Journal Entry #8

Amita Raj

Abney

6^th Period

Journal Entry #8: Monday October 18 and Tuesday October 19, 2010

                I spent Monday with my mentor in the hospital and spent Tuesday in her clinic. In the hospital, I saw two patients. One was in the general ward and had a more stable kidney function than the one in the ICU. However, woman was having major difficulties because she had a distended abdomen. This was filled with about 8-10L of fluid and had to be drained out periodically so it was not harmful to her body. The man in the ICU simply had chronic kidney failure. A certain level of ammonia in the body can have negative effects on one’s neurological system. It caused him to be confused, but after treatment, he became more mentally stable.

                In the doctor’s clinic, one patient was forced to be in a wheelchair because of a foot infection that was caused by kidney disease. Her other vitals seemed normal, and she had about 50% kidney function. She was on a great deal of medications (I counted over 15) and this was having a negative effect on her body. However, the doctor said her condition was manageable and she should come every month to the clinic to make sure that her kidneys are not deteriorating. The second patient I met at the clinic was deaf. She had  a translator with her, and it was interesting to see how the doctor communicated with her. This woman also had a manageable kidney disease, so the doctor was very positive that she did not need to see this patient as often anymore.

                With respect to the field of nephrology itself, I learned a great deal about the biochemistry involved in the functioning of the body. I remembered some information from AP Biology about sodium and potassium (etc.), and I was pleased to see that the doctor was impressed by that knowledge.