UT MEDICAL CENTER PEDIATRIC NEPHROLOGY

THE PEDIATRIC NEPHROLOGY CLINIC

GENERAL INFORMATION

The Pediatric Nephrology Clinic of the UT Medical Group, Inc., is staffed by the Pediatric Nephrology Division of the Department of Pediatrics, University of Tennessee, Memphis. Clinics for patients who have received a kidney transplant are held each Monday afternoon and patients with acute or chronic kidney problems are seen on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. All three clinics are held on the first floor of the Physician's Office Building of LeBonheur Children's Medical Center. The Pediatric Nephrology Clinic treats children with all types of medical kidney problems, kidney stones, high blood pressure, and abnormalities in body fluids, salt and/or acid balance. Each nephrologist tries to see the same child at each clinic visit to maintain continuity of care and communications. However, it is likely that you and your child will see each of the staff nephrologists over a period of follow-up visits. Each child's diagnostic plan is discussed by the entire group of physicians at weekly rounds. Your child might also be seen by medical students or physicians in training to be pediatricians or pediatric nephrologists before he/she is seen by the staff nephrologist. This exposure to inquiring young physicians will result in perpetual re-examination of your child's problems and be beneficial to you and your child. The nephrology doctors will work with your child's primary physician to provide the most effective and efficient health care for your family. Results of each visit, as well as laboratory test and/or xrays, will be sent to your child's primary physician.

Also available to you and your child are the services of a nephrology nurse specialist, a nephrology research nurse, a nutritionist, a social worker, and a home-training dialysis nurse. The Nephrology Clinic also has access to a wide selection of reference materials concerning kidney disease in children. Please feel free to ask the nurses or the doctors if specific information regarding your child's kidney problem is available.

WHAT TO BRING

At your child's first clinic visit, you will probably be asked to bring a timed urine collection (if your child is toilet trained). This is generally collected over a 12 hour period. The nephrology nurse will tell you how to collect this. After arriving at the clinic, your child will be asked to collect a fresh urine sample for a routine urinalysis. If your child is not toilet trained, a urine bag will be placed on him/her as soon as possible after arriving at the clinic. This urine will be examined by the doctor and/or laboratory personnel. If your child has a history of urinary infections or if you think he/she has one at the time of the visit, please tell the nurse so that a urine culture can be obtained at the time of the urinalysis.

On your child's first visit, you should bring copies of any tests, lab results, doctor's visits, or other medical information that might be helpful to the kidney specialists in treating your child, if your child's primary care doctor has not already done so.

Additionally, it is important to bring a current referral from your child's primary care doctor. We will be unable to see your child without a current referral.

IMPORTANT TELEPHONE NUMBER

     

For appointments and information, please call

901-448-2070

 


If you need to speak your child's kidney doctor during the week, at night, on weekends of holidays, please call the number above and ask to speak to the nephrologist who is taking patient calls.

If no one can be reached quickly by telephone in an emergency situation, take your child to your family physician or to the LeBonheur Emergency Department.

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