Our Dr. Gabriel Valle loves to teach medical students. One of his most popular lectures is concerning the important electrolyte, Potassium. Last week he presented this lecture to the third year students at NSU, where he is a faculty member. Dr. Valle says it is hard to condense all he wants them to know into an hour lecture, but he manages to do so as well as keep it interesting. By the time the students leave the lecture, they understand the biology of how we use potassium now, and as life developed how our need for both sodium and potassium evolved. Dr. Valle concentrates on why our use and need for potassium becomes more complex as we age. He also imparts information an internist will need to know about general management of potassium disorders.(Relatively few of the students will likely choose Nephrology as their speciality). Here at the Kidney & Hypertension Group, Dr. Valle and our other 5 physicians frequently treat complex renal related potassium disorders, but also hypokalemia (low potassium) and hyperkalemia (high potassium). We also work closely with our renal dietitians to provide a full life spectrum control of these disorders.
