The Sustainable Kidney Care Foundation's contribution to the improvement of AKI management in developing countries using peritoneal dialysis.

Professional organizations, such as kidney foundations, have been active for over half a century in the field of nephrology, serving as the basic institutions for advocacy, disease education, prevention, and treatment. These organizations have focused efforts in four areas: supporting the training of clinical specialists, raising awareness about kidney disease, improving patient outcomes, and organizing continuing medical education. These activities, while essential for the success of nephrology organizations, do not usually initiate renal service programs in the neediest of places. To remedy the lack of renal programs in many developing countries, the Sustainable Kidney Care Foundation (SKCF) was founded with the objective of establishing treatment programs for acute kidney injury (AKI) in areas of the world where none exist. Today SKCF is active in 5 sub-Saharan African countries and is growing.

Saliva Urea Nitrogen Continuously Reflects Blood Urea Nitrogen after Acute Kidney Injury Diagnosis and Management: Longitudinal Observational Data from a Collaborative, International, Prospective, Multicenter Study.

BACKGROUND: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a growing global concern and often reversible. Saliva urea nitrogen (SUN) measured by a dipstick may allow rapid diagnosis. We studied longitudinal agreement between SUN and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and the diagnostic performance of both. METHODS: Agreement between SUN and BUN and diagnostic performance to diagnose AKI severity in AKI patients in the United States and Brazil were studied. Bland-Altman analysis and linear mixed effects models were employed to test the agreement between SUN and BUN. Receiver operating characteristics statistics were used to test the diagnostic performance to diagnose AKI severity. RESULTS: We found an underestimation of BUN by SUN, decreasing with increasing BUN levels in 37 studied patients, consistent on all observation days. The diagnostic performance of SUN (AUC 0.81, 95% CI 0.63-0.98) was comparable to BUN (AUC 0.85, 95% CI 0.71-0.98). CONCLUSION: SUN reflects BUN especially in severe AKI. It also allows monitoring treatment responses. Video Journal Club 'Cappuccino with Claudio Ronco' at http://www.karger.com/?doi=445041.

Saliva urea nitrogen dipstick - a novel bedside diagnostic tool for acute kidney injury.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Measurement of saliva urea nitrogen (SUN) may be valuable in the screening of kidney failure. Here we evaluate the diagnostic performance of SUN dipsticks in patients with acute kidney injury (AKI). MATERIAL AND METHODS: We measured SUN and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) in hospitalized patients diagnosed with AKI based on Acute Kidney Injury Network (AKIN)-criteria. After collection, saliva was transferred to a colorimetric SUN dipstick. We then compared the resultant test-pad color to six standardized color fields indicating SUN of 5 - 14 (#1), 15 - 24 (#2), 25 - 34 (#3), 35 - 54 (#4), 55 - 74 (#5), and ≥ 75 (#6) mg/dL, respectively. We assessed the performance of SUN and BUN to discriminate AKIN 3 from earlier stages by the area under receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC ROC). RESULTS: We enrolled 44 patients (59.5 ± 18 years, 58% female; pre-renal AKI: 67%; renal 24%; post-renal 9%) in AKIN stages 1 (59%), 2 (16%), and 3 (25%). SUN and BUN levels were correlated (Spearman rank Rs = 0.69; p < 0.001, n = 44) with the highest correlation in AKIN 1 (Rs = 0.63, p = 0.001, n = 26). SUN allowed a significant discrimination of AKIN 3 from earlier stages (AUC ROC 0.91; 95% CI 0.80 - 1.0), which was comparable to the diagnostic performance of BUN (AUC ROC 0.90; 95% CI 0.78 - 1.0). CONCLUSIONS: SUN dipsticks allow the discrimination of AKIN 3 from earlier AKI stages. This low-technology approach may aid the screening of severe AKI in areas where laboratory resources are scarce.

Peritoneal dialysis as a mode of treatment for acute kidney injury in sub-Saharan Africa.

BACKGROUND: Developing sustainable treatment programs for kidney failure in most countries of sub-Saharan Africa continues to remain an imposing challenge. While long-term renal replacement therapies in end-stage renal disease appear beyond national financial capabilities, there exist opportunities for a short-term and affordable treatment of acute kidney injury (AKI). Peritoneal dialysis (PD) is an effective and simpler modality compared to hemodialysis (HD) and can be performed without the need for machinery or electricity, making it an ideal choice in a low-resource setting. METHODS: Since cost of treatment is the major obstacle, the goal is to develop a program that is cost effective. Developing an HD program requires a large capital investment by the hospital, needing water treatment systems and machinery and providing for their ongoing repair and maintenance. Gravity-driven PD is a simple, effective modality and can be performed in low-resource locales. RESULTS: In a pediatric program that we started in the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi, Ghana, 28 patients have been treated with PD for AKI so far. Half of them were treated successfully and were discharged having fully recovered kidney function. Seven patients (25%) were determined to have end-stage renal disease, whereas 7 others (25%) died during hospitalization. In these cases, late presentation for dialysis may have contributed to the inability to recover. CONCLUSION: For individuals and governments alike, who are concerned about the cost of providing or paying for dialysis, using PD to treat AKI is an effective and simpler modality compared to HD and can be performed without the need for machinery or electricity, making it an ideal choice in a low-resource setting.

Acute peritoneal dialysis treatment programs for countries of the East African community.

The literature abounds with attestations about the lack of treatment programs for kidney injury in developing countries. To date, no sustainable treatment program exists for acute kidney injury (AKI) in many of the 48 countries in the sub-Saharan region of Africa. The Sustainable Kidney Care Foundation, together with industry, universities, and funding organizations, has been working on establishing peritoneal dialysis treatment programs for AKI in East Africa, starting with the countries comprising the East African Community and with a special focus on treating children and women of childbearing age.

Proposed treatment program for acute renal failure (ARF) in the United Republic of Tanzania as a model for sub-Saharan Africa.

To date, no sustainable treatment program exists for kidney failure in countries in sub-Saharan Africa. No data are available on the incidence, prevalence or cause of chronic kidney disease (CKD). The world's focus has been on treating 'priority diseases' as defined by the United Nations Millennium Project and the World Health Organization because of their high mortality rates. This is understandable because HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, diarrheal diseases and malaria claim majority of the lives; however, in many cases, the mortality is due to acute renal failure (ARF) as a consequence of the progression of these diseases. Moreover, to date, no data are available on mortality rates due to ARF as a consequence of these 'priority diseases.' Sustainable Kidney Care Foundation (SKCF), working with industry, institutions, universities and funding organizations, is in the process of establishing a pilot program for the treatment of acute renal failure (ARF) using peritoneal dialysis (PD) as the modality of choice with a special focus on treating children and women of childbearing age in the United Republic of Tanzania.

Outcome of acute peritoneal dialysis in northern Tanzania.

Data on the burden of acute kidney injury (AKI) in resource-poor countries such as Tanzania are minimal because of a lack of nephrology services and an inability to recognize and diagnose AKI with any certainty. In the few published studies, high morbidity and mortality are reported. Improved nephrology care and dialysis may lower the mortality from AKI in these settings. Hemodialysis is expensive and technically challenging in resource-limited settings. The technical simplicity of peritoneal dialysis and the potential to reduce costs if consumables can be made locally, present an opportunity to establish cost-effective programs for managing AKI. Here, we document patient outcomes in a pilot peritoneal dialysis program established in 2009 at a referral hospital in Northern Tanzania.