Pitt Pediatrics congratulates Katherine Kurzinski, MD, for her recent publication in Pediatric Nephrology, titled, “Hyperkalemia in pediatric chronic kidney disease.” Kurzinski is currently a third-year fellow in the Division of Nephrology who will be starting as a full-time faculty member at the end of her training in July.
Hyperkalemia, in general terms, is a condition where too much potassium is stored in the blood. And while potassium is a necessary nutrient, too much can lead to heart issues, muscle weakness, and other serious complications. As Kurzinski notes, while hyperkalemia is well understood in adult chronic kidney disease (CKD), its understanding has been limited among pediatric populations.
Kurzinski’s study looked at over 1,000 pediatric patients across a variety of demographics presenting with CKD, in an effort to better identify trends associated with the disease. Ultimately, Kurzinski and her team found that hyperkalemia was found among advanced CKD patients, which may help clinicians better identify high-risk patients and initiate earlier interventions for their treatment.
Congratulations on this great work, Dr. Kurzinski. Pitt Pediatrics is excited to have you join our faculty.