Nephrology

Nephrology is a subspecialty of internal medicine and pediatric medicine concerned with the study of the kidneys, from normal kidney physiology through the diagnosis and treatment of kidney disease. Nephrologists manage conditions including electrolyte disturbances, hypertension and kidney failure, and care for patients requiring renal replacement therapy such as dialysis or kidney transplantation, as well as systemic diseases such as diabetes and autoimmune disorders that affect the kidneys. The term nephrology dates only to about 1960, adapted from the French nephrologie proposed by physician Jean Hamburger in 1953; the first dedicated nephrology society, the Societe de Pathologie Renale, held its first meeting in Paris in February 1949 with Hamburger as its president.