Monday, January 22, 2007

Never Teach a Cardiologist How to Do Anything

Via a cardiologist friend (not quite seriously):
By the way, did I ever mention to never teach a single cardiologist how to perform any kind of dialysis? Because if just one of us knows, all of us will learn, and then we will start doing it.

Ask any radiologist about nuclear stress tests, MRI, CT, ultrasound or diagnostic catheterization.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Considering that it took two years of fellowship and I am still learning more and more all the time, I figure that it wouldn't be worth their while.

That said, they can't seem to understand that Aldactone causes hyperkalemia (send 'em a 'Mind Map' Josh)...so I can't imagine what dialysis would do in their hands.

Dr. J. said...

Aldactone causes hyperkalemia? I wish...my father during his CHF heyday was taking 200 meq of KCl daily despite vasotec, aldactone and a creatinine of 2. (it's amazing what high dose lasix and zaroxolyn can do!

Seriously, we are aware of the effects of these agents on K, mostly its exaggerated in our patients due to loop/tubule diuresis.

I am salivating over the mini-UF units, I've actually called a couple of renal consults in the past year requesting a lil UF to jumpstart the beans (GASP!).

--
Josh's cardiology friend's friend