Paediatric nephrology
The unit provides a secondary and tertiary service for the investigation and management of children and adolescents with disorders of the kidneys, renal tract and hypertension. Patients up to the age of 19 years are seen.
The service looks after children and adolescents with antenatally detected renal tract disorders, complex urinary tract infections, proteinuria, the nephrotic syndrome, haematuria, acute and chronic glomerulonephritis, acute and chronic renal failure and bladder disorders, as well as metabolic and genetic renal disease. The unit has a particular interest in the investigation and management of hypertension and cardiovascular risk factors in the young.
An antenatal service is also available to counsel and advise the parents of babies, who have been identified with renal tract problems during pregnancy, in liaison with the fetal medicine unit.
The renal clinical nurse specialists run an ambulatory blood pressure measurement service for children over the age of six years, and a weekly UTI clinic.
Patients are seen in clinics at St Mary’s Hospital on Tuesday and Friday mornings. Joint clinics with the paediatric urologists take place on Tuesday mornings where children can receive both medical and surgical advice at one visit. This clinic is preceded by a weekly multidisciplinary nephro-urology Xray meeting where complex cases are discussed. Children are also seen in three monthly, outreach clinics at Ealing, West Middlesex and Wycombe General Hospitals. These clinics are held on a Wednesday.
Inpatients are accommodated on the Great Western specialist ward, where children requiring renal biopsy are admitted, and on the paediatric short stay unit where day case investigations and ambulatory care occurs.
There are close links and joint meetings with the adult nephrology service based at the West London Renal Unit at Hammersmith Hospital, and the International Centre for Cardiovascular Health at St Mary’s Hospital. The unit works closely with the department of paediatric radiology, and the other paediatric specialties at St Mary’s.
Consultant
Junior medical staff
Contact via switchboard on 020 3312 6666, bleep 6205
Clinical nurse specialist
Mrs Karen Daubney (Wednesday to Friday)
Mrs Emma Waite (2 days per week)
PA
Mrs Gillian O’Connell