Pharmacological interventions for pruritus in adult palliative care patients.

BACKGROUND: This is the second update of the original Cochrane review published in 2013 (issue 6), which was updated in 2016 (issue 11). Pruritus occurs in patients with disparate underlying diseases and is caused by different pathologic mechanisms. In palliative care patients, pruritus is not the most prevalent but is a burdening symptom. It can cause considerable discomfort and negatively affect patients' quality of life. OBJECTIVES: To assess the effects of different pharmacological treatments compared with active control or placebo for preventing or treating pruritus in adult palliative care patients. SEARCH METHODS: For this update, we searched CENTRAL (the Cochrane Library), MEDLINE (OVID) and Embase (OVID) up to 6 July 2022. In addition, we searched trial registries and checked the reference lists of all relevant studies, key textbooks, reviews and websites, and we contacted investigators and specialists in pruritus and palliative care regarding unpublished data. SELECTION CRITERIA: We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the effects of different pharmacological treatments, compared with a placebo, no treatment, or an alternative treatment, for preventing or treating pruritus in palliative care patients. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two review authors independently assessed the identified titles and abstracts, performed data extraction and assessed the risk of bias and methodological quality. We summarised the results descriptively and quantitatively (meta-analyses) according to the different pharmacological interventions and the diseases associated with pruritus. We assessed the evidence using GRADE and created 13 summary of findings tables. MAIN RESULTS: In total, we included 91 studies and 4652 participants in the review. We added 42 studies with 2839 participants for this update. Altogether, we included 51 different treatments for pruritus in four different patient groups. The overall risk of bias profile was heterogeneous and ranged from high to low risk. The main reason for giving a high risk of bias rating was a small sample size (fewer than 50 participants per treatment arm). Seventy-nine of 91 studies (87%) had fewer than 50 participants per treatment arm. Eight (9%) studies had low risk of bias in the specified key domains; the remaining studies had an unclear risk of bias (70 studies, 77%) or a high risk of bias (13 studies, 14%). Using GRADE criteria, we judged that the certainty of evidence for the primary outcome (i.e. pruritus) was high for kappa-opioid agonists compared to placebo and moderate for GABA-analogues compared to placebo. Certainty of evidence was low for naltrexone, fish-oil/omega-3 fatty acids, topical capsaicin, ondansetron and zinc sulphate compared to placebo and gabapentin compared to pregabalin, and very low for cromolyn sodium, paroxetine, montelukast, flumecinol, and rifampicin compared to placebo. We downgraded the certainty of the evidence mainly due to serious study limitations regarding risk of bias, imprecision, and inconsistency. For participants suffering from uraemic pruritus (UP; also known as chronic kidney disease (CKD)-associated pruritus (CKD-aP)), treatment with GABA-analogues compared to placebo likely resulted in a large reduction of pruritus (visual analogue scale (VAS) 0 to 10 cm): mean difference (MD) -5.10, 95% confidence interval (CI) -5.56 to -4.55; five RCTs, N = 297, certainty of evidence: moderate. Treatment with kappa-opioid receptor agonists (difelikefalin, nalbuphine, nalfurafine) compared to placebo reduced pruritus slightly (VAS 0 to 10 cm, MD -0.96, 95% CI -1.22 to -0.71; six RCTs, N = 1292, certainty of evidence: high); thus, this treatment was less effective than GABA-analogues. Treatment with montelukast compared to placebo may result in a reduction of pruritus, but the evidence is very uncertain (two studies, 87 participants): SMD -1.40, 95% CI -1.87 to -0.92; certainty of evidence: very low. Treatment with fish-oil/omega-3 fatty acids compared to placebo may result in a large reduction of pruritus (four studies, 160 observations): SMD -1.60, 95% CI -1.97 to -1.22; certainty of evidence: low. Treatment with cromolyn sodium compared to placebo may result in a reduction of pruritus, but the evidence is very uncertain (VAS 0 to 10 cm, MD -3.27, 95% CI -5.91 to -0.63; two RCTs, N = 100, certainty of evidence: very low). Treatment with topical capsaicin compared with placebo may result in a large reduction of pruritus (two studies; 112 participants): SMD -1.06, 95% CI -1.55 to -0.57; certainty of evidence: low. Ondansetron, zinc sulphate and several other treatments may not reduce pruritus in participants suffering from UP. In participants with cholestatic pruritus (CP), treatment with rifampicin compared to placebo may reduce pruritus, but the evidence is very uncertain (VAS: 0 to 100, MD -42.00, 95% CI -87.31 to 3.31; two RCTs, N = 42, certainty of evidence: very low). Treatment with flumecinol compared to placebo may reduce pruritus, but the evidence is very uncertain (RR > 1 favours treatment group; RR 2.32, 95% CI 0.54 to 10.1; two RCTs, N = 69, certainty of evidence: very low). Treatment with the opioid antagonist naltrexone compared to placebo may reduce pruritus (VAS: 0 to 10 cm, MD -2.42, 95% CI -3.90 to -0.94; two RCTs, N = 52, certainty of evidence: low). However, effects in participants with UP were inconclusive (percentage of difference -12.30%, 95% CI -25.82% to 1.22%, one RCT, N = 32). In palliative care participants with pruritus of a different nature, the treatment with the drug paroxetine (one study), a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, compared to placebo may reduce pruritus slightly by 0.78 (numerical analogue scale from 0 to 10 points; 95% CI -1.19 to -0.37; one RCT, N = 48, certainty of evidence: low). Most adverse events were mild or moderate. Two interventions showed multiple major adverse events (naltrexone and nalfurafine). AUTHORS CONCLUSIONS: Different interventions (GABA-analogues, kappa-opioid receptor agonists, cromolyn sodium, montelukast, fish-oil/omega-3 fatty acids and topical capsaicin compared to placebo) were effective for uraemic pruritus. GABA-analogues had the largest effect on pruritus. Rifampin, naltrexone and flumecinol tended to be effective for cholestatic pruritus. However, therapies for patients with malignancies are still lacking. Due to the small sample sizes in most meta-analyses and the heterogeneous methodological quality of the included trials, the results should be interpreted cautiously in terms of generalisability.

[Anemia in Chronic Kidney Disease: The State of the Art]. / Anemia da Doença Renal Crónica: O Estado da Arte.

The aging of the population has led to an increased prevalence of chronic diseases such as chronic kidney disease. Anemia is one of the most frequent complications of chronic kidney disease, with an impact not only on the quality of life but also on the patient's prognosis and associated costs. Knowledge in this therapeutic area has increased significantly: from the appearance of recombinant erythropoietin in 1989, through the use of increasing doses of parenteral iron and, more recently, to new molecules such as hypoxia-inducible factor inhibitors. The aim of this article is to present a pragmatic review of the state of the art in the epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment of anemia associated with chronic kidney disease.

O envelhecimento populacional tem-se traduzido no aumento de prevalência de doenças crónicas como a doença renal crónica. A anemia é uma das complicações mais frequentes da doença renal crónica, com impacto não só na qualidade de vida como no prognóstico do doente e nos custos associados. O conhecimento nesta área terapêutica tem aumentado de forma significativa: desde o aparecimento da eritropoietina recombinante em 1989, passando pelo uso de doses crescentes de ferro parentérico e, mais recentemente, a novas moléculas como os inibidores do hypoxia-inducible factor. Os autores pretendem rever, de uma forma pragmática, o estado da arte da anemia associada à doença renal crónica, desde a epidemiologia, à fisiopatologia, ao diagnóstico e ao tratamento.

Morbilidad en pacientes hemodializados / Morbidity in hemodialyzed patients

RESUMEN Fundamento: cada día se incrementa el número de enfermos con una enfermedad renal crónica, tributarios de hemodiálisis, procedimiento que no está exento de producir complicaciones por la complejidad de su realización, en la que intervienen el ambiente y condiciones de la unidad de hemodiálisis, la calidad del agua empleada y el buen funcionamiento de la planta de tratamiento de esta agua. Objetivo: caracterizar la morbilidad infecciosa de los pacientes con enfermedad renal crónica. Métodos: se realizó un estudio observacional, descriptivo, transversal. La población de estudio estuvo constituida por 85 pacientes con enfermedad renal crónica que fueron atendidos en el servicio de hemodiálisis del Hospital General Provincial Universitario Camilo Cienfuegos de Sancti Spíritus durante el período comprendido entre el 1ro de Octubre de 2016 al 31 de Marzo de 2018. Resultados: la mayor cantidad de casos hemodializados se correspondió con el grupo de edad mayor de 60 años del género masculino. Los factores ambientales y microbiológicos indicaron que la calidad del agua utilizada en el proceso de atención de pacientes hemodializados fue satisfactoria y el peligro de riesgo en la planta de tratamiento, en la categoría de bajo riesgo. El tipo de acceso vascular de los pacientes que con mayor frecuencia se utilizó y el de mayor morbilidad infecciosa fue el catéter transitorio. Conclusiones: la mayoría de los enfermos eran hombres en la sexta década de la vida, la calidad del agua utilizada fue adecuada, con escaso riesgo en la planta de tratamiento y el catéter transitorio mostró mayor proporción de infecciones asociadas.

ABSTRACT Background: every day the number of patients with chronic kidney disease increases, tributaries of hemodialysis, a procedure that is not exempt from complications due to the complexity of its realization, in which the environment and conditions of the hemodialysis unit intervene, the quality of the water used for it and the proper functioning of the water treatment plant. Objective: to characterize the infectious morbidity of patients with Chronic Kidney Disease. Methods: an observational, descriptive, cross-sectional, prospective study was carried out. The study population consisted of 85 patients with chronic kidney disease receiving hemodialysis in University General Hospital Camilo Cienfuegos of Sancti Spíritus from October 1st, 2016 to March 31st, 2018. Results: the largest number of hemodialysis cases corresponded to the age group over 60 years of the male gender. The environmental and microbiological factors indicated that the quality of the water used in the process of care of hemodialysis patients was satisfactory and the risk of risk in the treatment plant, in the low risk category. According to the type of vascular access to the patient, the most frequently used route was the transient catheter and the highest infectious morbidity. Conclusions: most of the cases were over 60 years old, of the male gender, the water quality was satisfactory and low risk in the treatment plant, and the transient catheter was used more frequently, who presented the highest proportion of associated infections.

Características clínico patológicas de la nefritis lúpica / Clinical pathological characteristics of the lupus nephritis

RESUMEN Fundamento: la nefritis lúpica es una complicación frecuente y grave asociada al lupus eritematosos sistémico. Objetivo: caracterizar la nefritis lúpica en el servicio de nefrología del Hospital Universitario Manuel Ascunce Domenech. Métodos: se realizó un estudio descriptivo, transversal y retrospectivo en el Hospital Manuel Ascunce Domenech de la provincia Camagüey entre enero de 2012 hasta diciembre de 2017. El universo estuvo formado por pacientes con nefritis lúpica que tenían biopsia renal. Como fuente se utilizaron las historias clínicas y una planilla confeccionada para vaciar los datos. Las variables fueron: edad, sexo, raza, criterios diagnósticos, estadio histopatológico, complicaciones de la enfermedad y efectos nocivos relacionados con el tratamiento. Resultados: se encontró que cuatro de cada diez pacientes estaba entre los 30 y los 44 años, mientras que seis de cada diez fueron mujeres. La cuarta parte de la muestra fue de la raza blanca. Predominaron en los pacientes los criterios renales, cutáneos y hematológicos por ese orden. Los patrones histopatológicos observados fueron la proliferación mesangial, los cambios mínimos y la glomerulopatía membranosa. Las complicaciones más frecuentes que se presentaron fueron el síndrome nefrótico y la insuficiencia renal crónica. La gran mayoría de los pacientes estudiados presentaron como efectos nocivos del tratamiento infecciones y manifestaciones cardiovasculares. Conclusiones: fue más frecuente entre 30 a 44 años, en mujeres y en la raza blanca. Se presentó más como síndrome nefrótico e insuficiencia renal crónica. Los patrones histopatológicos más observados: la proliferación mesangial, cambios mínimos y glomerulopatía membranosa.

ABSTRACT Background: the lupus nephritis is a frequent and serious complication associated to the systemic lupus erythematosus. Objective: to characterize the lupus nephritis in the nephrology service of the University Hospital Manuel Ascunce Domenech. Methods: a descriptive, transverse and retrospective study was carried out in the Hospital Manuel Ascunce Domenech of Camagüey from January, 2012 to December, 2017. The universe was constituted for patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. As source clinical charts and forms made to empty data were used. The universe was constituted by all the patients with lupus nephritis whose biopsy was useful for the diagnosis. The variables were: age, sex, race, diagnosis criteria, histopathological stage, complications of the illness and noxious effects related with the treatment. Results: was found that four of each ten patients were between the 30 and the 44 years, while six of each ten were women. The fourth part of the sample was of the white race. The renal, cutaneous and hematologic approaches prevailed in the patients in that order. The histopathological patterns observed were the mesangial proliferation, the minimum changes and the membranous glomerulonephritis. The most frequent complications that were presented were the nephrotic syndrome and the chronic renal failure. The great majority of the studied patients presented as noxious effects of the treatment infections and cardiovascular manifestations. Conclusions: it is more frequent between 30 to 44 years, in women and in the white race. It is presented more as Nephrotic syndrome and chronic renal failure. The histopathological pattern more observed: the mesangial proliferation, minimum changes and membranous glomerulonephritis.

Letalidade e internacoes de pacientes em hemodialise em plano de saude / Mortalidad e internaciones de pacientes en hemodialisis con seguro de salud / Fatality and hospitalization in hemodialysis patients in a health plan

OBJETIVO: Analisar desfechos clínicos de pacientes incidentes em hemodiálise vinculados a operadora de plano de saúde. MÉTODOS: Estudo de coorte de incidentes em hemodiálise em Belo Horizonte, MG, de 2004 a 2008, a partir de registros no banco de dados de operadora de planos de saúde. Variáveis independentes: sexo, idade, tempo entre primeira consulta com nefrologista e início da hemodiálise, tipo do primeiro acesso vascular, diabetes mellitus, tempo de permanência hospitalar/ano de tratamento e óbito. Variáveis dependentes: tempo entre início da hemodiálise e óbito e tempo de permanência hospitalar/ano de tratamento > 7,5 dias. Análise estatística: teste Qui-quadrado de Pearson na análise univariada para os desfechos óbito e tempo de permanência hospitalar/ano de tratamento; método de Kaplan-Meier para análise de sobrevida; modelo de Cox e regressão Poisson para risco de óbito e chance de tempo de permanência hospitalar/ano de tratamento > 7,5 dias. Foi utilizada ferramenta de Business Intelligence para extração dos dados e software Stata(r) 10.0. RESULTADOS: Estudados 311 indivíduos em hemodiálise, 55,5% homens, média de 62 anos (dp: 16,6 anos). A prevalência aumentou 160% no período estudado. Na análise de sobrevivência a mortalidade foi maior entre os mais idosos, nos que não realizaram consulta com nefrologista, fizeram uso de cateter vascular temporário como primeiro acesso, com diabetes mellitus, nos que foram internados no mesmo mês do início da hemodiálise. No modelo de Cox associaram-se a maior risco para óbito a idade avançada, diabetes mellitus, não realizar consulta prévia com nefrologista e internar-se no primeiro mês de hemodiálise. Maior tempo de permanência hospitalar/ano ...

OBJETIVO: Analizar los resultados clínicos de pacientes incidentes en hemodiálisis vinculados a operadora de seguro de salud MÉTODOS: Estudio de cohorte de incidentes en hemodiálisis en Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil, de 2004 a 2008, a partir de registros en el banco de datos de operadora seguros de salud. Variables independientes: sexo, edad, tiempo entre primera consulta con nefrólogo e inicio de hemodiálisis, tipo del primer acceso vascular, diabetes mellitus, tiempo de permanencia en el hospital /año de tratamiento y óbito. Variables dependientes: tiempo entre inicio de hemodiálisis y óbito y tiempo de permanencia en hospital/año de tratamiento > 7,5 días. Análisis estadístico: prueba Chi-cuadrado de Pearson en el análisis univariado para los resultados óbito y tiempo de permanencia en el hospital/año de tratamiento; método de Kaplan-Meier para análisis de sobrevida; modelo de Cox y regresión Poisson para riesgo de óbito y chance de tiempo de permanencia en hospital/año de tratamiento > 7,5 días. Se utilizó herramienta de Business Intelligence para extracción de los datos y software Stata(r) 10.0. RESULTADOS: Se evaluaron 311 individuos en hemodiálisis, 55,5% hombres, promedio de edad de 62 años (ds: 16,6 años). La prevalencia aumentó 160% en el período estudiado. En el análisis de sobrevivencia la mortalidad fue mayor entre los adultos de mayor edad, en los que no realizaron consulta con el nefrólogo, uso de catéter vascular temporario como primer acceso, con diabetes mellitus, en los que fueron internados en el mismo mes de inicio de la hemodiálisis. En el modelo de Cox se asociaron a mayor riesgo de óbito la edad avanzada, diabetes mellitus, no realizar consulta previa con nefrólogo e internarse en el primer mes de hemodiálisis. El mayor ...

OBJECTIVE: To analyze clinical outcomes of patients on hemodialysis linked to health care plan provider. METHODS: Cohort study of hemodialysis events in Belo Horizonte, MG, Southeastern Brazil, between 2004 and 2008, based on records from health care plan provider databases. The independent variables were: sex, age, time between first appointment with nephrologist and starting hemodialysis, type of first vascular access, diabetes mellitus, length of time spent in hospital/year of treatment and death. Dependent variables: time between starting hemodialysis and death and length of time spent in hospital/year of treatment > 7.5 days. Statistical analysis was carried out using Pearson's Chi-squared test in the univariate analysis for the outcomes 'death' and 'length of time spent in hospital/year of treatment'; the Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze survival; the Cox model and Poisson regression were used for risk of death and chance of length of time spent in hospital/year of treatment > 7.5 days. The Business Intelligence tool and Stata(r) 10.0 software were used to extract data. RESULTS: There were 311 patients on hemodialysis included in the study, with a mean age of 62 (sd 16.6 years), of whom 55.5% were male. Prevalence increased 160% during the period in question. Survival analysis showed a higher mortality among older patients, patients that did not consult a nephrologists, those whose first vascular access was using a temporary catheter, those with diabetes mellitus, those admitted to hospital within a month of beginning hemodialysis. The Cox model showed that a higher risk of death was associated with age, diabetes mellitus, not consulting a nephrologists and those that were hospitalized within a month of beginning hemodialysis. Greater length of time spent in hospital/year of treatment was not associated with sex or diabetes. According to Poisson regression, the variables were not significant. CONCLUSIONS: ...