Improved nursing home end-stage renal disease patient participation in physical therapy with onsite, more frequent dialysis.

INTRODUCTION: For end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients residing in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), the logistics and physical exhaustion of life-saving hemodialysis therapy often conflict with rehabilitation goals. Integration of dialysis care with rehabilitation programs in a scalable and cost-efficient manner has been a significant challenge. SNF-resident ESRD patients receiving onsite, more frequent hemodialysis (MFD) have reported rapid post-dialysis recovery. We examined whether such patients have improved Physical Therapy (PT) participation. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective electronic medical records review of SNF-resident PT participation rates within a multistate provider of SNF rehabilitation care from January 1, 2022 to June 1, 2022. We compared three groups: ESRD patients receiving onsite MFD (Onsite-MFD), ESRD patients receiving offsite, conventional 3×/week dialysis (Offsite-Conventional-HD), and the general non-ESRD SNF rehabilitation population (Non-ESRD). We evaluated physical therapy participation rates based on a predefined metric of missed or shortened (<15 min) therapy days. Baseline demographics and functional status were assessed. FINDINGS: Ninety-two Onsite-MFD had 2084 PT sessions scheduled, 12,916 Non-ESRD had 225,496 PT sessions scheduled, and 562 Offsite-Conventional-HD had 9082 PT sessions scheduled. In mixed model logistic regression, Onsite-MFD achieved higher PT participation rates than Offsite-Conventional-HD (odds ratio: 1.8, CI: 1.1-3.0; p < 0.03), and Onsite-MFD achieved equivalent PT participation rates to Non-ESRD (odds ratio: 1.2, CI: 0.3-1.9; p < 0.46). Baseline mean ± SD Charlson Comorbidity score was significantly higher in Onsite-MFD (4.9 ± 2.0) and Offsite-Conventional-HD (4.9 ± 1.8) versus Non-ESRD (2.6 ± 2.0; p < 0.001). Baseline mean self-care and mobility scores were significantly lower in Onsite-MFD versus Non-ESRD or Offsite-Conventional-HD. DISCUSSION: SNF-resident ESRD patients receiving MFD colocated with rehabilitation had higher PT participation rates than those conventionally dialyzed offsite and equivalent PT participation rates to the non-ESRD SNF-rehabilitation general population, despite being sicker, less independent, and less mobile. We report a scalable program integrating dialysis and rehabilitation care as a potential solution for ESRD patients recovering from acute hospitalization.

Post-dialysis recovery time in ESRD patients receiving more frequent hemodialysis in skilled nursing facilities.

INTRODUCTION: Post-dialysis recovery time (DRT) has an important relationship to quality of life and survival, as identified in studies of ESRD patients on conventional dialysis. ESRD patients are often discharged from hospitals to skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) where on-site treatment using home hemodialysis technology is increasingly offered, but nothing is known about DRT in this patient population. METHODS: From November 4, 2019 to June 11, 2021, within a dialysis organization providing service across 12 states and 154 SNFs, patients receiving in-SNF, more frequent dialysis (MFD) (modeled to deliver 14 treatment hours minimum per week and stdKt/V ≥2.0) were asked to describe their post-dialysis recovery time following their previous treatment, within predefined categoric choices: 0-½, ½-1, 1-2, 2-4, 4-8, 8-12 h, by next morning, or not even by next morning. Patients reporting DRT following at least one full-week treatment opportunity were included in a mixed model logistic regression of rapid recovery (DRT ≤2 h). FINDINGS: Two thousand three hundred and nine patients met the statistical modeling inclusion criteria, providing DRT on 108,876 dialysis sessions, while receiving mean (SD) 4.3 (0.96) weekly dialysis treatments. 2118 (92%) reported DRT ≤2 h. Results appeared biologically plausible, as lower odds of rapid DRT were observed for patients who were older, missed their previous treatment, or experienced intradialytic hypotension. Greater odds of rapid DRT were observed in patients receiving five dialyses in the previous week or having 160-179 mmHg pre-hemodialysis systolic blood pressure. Rapid recovery was associated with reduced mortality or hospitalization. DISCUSSION: SNF dialysis patients receiving 5x per week MFD report rapid recovery time ≤2 h in 92% of dialyses despite advanced age, frailty, and comorbidities. Future studies will assess the practical ramifications of rapid DRT perception/experience on nursing home rehabilitation programs, which could impact patient health beyond the nursing home stay.

Epidemiology of nursing home dialysis patients-A hidden population.

INTRODUCTION: Dialysis patients are often discharged from hospitals to skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), but little has been published about their natural history. METHODS: Using electronic medical record data, we conducted a retrospective cohort study of nursing home patients treated with in-SNF hemodialysis from January 1, 2018 through June 20, 2020 within a dialysis organization across eight states. A dialytic episode began with the first in-SNF dialysis and was ended by hospitalization, death, transfer, or cessation of treatment. The clinical characteristics and natural history of these patients and their dialytic episodes are described. FINDINGS: Four thousand five hundred and ten patients experienced 9274 dialytic episodes. Dialytic episodes had a median duration of 18 days (IQR: 8-38) and were terminated by a hospitalization n = 5747 (62%), transfer n = 2638 (28%), death n = 568 (6%), dialysis withdrawal n = 129 (1.4%), recovered function n = 2 (0.02%), or other cause n = 6 (0.06%). Increased patient mortality was associated with advancing age, low serum creatinine, albumin, or sodium, and low pre-dialytic systolic blood pressure (sBP). U-shaped relationships to mortality were observed for intradialytic hypotension frequency and for post- > pre-hemodialysis sBP frequency. Prescription of dialysis five times weekly in the first 2 weeks was associated with better survival in the first 90 days (HR 0.77, CI 0.62-0.96; p < 0.02). DISCUSSION: Provision of in-SNF dialysis by an external dialysis organization enables discharge from the acute care setting for appropriate treatment with increased nursing contact time in an otherwise under-resourced environment. SNF ESRD patient clinical characteristics and outcomes are extensively characterized for the first time.

The calorically restricted ketogenic diet, an effective alternative therapy for malignant brain cancer.

BACKGROUND: Malignant brain cancer persists as a major disease of morbidity and mortality in adults and is the second leading cause of cancer death in children. Many current therapies for malignant brain tumors fail to provide long-term management because they ineffectively target tumor cells while negatively impacting the health and vitality of normal brain cells. In contrast to brain tumor cells, which lack metabolic flexibility and are largely dependent on glucose for growth and survival, normal brain cells can metabolize both glucose and ketone bodies for energy. This study evaluated the efficacy of KetoCal, a new nutritionally balanced high fat/low carbohydrate ketogenic diet for children with epilepsy, on the growth and vascularity of a malignant mouse astrocytoma (CT-2A) and a human malignant glioma (U87-MG). METHODS: Adult mice were implanted orthotopically with the malignant brain tumors and KetoCal was administered to the mice in either unrestricted amounts or in restricted amounts to reduce total caloric intake according to the manufacturers recommendation for children with refractory epilepsy. The effects KetoCal on tumor growth, vascularity, and mouse survival were compared with that of an unrestricted high carbohydrate standard diet. RESULTS: KetoCal administered in restricted amounts significantly decreased the intracerebral growth of the CT-2A and U87-MG tumors by about 65% and 35%, respectively, and significantly enhanced health and survival relative to that of the control groups receiving the standard low fat/high carbohydrate diet. The restricted KetoCal diet reduced plasma glucose levels while elevating plasma ketone body (beta-hydroxybutyrate) levels. Tumor microvessel density was less in the calorically restricted KetoCal groups than in the calorically unrestricted control groups. Moreover, gene expression for the mitochondrial enzymes, beta-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase and succinyl-CoA: 3-ketoacid CoA transferase, was lower in the tumors than in the contralateral normal brain suggesting that these brain tumors have reduced ability to metabolize ketone bodies for energy. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that KetoCal has anti-tumor and anti-angiogenic effects in experimental mouse and human brain tumors when administered in restricted amounts. The therapeutic effect of KetoCal for brain cancer management was due largely to the reduction of total caloric content, which reduces circulating glucose required for rapid tumor growth. A dependency on glucose for energy together with defects in ketone body metabolism largely account for why the brain tumors grow minimally on either a ketogenic-restricted diet or on a standard-restricted diet. Genes for ketone body metabolism should be useful for screening brain tumors that could be targeted with calorically restricted high fat/low carbohydrate ketogenic diets. This preclinical study indicates that restricted KetoCal is a safe and effective diet therapy and should be considered as an alternative therapeutic option for malignant brain cancer.