Research Updates in Kidney and Urologic Health

New Publications From NKUDIC

The National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NKUDIC) is pleased to announce two new fact sheets on urologic problems and a new series of fact sheets on kidney disease in children.

Urinary Incontinence in Men

Although urinary incontinence (UI) is more common in women, nerve problems, prostate enlargement, and treatments for prostate cancer can all create continence issues for men. This fact sheet for patients discusses the causes of UI in men, how it is diagnosed, and the range of treatments available.

Imaging of the Urinary Tract

Many urologic problems require medical imaging for diagnosis or evaluation. This fact sheet explains the range of imaging technologies used to evaluate the urinary tract, including ultrasound, conventional radiology, magnetic resonance imaging, and computed tomography. The fact sheet instructs patients on how to prepare for an exam and what to expect.

Kidney Failure in Children Series

NKUDIC has released a series of new publications on kidney disease in children. Written for parents, the series includes general fact sheets on the causes of and treatment methods for kidney failure as well as fact sheets that focus on specific complications such as growth failure and psychosocial problems. Members of the American Society of Pediatric Nephrology provided scientific and editorial review for each publication.

• Overview of Kidney Disease in Children describes the major causes of kidney disease and kidney failure in children, lists risk factors for kidney disease, explains the difference between acute kidney disease and chronic kidney disease, and introduces specific conditions such as hemolytic uremic syndrome, nephrotic syndrome, birth anomalies, urinary obstruction, hereditary diseases, and glomerular diseases.
  
  
• Treatment Methods for Kidney Failure in Children covers transplantation, peritoneal dialysis, and hemodialysis. Although these are the same options available to adults, the priorities for treating children are different. Transplantation provides the best opportunity for a child to grow and develop normally. Peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis can keep a child healthy until a donated kidney becomes available.
  
  
• Childhood Nephrotic Syndrome describes the symptoms of and treatments for nephrotic syndrome in children and includes a discussion of minimal change disease and steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome.
  
  
• Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome explains how HUS, the most common cause of acute renal failure in children, develops after E. coli infection in the digestive tract and describes the treatments available.
  
  
• Growth Failure in Children With Kidney Disease explains how kidney disease can interrupt a child's physical development, cause bone deformities, and prevent the child from reaching full adult stature; describes the therapies available to minimize those problems.
  
  
• School and Family Problems of Children With Kidney Disease describes the psychosocial problems that can accompany kidney disease, including issues of fitting in at school, financial demands of treatment, and family stresses that can result; covers the role of the social worker and other members of the health care team available to help families.
  
  

Single copies of each publication are available free of charge and in packages of 25 for $5. To order these fact sheets, see the order form in this newsletter, call NKUDIC at 1–800–891–5390, or use our online catalog. NKUDIC publications are also available at www.kidney.niddk.nih.gov on the Internet. Just click on "Kidney and Urologic Diseases" or on "A to Z List of Kidney and Urologic Topics and Titles" to see a list of titles.

Since NIDDK's health information materials are a public service and are not copyrighted, health care professionals are encouraged to duplicate these publications as handouts for their patients or as an insert for office or association newsletters.

NIH Publication No. 04–4531
May 2004