C-reactive protein-to-albumin ratio and six-month mortality in incident hemodialysis patients.

BACKGROUND: The first few months of hemodialysis (HD) are associated with a higher risk of mortality. Protein-energy malnutrition is a demonstrated major risk factor for mortality in this population. The C-Reactive Protein to Albumin ratio (CAR) has also been associated with increased mortality risk. The aim of this study was to determine the predictive value of CAR for six-month mortality in incident HD patients. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of incident HD patients between January 2014 and December 2019. CAR was calculated at the start of HD. We analyzed six-month mortality. A Cox regression was performed to predict six-month mortality and the discriminatory ability of CAR was determined using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. RESULTS: A total of 787 patients were analyzed (mean age 68.34 ± 15.5 years and 60.6% male). The 6-month mortality was 13.8% (n = 109). Patients who died were significantly older (p < 0.001), had more cardiovascular disease (p = 0.010), had central venous catheter at the start of HD (p < 0.001), lower parathyroid hormone (PTH) level (p = 0.014) and higher CAR (p = 0.015). The AUC for mortality prediction was 0.706 (95% CI (0.65-0.76), p < 0.001). The optimal CAR cutoff was ≥0.5, HR 5.36 (95% CI 3.21-8.96, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: We demonstrated that higher CAR was significantly associated with a higher mortality risk in the first six months of HD, highlighting the prognostic importance of malnutrition and inflammation in patients starting chronic HD.

One-Year Mortality after Hemodialysis Initiation: The Prognostic Role of the CHA2DS2-VASc Score.

BACKGROUND: CKD is a significant cause of morbidity, cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. CHA2DS2-VASc is a score used in patients with atrial fibrillation to predict thromboembolic risk; it also appears to be useful to predict mortality risk. The aim of the study was to evaluate CHA2DS2-VASc scores as a tool for predicting one-year mortality after hemodialysis is started and for identifying factors associated with higher mortality. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of patients who started hemodialysis between January 2014 and December 2019 in Centro Hospitalar Universitário Lisboa Norte. We evaluated mortality within one year of hemodialysis initiation. The CHA2DS2-VASc score was calculated at the start of hemodialysis. RESULTS: Of 856 patients analyzed, their mean age was 68.3 ± 15.5 years and the majority were male (61.1%) and Caucasian (84.5%). Mortality within one-year after starting hemodialysis was 17.8% (n = 152). The CHA2DS2-VASc score was significantly higher (4.4 ± 1.7 vs. 3.5 ± 1.8, p < 0.001) in patients who died and satisfactorily predicted the one-year risk of mortality (AUC 0.646, 95% CI 0.6-0.7, p < 0.001), with a sensitivity of 71.7%, a specificity of 49.1%, a positive predictive value of 23.9% and a negative predictive value of 89.2%. In the multivariate analysis, CHA2DS2-VASc ≥3.5 (adjusted HR 2.24 95% CI (1.48-3.37), p < 0.001) and central venous catheter at dialysis initiation (adjusted HR 3.06 95% CI (1.93-4.85)) were significant predictors of one-year mortality. CONCLUSION: A CHA2DS2-VASc score ≥3.5 and central venous catheter at hemodialysis initiation were predictors of one-year mortality, allowing for risk stratification in hemodialysis patients.

Pregnancy in a woman undergoing peritoneal dialysis: Management and dialysis options.

Pregnancy in patients with end-stage renal disease on maintenance dialysis is uncommon, with annual incidences reported at 0.3 - 2.7%. Peritoneal dialysis usage in pregnancy has been less reported than hemodialysis, although outcomes are similar. Nowadays, there are insufficient data to establish a generalizable dialysis strategy in pregnant women with end-stage renal disease. As such, decisions should be individualized, depending on clinical factors, residual renal function, and, whenever possible, choice of the patient. We report the case of a 22-year-old patient receiving peritoneal dialysis who delivered a full-term, normal weight, healthy baby with increased dialysis dose achieved by supplementary hemodialysis during pregnancy, thus enabling peritoneal dialysis to be continued until the third trimester and minimizing hemodialysis requirements.

Long-term risk of mortality after acute kidney injury in patients with sepsis: a contemporary analysis.

BACKGROUND: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is associated with increased short-term mortality of septic patients; however, the exact influence of AKI on long-term mortality in such patients has not yet been determined. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated the impact of AKI, defined by the "Risk, Injury, Failure, Loss of kidney function, End-stage kidney disease" (RIFLE) classification based on creatinine criteria, on 2-year mortality in a cohort of 234 hospital surviving septic patients who had been hospitalized at the Infectious Disease Intensive Care Unit of our Hospital. RESULTS: Mean-follow-up was 21 +/- 6.4 months. During this period, 32 patients (13.7%) died. At 6 months, 1 and 2 years of follow-up, the cumulative probability of death of patients with previous AKI was 8.3, 16.9 and 34.2%, respectively, as compared with 2.2, 6 and 8.9% in patients without previous AKI (log-rank, P < 0.0001). In the univariate analysis, age (hazard ratio 1.4, 95% CI 1.2-1.7, P < 0.0001), as well as pre-existing cardiovascular disease (hazard ratio 3.6, 95% CI 1.4-9.4, P = 0.009), illness severity as evaluated by nonrenal APACHE II (hazard ratio 1.3, 95% CI 1.1-1.6, P = 0.002), and previous AKI (hazard ratio 4.2, 95% CI 2.1-8.5, P < 0.0001) were associated with increased 2-year mortality, while gender, race, pre-existing hypertension, cirrhosis, HIV infection, neoplasm, and baseline glomerular filtration rate did not. In the multivariate analysis, however, only previous AKI (hazard ratio 3.2, 95% CI 1.6-6.5, P = 0.001) and age (hazard ratio 1.4, 95% CI 1.2-1.6, P < 0.0001) emerged as independent predictors of 2-year mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Acute kidney injury had a negative impact on long-term mortality of patients with sepsis.

In-hospital mortality in elderly patients with acute kidney injury requiring dialysis: a cohort analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To determine risk factors for in-hospital mortality in elderly patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) requiring dialysis. INTRODUCTION: AKI requiring dialysis is frequent in elderly and is associated with an increased intra-hospital mortality. With the growing number of older individuals among hospitalized patients with AKI demands a thorough investigation of the factors that contribute to their mortality to improve outcomes. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of patients older than 80 years, admitted due to AKI requiring dialysis between January 2016 and December 2017. Patients who need intensive-care units (ICU) admission were excluded. The primary outcome was all-cause in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: A total of 154 patients were evaluated. The mean age was 85.3 ± 4.0 years and 76 patients (49.4%) were male. The overall mortality rate was 26.6%. On the multivariate analysis, serum albumin (OR 0.42 [95% CI 0.21-0.85], p 0.016), C reactive protein/albumin ratio (OR 1.04 [95% CI 0.99-1.09], and renal function recovery (OR 018 [95% CI 0.49-0.65], p 0.009) were the factors associated with higher in-hospital mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Lower albumin level, higher C reactive protein/albumin ratio at admission, and absence of renal function recovery are associated with increased in-hospital mortality's risk in elderly with acute kidney injury requiring dialysis.

Acute kidney injury in patients with sepsis: a contemporary analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To analyze the clinical characteristics of septic acute kidney injury (AKI) according to the Acute Kidney Injury Network (AKIN) classification, and to evaluate the capacity of this system in predicting in-hospital mortality of septic patients. METHODS: Patients with sepsis admitted to the infectious diseases intensive care unit (ICU) of our hospital between January 2004 and June 2007 were retrospectively studied. Maximum AKIN stage within the first three days of hospitalization was recorded. RESULTS: Three hundred fifteen patients were evaluated. According to AKIN criteria, 99 patients (31.4%) had AKI: 26.2% at stage 1, 20.2% at stage 2, and 53.6% at stage 3. Four patients (1.9%) with no AKI progressed to stage 1, two patients (7.7%) at stage 1 progressed to stage 2, one patient (3.8%) at stage 1 progressed to stage 3, and one patient at stage 2 (5%) progressed to stage 3. The mortality rate was 25.3% and increased significantly from normal renal function to stage 3 (normal, 12.5%; stage 1, 34.6%; stage 2, 45%; stage 3, 64.1%; p<0.0001). After adjusting for age, gender, race, pre-existing chronic kidney disease, illness severity as evaluated by acute physiology and chronic health evaluation, version II (APACHE II) score, need for mechanical ventilation, and vasopressor use, AKIN stage 1 (odds ratio (OR) 3.03, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.12-8.19, p=0.029), stage 2 (OR 3.3, 95% CI 1.11-9.78, p=0.031), and stage 3 (OR 7.35, 95% CI 3.13-17.25, p<0.0001) predicted mortality. CONCLUSIONS: AKIN criteria are a useful tool to characterize and stratify septic patients according to the risk of death.