Peripheral arterial disease in patients with renal-diabetic foot ulcers.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the angiographic characteristics of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in persons with diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) on dialysis treatment. METHOD: The study is a retrospective analysis of patients with DFUs and PAD who had been referred to our diabetic foot clinic. All patients had been managed by a pre-set limb salvage protocol including revascularisation of the affected limb. Arterial lesions (stenosis between 50-99% and occlusions) were retrospectively evaluated through angiogram analysis. According to the presence or not of dialysis, patients were divided into two patient groups: renal-diabetic foot (RDF) and diabetic foot (DF). Distribution of PAD and immediate revascularisation outcome (technical revascularisation outcome) for RDF and DF were separately reported and compared. RESULTS: The sample included 239 patients: mean age was 71.8 years; 72.4% were male; 87.4% had type 2 diabetes; mean diabetes duration was 21.4 years; and the mean HbA1c was 63±22mmol/mol. The RDF group compared with the DF group reported higher numbers of vessels affected (n=5±1.6 versus 3.9±1.5, respectively, p<0.0001), greater involvement of the superficial femoral artery (90.2% versus 75.8%, respectively, p=0.003), the tibial-peroneal trunk (53.7% versus 25.5%, respectively, p=0.01), the anterior tibial artery (93.9% versus 80.9%, respectively, p=0.03) and below-the-ankle (BTA) arteries (70.7% versus 35.7%, respectively, p=0.0001). The RDF group showed a higher rate of revascularisation failure in comparison to DF patients (43.9% versus 15.3%, respectively, p<0.0001). BTA arterial disease (odds ratio 9.5; 95% Confidence Interval: 3.5-25.4; p=0.0001) resulted as the only independent predictor of revascularisation failure. CONCLUSION: In this study, RDF patients showed a widespread distribution of arterial lesions with a higher involvement of foot arteries in comparison with DF patients. BTA arterial disease was found to be an independent predictor of revascularisation failure.

[Membranous glomerulonephritis secondary to allogeneic stem cell transplant: review of the literature]. / La glomerulonefrite membranosa secondaria al trapianto allogenico di cellule staminali: rassegna della letteratura.

Renal injury associated with hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) may be related to a combination of factors. Chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) is the most common complication of allogeneic HSCT. Although the kidneys are not considered the primary target organs for GVHD, chronic impairment of renal function may occur in 20% to 60% of HSCT patients. Membranous glomerulonephritis (MG) is the most frequent renal complication observed in patients who develop nephrotic syndrome after allogeneic HSCT. In this setting, the pathogenesis of MG is not clearly understood and the most appropriate treatment approach has not been established. In order to summarize the current knowledge on this issue, a review of the pertinent literature has been performed. The available data on MG diagnosed in patients submitted to allogeneic HSCT were identified using the MEDLINE database (last accessed: Jan 30, 2012). Fifty-nine patients with allogeneic HSCT-related MG with a median age of 43 years were identified. MG occurred at a median time of 17 months after allogeneic HSCT. A history of acute or concomitant clinically apparent cGVHD was present in 69% and 31% of cases, respectively. cGVHD, nonmyeloablative conditioning regimens, immunosuppression withdrawal, and the use of peripheral blood stem cell grafts were identified as risk factors. Among the 53 patients with available outcome data, complete remission, partial response, and inefficacy of treatment were recorded in 65%, 22% and 13% of cases, respectively. MG after allogeneic HSCT seems to be etiologically related to subclinical or overt cGVHD, which flares up after discontinuation of immunosuppression. The available measures can induce sustained long-term remission in about two-thirds of affected patients.

[Opioid analgesics in patients with chronic renal failure: principles for use and current guidelines]. / Analgesici oppioidi in pazienti con insufficienza renale cronica: principi d'impiego e raccomandazioni correnti.

The treatment of pain in patients with impaired renal function may be problematic, especially when opioid drugs need to be used. In the presence of renal failure, significant changes occur in the metabolism and pharmacokinetics of these drugs, which can lead to adverse reactions due to the accumulation of parental compounds and active metabolites. This paper presents and discusses the available evidence concerning the optimal use of the most frequently employed opioid analgesics to treat pain in patients with renal impairment.

High performance liquid chromatographic determination of plasma free and total tazobactam and piperacillin.

A high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) method with ultraviolet detection was developed for the measurement of plasma free and total tazobactam and piperacillin. This method is simple and fast, requiring only 11 min for the HPLC run and a sample preparation of about 11 min for total drugs and 10 min for free drugs. The procedure for the assay involves the treatment of plasma with acetonitrile for total drugs determination, and the use of a centrifugal filter device to deproteinize plasma for free drugs determination. The HPLC column, a Hypersil-ODS, was equilibrated with an eluent mixture composed of acetonitrile-potassium phosphate (pH 2.6). CVs for repeatability of tazobactam and piperacillin measurements ranged from 4.30 to 6.60; CVs for reproducibility ranged from 5.60 to 9.40. Mean analytical recoveries ranged from 100.4 to 103%. A linear relationship was obtained between peak area and drugs concentration in the range studied (0-62.5mg/L for tazobactam and 0-500mg/L for piperacillin). The equation for regression line were y=19x-1.4 for tazobactam and y=1.7x-0.9 for piperacillin; correlation coefficients were >0.999. The lower limit of quantitation (LLQ) for standard samples was about 0.12 mg/L for tazobactam and 0.49 mg/L for piperacillin, respectively. The lower limit of detection (LLD) was 0.06 mg/L for tazobactam and 0.24 mg/L for piperacillin. This HPLC assay for tazobactam and piperacillin is sensitive and accurate, and provides a reliable determination of both free and total tazobactam and piperacillin in human plasma, thus allowing the determination of these analytes in patients receiving tazocillin therapy.

Rituximab in post allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation membranous nephropathy: a case report.

Membranous nephropathy (MN) post allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is a rare complication with few long-term outcome data. We describe the clinical course and outcome of an adult female patient who developed MN after allogeneic HSCT for follicular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. MN was treated with methylprednisolone as first-line therapy, then she was changed to rituximab for a relapse. After treatment with rituximab, we observed a progressive decrease of proteinuria and normalization of serum albumin. Seven months after treatment, she remains in remission. No adverse reactions to rituximab were observed throughout follow-up.

Procalcitonin Is a Prognostic Marker of Hospital Outcomes in Patients with Critical Limb Ischemia and Diabetic Foot Infection.

AIM: To evaluate the prognostic role of procalcitonin (PCT) in patients with diabetic foot infection (DFI) and critical limb ischemia (CLI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study group was composed of diabetic patients with DFI and CLI. All patients were treated according to a preset limb salvage protocol which includes revascularization, wound debridement, antibiotic therapy, and offloading. Inflammatory markers, including PCT, were evaluated at admission. Only positive values of PCT, greater than 0.5 ng/ml, were considered. Hospital outcomes were categorized as limb salvage (discharge with preserved limb), major amputation (amputation above the ankle), and mortality. RESULTS: Eighty-six patients were included. The mean age was 67.3 ± 11.4 years, 80.7% were male, 95.1% had type 2 diabetes, and the mean diabetes duration was 20.5 ± 11.1 with a mean HbA1c of 67 ± 16 mmol/mol. 66/86 (76.8%) of patients had limb salvage, 7/86 (8.1%) had major amputation, and 13/86 (15.1%) died. Patients with positive PCT baseline values in comparison to those with normal values showed a lower rate of limb salvage (30.4 versus 93.6%, p = 0.0001), a higher rate of major amputation (13 versus 6.3%, p = 0.3), and a higher rate of hospital mortality (56.5 versus 0%, p < 0.0001). At the multivariate analysis of independent predictors found at univariate analysis, positive PCT was an independent predictor of major amputation [OR 3.3 (CI 95% 2.0-5.3), p = 0.0001] and mortality [OR 4.1 (CI 95% 2.2-8.3), p < 0.0001]. DISCUSSION: Positive PCT at admission increased the risk of major amputation and mortality in hospital patients with DFI and CLI.

Fenoldopam Mesylate: A Narrative Review of Its Use in Acute Kidney Injury.

BACKGROUND: Fenoldopam mesylate is a selective agonist of DA-1 receptors. It is currently used for the in-hospital treatment of severe hypertension. DA-1 receptors have high density in renal parenchyma and for this reason, a possible reno-protective role of Fenoldopam mesylate was investigated. METHODS: We examined all studies regarding the role of Fenoldopam mesylate in Acute Kidney Injury (AKI); particularly, those involving post-surgical patients, intensive care unit patients and contrastinduced nephropathy. RESULTS: Fenoldopam mesylate was found to be effective in reducing the onset of postoperative AKI, when used before the development of the kidney damage. Positive results were also obtained in the management of intensive care unit patients with AKI, although the clinical studies investigated were few and conducted on small samples. CONCLUSION: Conflicting results were achieved in contrast-induced nephropathy.

Effects of fenoldopam on renal blood flow in hypertensive chronic kidney disease.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The synthetic drug fenoldopam mesylate (FM) may have a renoprotective role, and a "renal dose" of 0.1 µg/kg/min intravenous (IV) infusion of FM has been reported as able to increase renal blood flow without affecting systemic blood pressure. But conclusive data are still lacking. We aimed to investigate by color-Doppler ultrasonography the effects of IV administration of FM at this dosage in hypertensive chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients, and verify whether it may induce any systemic hemodynamic alteration. METHODS: In 60 hypertensive CKD patients, we measured by duplex Doppler ultrasonography, at baseline and during infusion of 0.1 µg/kg/min of FM, the systolic and diastolic flow velocity (sampled at the renal hilum, intermediate section and origin of both renal arteries) and the intra-parenchymal renal resistive index (RRI) sampled on interlobular arteries of both kidneys. Patients were divided into four subgroups (I-IV) according to classification of National Kidney Foundation Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative (NKF-DOQI). RESULTS: Infusion of 0.1 µg/kg/min FM significantly decreased the RRI (0.73 ± 0.05 vs. 0.65 ± 0.06; p < 0.0001) and increased the systolic and diastolic flow velocities in all renal artery tracts examined. No single episode of systemic hypotension was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Very low-dose FM may significantly increase renal blood flow and exert a renal protective effect in hypertensive CKD patients. Infusion of FM at such low dosage appears also to be quite safe, even in CKD and hypertensive patients.

Can Serum Cystatin C predict long-term survival in cardiac surgery patients?

Renal dysfunction is a risk factor for morbidity and mortality in cardiac surgery patients. Serum Cystatin C (sCysC) is a well-recognized marker of early renal dysfunction but few reports evaluate its prognostic cardio-vascular role. The aim of the study is to consider the prognostic value of sCysC for cardiovascular mortality. Four hundred twenty-four cardiac-surgery patients (264 men and 160 women) were enrolled. At admission, all patients were tested for renal function and inflammatory status. Patients were subdivided in subgroups according to the values of the following variables: sCysC, serum Creatinine (sCrea), age, high sensitivity-C Reactive Protein, fibrinogen, surgical procedures and Kaplan-Meier cumulative survival curves were plotted. The primary end-point was cardiovascular mortality. In order to evaluate the simultaneous independent impact of all measured variables on survival we fitted a multivariate Cox-Proportional Hazard Model (CPHM). In Kaplan-Meier analysis 124 patients (29.4%) reached the end-point. In multivariate CPHM, the only significant predictors of mortality were sCysC (p<0.00001, risk ratio: 1.529, CI: 1.29-1.80) and age (p=0.039, risk ratio: 1.019, CI: 1.001-1.037). When replacing sCysC with sCrea, the only significant predictor of mortality was sCrea (p=0.0026; risk ratio 1.20; CI: 1.06-1.36). Increased levels of sCysC can be considered a useful biomarker of cardiovascular mortality in cardiac-surgery patients.

Atherosclerotic ischemic renal disease. Diagnosis and prevalence in an hypertensive and/or uremic elderly population.

BACKGROUND: Atherosclerotic ischemic renal disease is a frequent cause of end-stage renal failure leading to dialysis among the elderly; Its prevalence is inferred from autopsy or retrospective arteriographic studies. This study has been conducted on 269 subjects over 50 with hypertension and/or CRF, unrelated to other known causes of renal disease. METHODS: All 269 patients were studied either by color-flow duplex sonography (n = 238) or by renal scintigraphy (n = 224), and 199 of the 269 patients were evaluated using both of these techniques. 40 patients, found to have renal artery stenosis (RAS), were subjected to 3D-contrast enhancement Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA) and/or Selective Angiography (SA). An additional 23 cases, negative both to scintigraphy and to ultrasound study, underwent renal angiography (MRA and/or SA). RESULTS: Color-duplex sonography, carried out in 238 patients, revealed 49 cases of RAS. MR or SA was carried out in 35 of these 49 patients, and confirmed the diagnosis in 33. Color-duplex sonography showed a PPV value of 94.3% and NPV of 87.0% while renal scintigraphy, carried out in 224 patients, had a PPV of 72.2% and a NPV of 29.4%. Patients with RAS showed a higher degree of renal insufficiency compared to non stenotic patients while there were no differences in proteinuria. RAS, based on color-duplex sonography studies, was present in 11% of patients in the age group 50-59, 18% in the 60-69 and 23% at age 70 and above. CONCLUSIONS: A relatively large percentage of the elderly population with renal insufficiency and/or hypertension is affected by RAS and is at risk of developing end-stage renal failure. Color-duplex ultrasonography is a valid routine method of investigation of population at risk for renal artery stenosis.

Drastic reduction of piperacillin-tazobactam concentrations in an in-vitro model of continuous venovenous hemofiltration: proposal of an innovative modality of administration to maintain them at constant concentration.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Critically-ill patients often undergo continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) and need antimicrobial therapy. Piperacillin and tazobactam (Pip-Tzb) are cleared by CRRT. Our aim is to evaluate Pip-Tzb removal in an in-vitro-single-pool-model of continuous-veno-venous-hemofiltration (CVVH); we test a new method of Pip-Tzb administration during CRRT assuring constant levels of concentrations above the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). METHODS: In an in-vitro-single-pool-model of CVVH, two solutions (Protein-Free-Solution, PFS and Fresh-Frozen- Plasma, FFP) added with Pip-Tzb were tested for Pip-Tzb removal and adsorption. Then, to keep concentrations constantly above the MIC during CVVH, we add Pip-Tzb in the reinfusion bags. RESULTS: Pip-Tzb rapidly decreased than the MIC during CVVH. The adsorption was irrelevant in the test with FPS. Adding Pip-Tzb in the reinfusion bags of the CVVH system, we observed constant concentrations of Pip-Tzb over time. CONCLUSION: The association of Pip-Tzb is rapidly cleared with a real risk of inadequate dosages in patients undergoing CRRT. Adding Pip-Tzb in the reinfusion bags above the MIC, we obtained stability of concentrations during CVVH.

The Management of Membranous Glomerulopathy in Allogeneic Stem Cells Transplantation: Updated Literature

BACKGROUND: membranous glomerulopathy (MG) is an immunomediated disorder which accounts for the most common cause of nephrotic syndrome (NS) following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). OBJECTIVE AND METHODS: to provide an update on the issue by reviewing pertinent literature on the MEDLINE database. RESULTS: sixty-nine post allogenic HSCT patients (42 male) with MG were identified. The median age was 43 (5 to 68) years. Time interval from allogenic HSCT to MG diagnosis ranged from 3 to 134 months (median 17). Most MG patients had a history of acute (70%) or chronic (84%) graft versus host disease (GVHD). Corticosteroids and cyclosporine were the most common therapeutic agents used in this setting; alternative therapies, including rituximab, were given to a lower number of patients. Outcome data were available in 64 out of 69 MG patients; 38 (59%) and 18 (28%) patients achieved a complete and a partial response respectively, whereas treatment failure was recorded in the remaining 8 (13%). CONCLUSION: MG after allogenic HSCT appears to be associated with a sub clinical or overt cGVHD, which follows the discontinuation of immunosuppressive prophylaxis. Although a standard therapeutic approach has not been established, the application of available measures can induce favorable response in more than 80% of affected patients, but treatment-failure and progressive deterioration of the renal function may occur in about one fifth of cases.

Pain management in hematological patients with major organ dysfunctions and comorbid illnesses.

BACKGROUND: Organ dysfunctions and medical complications, such as renal failure, liver impairment, coagulation disorders, cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses, may hamper an adequate pain management in haematological patients. AIM: To summarize current knowledge on pain management in hematological patients presenting major organ dysfunctions and comorbidity. We also attempted to provide recommendations to optimize analgesia and to minimize side effects in the setting of medically compromised and frail haematological patients. METHODS: A systematic search of the literature, using relevant key words, was conducted in PubMed. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Pain in hematological patients is a common symptom and is often multi-factorial. Most pharmacotherapeutic measures, including causal therapies, analgesics and adjuvant agents routinely applied in pain management, may also be used in the setting of clinical frailty and medical comorbidities; however, comprehensive clinical and functional patient's evaluations and a careful consideration of expected benefits and potential adverse events are required.

Spontaneous bilateral kidney rupture during autologous stem cell transplantation in a patient affected by amyloidosis.

Kidney spontaneous rupture is not a recognized complication neither for amyloidosis nor of autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). A 46-year-old white woman, affected by nephrotic syndrome, was diagnosed as AL amyloidosis by renal biopsy. We report the singular case of a bilateral spontaneous kidney rupture during ASCT for AL with renal rescue.

Management of Peritoneal Dialysis within a Home Care Program for Hematological Malignancies: Concerns and Perspectives Illustrated by a Case Report.

The case of an 86-year-old man suffering from acute myeloid leukemia and end-stage renal disease, managed at home, with continuous peritoneal dialysis regimen, is described.

Management of hematological malignancies in patients affected by renal failure.

The management of hematological malignancies (HM) in renally impaired patients may be a difficult task. Indeed, the kidney represents a major elimination pathway for many chemotherapeutic agents and their metabolites, whose serum levels are not usually measured in daily clinical practice. In addition, many antineoplastic drugs have a narrow therapeutic index for which they require dose adjustment when administered to patients with renal failure. Only limited data regarding the use of chemotherapy in patients with renal impairment and in those on dialysis are available. Indeed, renal patients with HM are often excluded from most clinical trials. Thus far, in order to provide recommendations, we have reviewed the pertinent literature, gathering information from published guidelines regarding chemotherapy in patients with kidney dysfunction and from articles describing the use of individual agents in renal patients with HM.

The use of major analgesics in patients with renal dysfunction.

Pain in patients with impaired renal function may be a significant problem requiring treatment with opioids. However, pharmacokinetic and metabolic changes associated with an impaired renal function may raise some concerns about side effects and overdosing associated with opioid agents in this patient's population. In order to give recommendations on this issue, we review the available evidences on the pharmacokinetics and side effects of most common opioids used to treat pain. The results of this review show that the half-life of the parent opioid compounds and of their metabolites is increased in the presence of renal dysfunction, for which careful monitoring of the patient, dose reduction and a longer time interval between doses are recommended. Among opioids, morphine and codeine used with very caution and possibly avoided in renal failure/dialysis patients; tramadol, hydromorphone and oxycodone can be used with caution and close patient's monitoring, whereas transdermal buprenorphine, methadone and fentanyl/sufentanil appear to be safe to use in patients with renal failure.