Dr. Salman A. Khan, MD

Dr. Salman A. Khan Nephrologist and Kidney Care

Dr. Salman A. Khan is a nephrologist whose clinical work focuses on kidney function, chronic kidney disease, acute kidney injury, blood-pressure conditions connected with kidney health, electrolyte imbalance, fluid problems, and dialysis-related care.

Nephrologists care for patients whose kidneys are not filtering blood normally or whose medical conditions place them at increased risk of kidney damage. Treatment may involve medication review, blood and urine testing, dietary guidance, dialysis planning, hospital consultation, and coordination with primary care, cardiology, endocrinology, urology, or transplant teams.

About Dr. Salman A. Khan

Dr. Khan provides specialist nephrology care through Renal Specialists of Houston. His professional profiles list nephrology as his primary specialty and show clinical affiliations with HCA healthcare facilities.

His work may be relevant for patients with:

• Reduced kidney function
• Abnormal creatinine results
• Protein or blood in the urine
• Chronic kidney disease
• Acute kidney injury
• Difficult-to-control blood pressure
• Fluid retention
• Electrolyte imbalance
• Kidney complications of diabetes
• Dialysis needs
• Hospital-related kidney problems

Patients can read Doctiplus guidance about kidney warning signs and protecting kidney health.

Education and Specialist Training

Dr. Khan’s HCA profile lists medical education through the University of Karachi and postgraduate training at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. His nephrology fellowship is reported as taking place from 1994 to 1996.

Nephrology fellowship training includes the assessment of kidney disease, dialysis, electrolyte disorders, hypertension, acid-base problems, hospital nephrology, and complications involving several organ systems.

Understanding Kidney Function

The kidneys filter waste and excess fluid from the blood. They also contribute to blood-pressure control, red-blood-cell production, bone health, and the balance of minerals such as sodium and potassium.

Kidney disease may develop quietly. A person can lose a meaningful amount of kidney function before noticing clear symptoms.

Testing commonly includes:

• Serum creatinine
• Estimated glomerular filtration rate
• Urine albumin
• Urinalysis
• Electrolytes
• Blood count
• Kidney ultrasound
• Blood-pressure measurements
• Medication review

NIDDK explains that kidney assessment commonly uses a blood test for estimated filtration and a urine test for albumin.

Chronic Kidney Disease

Chronic kidney disease means that the kidneys have ongoing structural damage or reduced filtering ability.

Diabetes and high blood pressure are the two most common causes in adults. Other causes may include inherited disease, inflammation, repeated obstruction, medication toxicity, autoimmune disease, and long-term vascular problems.

Patients can review authoritative information about chronic kidney disease.

Possible signs may include:

• Swelling
• Fatigue
• Changes in urination
• Nausea
• Reduced appetite
• Itching
• Muscle cramps
• Shortness of breath
• Difficult-to-control blood pressure

These symptoms are not specific to kidney disease, so testing is required.

Acute Kidney Injury

Acute kidney injury is a sudden decline in kidney function. It can occur over hours or days and is commonly identified through rising creatinine, reduced urine output, or both.

Possible causes include:

• Severe dehydration
• Infection
• Low blood pressure
• Heart problems
• Urinary blockage
• Medication effects
• Contrast exposure
• Major surgery
• Serious illness
• Inflammation of kidney tissue

Treatment focuses on the underlying cause, careful fluid management, medication adjustment, and monitoring for dangerous electrolyte or acid-base changes.

Some patients recover fully, while others are left with reduced kidney function or increased future risk of chronic kidney disease.

High Blood Pressure and Kidney Disease

High blood pressure can damage kidney blood vessels. Kidney disease can also make blood pressure more difficult to control.

A nephrologist may review:

• Home readings
• Medication timing
• Salt intake
• Fluid status
• Kidney function
• Hormonal causes
• Sleep apnea
• Other medicines that raise blood pressure
• Adherence and side effects

Treatment may require several medications with different actions. Patients should not stop blood-pressure medicine because of a single reading without speaking with the prescribing clinician.

Diabetic Kidney Disease

Diabetes can damage the small filtering structures inside the kidneys.

Early diabetic kidney disease may be identified through albumin in the urine before major changes appear in routine kidney-function results.

Care may involve:

• Blood-glucose management
• Blood-pressure control
• Kidney-protective medication
• Urine protein monitoring
• Cholesterol treatment
• Dietary guidance
• Cardiovascular risk reduction
• Avoidance of harmful medications
• Regular laboratory testing

The nephrologist usually works with the patient’s primary care doctor or diabetes specialist.

Electrolyte and Fluid Disorders

The kidneys help regulate sodium, potassium, bicarbonate, calcium, phosphorus, and water.

An imbalance may result from kidney disease, medication, vomiting, diarrhoea, hormone conditions, heart disease, liver disease, or excessive fluid intake.

Symptoms can include:

• Weakness
• Confusion
• Muscle cramps
• Irregular heartbeat
• Nausea
• Swelling
• Breathlessness
• Seizures in severe cases

Some electrolyte abnormalities require urgent hospital treatment.

Protein or Blood in the Urine

Protein in the urine can indicate damage to the kidney filters, although temporary increases may occur during fever, heavy exercise, or another illness.

Blood in the urine may come from the kidneys, ureters, bladder, prostate, or urethra.

Assessment may include:

• Repeat urine testing
• Urine protein measurement
• Kidney-function tests
• Microscopic examination
• Ultrasound
• Immune and infection tests
• Urology referral
• Kidney biopsy in selected cases

Visible blood, clots, severe pain, or difficulty urinating should be assessed promptly.

Dialysis Care

Dialysis replaces part of the kidneys’ filtering function when kidney failure becomes severe.

The two main forms are:

• Hemodialysis, in which blood passes through a filter outside the body
• Peritoneal dialysis, which uses the lining of the abdomen to remove waste and excess fluid

Dialysis planning should begin before an emergency whenever possible. Preparation may include education, access surgery, home assessment, dietary review, and discussion of transplantation.

A nephrologist may help manage:

• Dialysis prescription
• Fluid targets
• Blood pressure
• Anaemia
• Bone and mineral problems
• Access complications
• Medication dosing
• Nutrition concerns
• Hospital admissions
• Transplant referral

Conditions Dr. Khan May Evaluate

Dr. Khan may evaluate or manage:

• Chronic kidney disease
• Acute kidney injury
• Kidney failure
• Diabetic kidney disease
• Hypertensive kidney disease
• Proteinuria
• Hematuria
• Electrolyte disorders
• Fluid overload
• Resistant hypertension
• Acid-base disorders
• Cystic kidney disease
• Inflammatory kidney conditions
• Dialysis-related needs
• Kidney complications during hospital care
• Medication-related kidney injury

The exact services available should be confirmed directly with the practice.

What Patients Can Expect During an Appointment

The consultation may include review of:

• Recent laboratory results
• Urine tests
• Blood-pressure readings
• Diabetes history
• Heart conditions
• Medication use
• Fluid intake
• Swelling
• Urination
• Previous kidney stones or infections
• Family kidney history
• Hospital admissions
• Imaging results

The examination may focus on blood pressure, swelling, heart and lung findings, hydration, weight changes, and signs of complications.

Preparing for a Kidney Appointment

Patients may bring:

• A current medication list
• Supplement and pain-reliever details
• Recent blood tests
• Urine test results
• Kidney imaging
• Home blood-pressure records
• Blood-glucose readings
• Dialysis records
• Hospital discharge documents
• A weight and swelling history
• Insurance and referral information
• A written list of questions

Non-prescription anti-inflammatory medicines and some supplements can affect kidney function. Patients should report everything they use, even when it was not prescribed.

Questions to Ask Dr. Khan

Useful questions may include:

• What is my current level of kidney function?
• Is the problem acute or chronic?
• What caused the kidney damage?
• Is there protein in my urine?
• Which medicines protect my kidneys?
• Are any medicines unsafe for me?
• Should I change my salt or fluid intake?
• How often will I need testing?
• Could my kidney function improve?
• Am I at risk of dialysis?
• When should dialysis planning begin?
• Should transplantation be discussed?
• Which symptoms require urgent care?

Practice and Appointment Information

Dr. Khan is associated with Renal Specialists of Houston. Public professional information lists nephrology appointments and hospital affiliations within the HCA Houston network.

Practice location, appointment availability, insurance participation, referral rules, dialysis-facility coverage, and telehealth availability may change. Patients should confirm current information directly with the office.

Patients looking for another specialist may use the Doctiplus doctor directory.

When Kidney Symptoms Need Urgent Care

Urgent assessment may be needed for:

• Very little or no urine
• Severe breathing difficulty
• Rapidly increasing swelling
• Chest pain
• Confusion
• A seizure
• Severe weakness
• Persistent vomiting
• An irregular heartbeat
• Very high blood pressure with symptoms
• Signs of a serious infection
• Dialysis access bleeding
• A blocked or infected dialysis catheter

Emergency services should be contacted when symptoms are severe or rapidly worsening.

Profile Accuracy

This profile has been prepared using publicly available professional and clinical information.

Readers can review the Doctiplus editorial policy and the site’s collection of trusted healthcare information resources.

Meta Description

Read about Dr. Salman A. Khan’s nephrology training, chronic kidney disease care, dialysis services, blood-pressure management, and appointment guidance.

Short Description

Dr. Salman A. Khan is a nephrologist providing care for chronic kidney disease, acute kidney injury, hypertension, electrolyte disorders, fluid problems, protein in the urine, and dialysis-related needs.