology questions.

To take the exam, you must register via the electronic bulletin board, respecting the established deadlines. Those who are unable to register by the scheduled date are required to promptly communicate the problem during the appeal. The teacher will have the right to admit them to the test. The verbalization of the evaluation achieved takes place at the same time as the test itself.

Teaching tools

Slides of the lessons

Office hours

See the website of Giorgia Comai