Nationwide survey of the coronavirus disease 2019 prevention and treatment systems for kidney disease patients: a study of Japanese Society of Nephrology-certified educational facilities.

BACKGROUND: There are no reports of a large-scale survey on the infection prevention measures against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in nephrology facilities. This study investigated the facility-level nephrology practices adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic and their associated challenges. Additionally, the treatment patterns and outcomes of chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients with COVID-19 were reviewed. METHODS: We conducted a nationwide questionnaire survey of 704 educational facilities that were certified by the Japanese Society of Nephrology (JSN) from October 20, 2020 to November 16, 2020. The questionnaire reviewed the facility characteristics, infection prevention measures taken during routine nephrology practice, impact of COVID-19 on nephrology practice, experiences in managing CKD patients with COVID-19, and nosocomial transmission in the nephrology unit. RESULTS: Of the 347 facilities that responded, 95.1% checked outpatients' body temperatures and COVID-19 symptoms at their visits. To reduce face-to-face contact, 80% and 70% of the facilities lengthened the intervals between outpatient visits and introduced online/telephonic consultations, respectively. As a result, more than half of the hospitals experienced a decrease in the numbers of outpatients and inpatients (64% and 50%, respectively). During the study period, 347 facilities managed 479 CKD patients with COVID-19. Oxygen administration and mechanical ventilation were performed for 47.8% and 16.5% of the patients, respectively, with a 9.2% total mortality rate. CONCLUSION: This survey demonstrated that JSN-certified educational nephrology facilities adopted multiple measures to manage the COVID-19 pandemic; however, they faced several challenges. Sharing these experiences could standardize these approaches and prepare us better for the future.

Quantitative sonographic assessment of quadriceps muscle thickness for fall injury prediction in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis: an observational cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Accidental fall risk is high in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis. Falls are associated with fatal injury, comorbidities, and mortality. Risk assessment should be a primary component of fall prevention. This study investigated whether quadriceps muscle thickness measured using ultrasonography can predict fall injury among dialysis patients. METHODS: Using an observational cohort study design, 180 ambulatory hemodialysis patients were recruited from 2015 to 2016 from four dialysis clinics. The sum of the maximum quadriceps muscle thickness on both sides and the average of the maximum thigh circumference and handgrip strength after hemodialysis were calculated. Patients were stratified according to tertiles of quadriceps muscle thickness. Fall injury was surveyed according to the patient's self-report during the one-year period. RESULTS: Among the 180 hemodialysis patients, 44 (24.4%) had fall injuries during the 12-month follow-up period. When the quadriceps muscle thickness levels were stratified into sex-specific tertiles, patients in the lowest tertile were more likely to have a higher incidence of fall injury than those in the higher two tertiles (0.52 vs. 0.19 and 0.17 fall injuries/person-year). After adjusting for covariates, lower quadriceps muscle thickness was found to be an independent predictor of fall injury (hazard ratio [95% confidence interval], 2.33 [1.22-4.52], P < 0.05). Receiver operating characteristic curves were constructed to determine the optimal cutoffs of quadriceps muscle thickness, thigh circumference, and handgrip strength that best predicted fall injury (quadriceps muscle thickness, 3.37 cm and 3.54 cm in men and women; thigh circumference, 44.6 cm and 37.2 cm in men and women; and handgrip strength, 23.3 kg and 16.5 kg in men and women). Using these cutoff values, the areas under the curve were 0.662 (95% CI, 0.576-0.738), 0.625 (95% CI, 0.545-0.699), and 0.701 (95% CI, 0.617-0.774), for quadriceps muscle thickness, thigh circumference, and handgrip strength, respectively. Quadriceps muscle thickness was a more precise predictor of fall injury than thigh circumference and had similar diagnostic performance as handgrip strength tests in dialysis patients. CONCLUSIONS: Quadriceps muscle thickness can be measured easily at the bedside using ultrasonography and is a precise predictor of fall injury in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis.

Assessment of ocular microcirculation in patients with end-stage kidney disease.

PURPOSE: To determine the impact that end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) has on ocular microcirculation in the optic nerve head (ONH) and choroid area shown by laser speckle flowgraphy (LSFG). METHODS: We studied 24 consecutive Japanese patients with ESKD who visited the department of Nephrology at our hospital and 55 age- and gender-matched subjects who had undergone polysomnography. The mean blur rates (MBRs) in vessels (MBR-Vessel), in the tissue (MBR-Tissue), throughout the ONH (MBR-All), and throughout the choroid (MBR-Choroid) were analyzed. We divided the MBR-Tissue into four sections (superior, temporal, inferior, and nasal). The results of systemic and ocular parameters were compared between the ESKD patients and control subjects. We performed single and multiple regression analyses to determine the MBR section(s) that correlated most strongly with serum creatinine and the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and to identify the independent factors for selected MBR sections in the ESKD patients. RESULTS: All sections of the ONH in the ESKD patients were significantly lower than those in the control subjects. MBR-Choroid was not significantly different between the control and ESKD groups. The single regression analyses revealed that MBR-Tissue had the strongest correlations with creatinine and the eGFR. The multiple regression analyses revealed hematocrit, creatinine, and eGFR as factors independently contributing to the MBR-Tissue. The inferior section of MBR-Tissue was most strongly correlated with creatinine and the eGFR. CONCLUSION: The MBRs in the ONH of the ESKD patients decrease compared with control subjects and the inferior section of MBR-Tissue is correlated with serum creatinine and eGFR.

Association between Low Dietary Protein Intake and Geriatric Nutrition Risk Index in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease: A Retrospective Single-Center Cohort Study.

Reduced dietary protein intake in malnourished patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) may be associated with adverse clinical outcomes, which may mask any efficacy of a low-protein diet. The study included 126 patients with CKD who attended a dedicated dietary counseling clinic in 2005-2009 and were systematically followed until January 2015. Of these patients, 20 (15.9%) had moderate or severe nutrition-related risk of geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI) < 92; these patients were more likely to be older, have a greater proteinuria, and have lower body mass index and serum albumin concentration. Dietary protein intake was significantly lower in older patients (r = -0.33, p < 0.001) and those with lower glomerular filtration rate (r = 0.47, p < 0.001). The non-protein to nitrogen calorie ratio was independently associated with GNRI. Reduced GNRI was significantly associated with mortality (hazard ratio (HR) = 4.94; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.61-15.42, p = 0.012) and cardiovascular events (HR = 9.37; 95% CI = 2.49-37.34, p = 0.006), but not with adverse renal outcomes. Restricting protein intake may be harmful to patients with any nutrition-related risk, suggesting that improvement of nutritional status should be a high priority.

Assessment of body composition using dry mass index and ratio of total body water to estimated volume based on bioelectrical impedance analysis in chronic kidney disease patients.

OBJECTIVE: Body mass index (BMI) is commonly used for assessment of nutritional status. However, changes in BMI in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients are affected not only by muscle and fat but also by fluid volume. The ratio of extracellular water (ECW(BIA)) to total body water (TBW(BIA)) in multifrequency bioelectrical impedance analysis is commonly used for assessing abnormal fluid status. This study reexamines ECW(BIA)/TBW(BIA) and evaluates the reliability of TBW(BIA)/TBW(watson) and dry mass index (DMI) in the assessment of fluid and nutritional status. DESIGN, SETTING, AND SUBJECTS: TBW(BIA), intracellular water (ICW(BIA)), and ECW(BIA) were measured in 45 randomly selected CKD patients. Participants were surveyed for age, gender, BMI, blood pressure, serum albumin, estimated glomerular filtration rate, and proteinuria. DMI was calculated by the formula ([weight--TBW(BIA)]/height(2)) and TBW(BIA)/TBW(watson) using an anthropometric formula (Watson). Fluid and nutritional status were assessed using ECW(BIA)/TBW(BIA), TBW(BIA)/TBW(watson), and DMI. RESULTS: TBW(BIA)/TBW(watson) positively correlated with weight, BMI, and diastolic blood pressure and negatively correlated with age and serum albumin level. In contrast, ECW(BIA)/TBW(BIA) correlated with ICW deficit, aging, and body weight loss. On the basis of DMI and TBW(BIA)/TBW(watson), participants were categorized as follows: 1 obese patient with hypovolemia and 2 with euvolemia; 17 overweight patients with hypovolemia (n = 6), euvolemia (n = 8), or hypervolemia (n = 3); 24 patients of optimal weight with hypovolemia (n = 10), euvolemia (n = 9), or hypervolemia (n = 5); and 1 underweight patient with euvolemia. CONCLUSIONS: A combination of DMI, BMI, and TBW(BIA)/TBW(watson) makes it possible to include assessment of fluid volume to the physique index. In addition, ECW(BIA)/TBW(BIA) is not a reliable marker of edematous state in CKD patients.