#NephMadness 2020: The Left and Right Kidneys
The #Filtered4 games have concluded. How is your bracket doing now? Are you still in it to win it? Tweet your reactions: #NephMadness
We present:
HD Access Region vs Ethics Region
Given how deep we are in the tournament, the fans expected a close, hard-fought game, and they weren’t disappointed! Patient-Driven Choice for Dialysis was up by 1 but fouled Percutaneous AVF Creation on their last second-jump shot attempt; Percutaneous AVF Creation sunk both free-throws with nothing but net leading to the win.
Percutaneous AVF Creation wins 5-4.
Comments from the BRP:
“Although having a say in how you get dialyzed is important, isn’t having an alternative access option for HD (percutaneous AVF) another opportunity for self-governance? Even if you don’t think that, there’s nothing LEFT in this decision match-up but percutaneous AVFs.”
“Of course, the percutaneous fistula is a patient choice.”
“No surgeon? You’ve got to be kidding me!”
“I knew pAVF would keep winning even though I think this was pre-“mature” (pun intended). But it could be big, real big (no pun intended) so I’m finally going to vote for its advancement. Maybe my BRP colleagues were right all along on this one. Will be curious to see how the BRP votes are on this one. Will the winner win 9-0, 7-2, 5-4 etc ? I think pAVF will win but looking at the makeup of the BRP and the history of Nephmadness, it will be close and I really won’t be shocked at all if it goes the other way.”
“I have to vote with the patients.”
“It still amazes me that for 50+ years we created AV accesses the exact same way and now in the last 2 years, we have developed not one but two different ways (heat/pressure and magnets) to create AVF – unprecedented innovation in technology!”
Green Nephrology Region vs SGLT2i Region

In the matchup to become the Right Kidney, it was clear who was made up of championship material as SGLT2i Without DM wiped the floor with Consumable Waste in HD !
SGLT2i Without DM wins 7-2.
Comments from the BRP:
“It’s an inconvenient truth, yes. But beyond the cool practice-changing potential for SGLT2I in patients without DM, environmentally conscious thinking around waste in HD is the RIGHT choice in this bracket.”
“A guiding light for obesity.”
“This is tough as I love both these topics. One is real, the other is not yet but potentially very impactful. I am an environmentalist to my core but being a renoprotection nutjob, I am going with SGLT2i without DM.”
“SGLT2i Without DM is revolutionary.”
Current Standings | Match Results | Saturated 16 | Effluent 8 | Filtered4
#NephMadness | @NephMadness
How to Claim CME and MOC
US-based physicians can earn 1.0 CME credit and 1.0 MOC point for reading this region.
- Register/log in to the NKF’s Professional Education Resource Center (PERC). If you select “Physician” in the drop-down menu during registration, the ABIM ID will pop up – make sure to complete this during registration to receive MOC points after course completion.
- Review the activity, disclosure, and accreditation information.
- Click “Continue” and review Course Instructions.
- Complete Post-Test. Please note: By selecting “Yes” to the participation questions for each region, the corresponding Post-Test questions will appear. Click “Save Draft” to save your responses and finish later. When you are ready to submit your answers, click “Preview” to review all responses, then click “Submit.”
- Click “Next” to complete the Evaluation form, then click“Submit.”
- Claim 1.0 CME credit and 1.0 MOC point per region (up to 8.0 total for 8 regions of NephMadness).
- Save/print your certificate.
The CME and MOC activity will expire on June 13th, 2020.
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