A study of different nitrogenous diets in chronic nephritis / Channing Frothingham, Jr., M.D. and Wilson G. Smillie, M.D. Boston.

  • Frothingham, Channing, 1881-1959
Date:
1915
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: A study of different nitrogenous diets in chronic nephritis / Channing Frothingham, Jr., M.D. and Wilson G. Smillie, M.D. Boston. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    can be made out, the question may fairly be raised of how much value in prognosis is a rise in the non-protein nitrogen in the blood when brought about by an increased nitrogen content in the diet. Is there any appreciable change in the patient’s renal condition with these changes in diet which only this test will show ? These questions cannot be answered at present, but undoubtedly the diet should be considered when the amount of non-protein nitrogen in the blood is used as a basis for determining the prognosis. Presumably a rise in non-protein nitrogen in the blood in response to increased protein in the diet indicates a slighter degree of renal disturbance than is indicated by a rise when the patient is on a low protein diet. It seems justifiable to conclude that in certain types of chronic nephritis the nitrogenous content of the diet should be carefully watched in order to prevent an increase in non-protein nitrogen in the blood. The exact effect of an increase in blood nitrogen produced by a high nitrogenous diet is not known at present, but presumably it is unfavorable to the best interests of the patient, since in some it increases their discomfort as shown bv Cases 1078 and 762 of this series and cases studied by Seymour. A diet low in nitrogen content will frequently keep down to normal the non-protein nitrogen of the blood in chronic nephritis.