Young nephrologists attend Vicenza course 2018
With support from the ISN Young Nephrologists Committee, two ISN members recently took part in the 36th Vicenza course on acute kidney injury (AKI) and continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). A valuable opportunity for members of the ISN community to make worthwhile contacts while learning more about issues affecting their patients.
The ultimate goal for this generation of professionals is to take home new knowledge and skills and contribute to strengthening renal services in their home country.
Khalida B. Soki is an ISN Fellow from the East African Kidney Institute in Nairobi, Kenya. Since July 17, 2017, she is based at the Sheffield Kidney Institute and involved in the ISN Sister Renal Center Program.
She says: ‘One of our main objectives is to improve detection and management of AKI in our hospitals in Nairobi.’ Critical care nephrology is a particular area of interest for her. She sees the Vicenza course as a chance to learn about advances in the field and interact with experts in critical care nephrology.
‘For the most part, I followed the CRRT path. It was very comprehensive, with talks ranging from the history of CRRT and extra-corporeal therapies to the most recent trials. Having not had much prior exposure to CRRT, the conference helped to answer many of my questions.’
Finally, she says that ‘Meeting Professor Ronco and other pioneers in the field was very inspiring.’
These thoughts echoe those of Diego Coronel Aguilar from Hospital Universitario del Rio de Cuenca in Ecuador and Associated Professor at University of Azuay.
‘You realize how nephrology works in other countries. You can put the new knowledge into your daily clinical practice.’
Dr Aguilar trained in nephrology in Spain seven years ago. For a year, he has been working to support nephrology in his country.
He says: ‘There is a high incidence and prevalence of acute kidney injury in the country and the mortality rate is very high due to delays in the diagnosis and treatment, the lack of nephrologists and the shortcomings in the medical health system.’
‘This course is fundamental to improve my knowledge and care for my patients.’
He explains: ‘I learned a lot about renal reserve function. It is a very important concept, it was novel for me and that is why I think it made an impact on me.’
Every year, the Vicenza course gathers specialists from different disciplines in a single scientific event with a multidisciplinary approach to treating the critically-ill patients with AKI and multiple organ dysfunction.
The course is accredited by the Italian Ministry of Health thought the ISN Continuing Medical Education Program and organized with support from the International Renal Research Institute of Vicenza.
