Jamie Willows Profile picture
Renal/GIM consultant. Dad. Runner. Poker player. POCUS. #NSMC Intern 2021. @BukuRenal. Associate editor @NephJC.
Shanil Keshwani Profile picture 2 subscribed
May 19, 2023 20 tweets 9 min read
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Difelikefalin approved by NICE for uraemic itch in patients on haemodialysis!
nice.org.uk/guidance/ta890

(on the same day I was offered a consultant job with a haemodialysis role - also exciting!)
 
Thread to learn everything you need to know about difelikefalin🧵👇 Image 2/
Quick recap on uraemic itch that will surprise no one:

✳️ Common
✳️ Under-estimated by nephrologists
✳️ Many patients don’t report it unless you ask specifically
✳️ Associates with depression, poor sleep & reduced QoL
✳️ Patients state it’s a priority for research
Apr 22, 2022 20 tweets 6 min read
You get called to the haemodialysis unit.

An 18 yr old man has missed his dialysis all week & today reports weak legs. The dialysis nurse snaps this ECG as he passes out.

What do you do? Is starting dialysis during CPR ever a thing?

A thread on hyperkalaemic cardiac arrest👇 1/
As you can imagine the evidence base for optimal management of hyperkalaemic cardiac arrest is fairly low quality.

Here’s some ideas (majority of which are based on fantastic UKKA 2020 review & algorithm👇), but every tweet comes with the “but no one knows for sure” caveat….
Dec 3, 2021 20 tweets 8 min read
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Nephrology:
“We will forever argue about validity of equations to convert serum creatinine to eGFR using age, sex etc”

Also nephrology:
“We will make no adjustment for muscle mass when using urinary creatinine within urine ACR”

A #tweetorial on two albuminuria paradoxes 👇 2/
Recap: why use early morning urine ACR?

✅Correlates well with ‘gold standard’ 24hr urine collection (pain to perform)

✅Creatinine in denominator corrects for urine dilution - works when creat excretion constant (but, note some daily variation)

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/P…
Apr 30, 2020 10 tweets 6 min read
Do you manage the renal impact of #covid19 on general wards?

My summarised recommendations on;
✅ AKI
✅ Volume status
✅ ACEi
✅ Transplant & dialysis patients

taken from @RenalAssoc, #eraedta, #nephjc & @UpToDate

= lots of relevant info in 8 tweets👇

#medtwitter #covid4mds AKI 1

✅ Many potential factors;
✔️hypovolaemia due to fever / GI symptoms
✔️sepsis & cytokine release
✔️rhabdo, even without myalgia; check CK!
✔️direct viral tubule invasion?
✅ Low grade proteinuria & haematuria common
✅ Don’t miss ‘usual’ post-renal AKI; bladder scan +- US
Mar 1, 2020 18 tweets 6 min read
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#medtwitter is fairly comfortable managing “normal” DKA right? But how about in the anuric dialysis patient? The cookbook protocol can be deadly.

Read this #tweetorial to learn about how their DKA pathophysiology is fascinatingly different.

#meded #nephpearls #endotwitter 2/
Quick recap of normal DKA pathophysiology;

🔑 insulin requirement > insulin supply

✅ “stress hormones” rise
✅ blood glucose rises & because glucose is an osmotic diuretic, there is a huge, inappropriate urine output
✅ body makes ketones as alternative fuel, so pH falls
Jan 26, 2020 14 tweets 7 min read
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Hyperkalaemia treatment

KDIGO have just published their conference conclusions on managing acute #hyperkalaemia so I run through some learning points, some criticisms and the bits I’m not sure about as a renal reg.

#medtwitter #nephpearls #meded 2/
Before we start - why do we care?

Because hyperkalaemia associates with a large increase in risk of death in the next 24 hours.

☠️ mortality not necessarily caused by the hyperkalaemia itself, but can indicate that something bad is happening

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/19546…
Aug 25, 2019 17 tweets 7 min read
Last week twitter was unexpectedly keen for renal registrar on-call tips, so here’s round 2️⃣ of kidney #tipsfornewdocs covering iv fluids, AKI, “renal screen” bloods, immunosuppression, electrolytes, DKA in ESKD, peritoneal dialysis, proteinuria, meds & ⬆️BP (thread)
#nephpearls Iv fluids; Renal #tipsfornewdocs 2️⃣ 1/15

✅ 1L 5% dextrose 12 hourly = 50g glucose = 55 skittles. Not same as feeding patient.
✅ “iv fluid for AKI plus furosemide to keep it off their chest” isn’t a thing - commit to goal of wetter or drier.
(specialist use only eg. ⬆️Ca, ⬆️K)
Aug 18, 2019 20 tweets 8 min read
To celebrate 1 yr of taking referrals as the renal registrar on-call, it’s time for some kidney-themed #tipsfornewdocs covering high K, AKI, “nephrotoxins”, medications, iv contrast, hypertension, & caring for kidney transplant & dialysis patients. #nephpearls (thread) ⬆️K - Renal #tipsfornewdocs 1/18

✅ Insulin-dextrose is not benign (⬇️BM risk) & does not get rid of K (only hides it), therefore rather than give round after round do phone us for help!
✅ Repeat ECG, re-bolus calcium gluconate if persistent changes
✅ Salbutamol dose = 10-20mg