Health-related quality of life for pediatric patients with end-stage kidney disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL).

INTRODUCTION: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) studies demonstrate the impact of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) on the physical and psychosocial development of children. While several instruments are used to measure HRQoL, few have standardized domains specific to pediatric ESRD. This review examines current evidence on self and proxy-reported HRQoL among pediatric patients with ESRD, based on the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) questionnaires. METHODS: Following PRISMA guidelines, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis on HRQoL using the PedsQL 4.0 Generic Core Scale (GCS) and the PedsQL 3.0 ESRD Module among 5- to 18-year-old patients. We queried PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, CINAHL, and Cochrane databases. Retrospective, case-controlled, and cross-sectional studies using PedsQL were included. FINDINGS: Of 435 identified studies, 14 met inclusion criteria administered in several countries. Meta-analysis demonstrated a significantly higher total HRQoL for healthy patients over those with ESRD (SMD:1.44 [95% CI: 0.78-2.09]) across all dimensional scores. In addition, kidney transplant patients reported a significantly higher HRQoL than those on dialysis (PedsQL GCS, SMD: 0.33 [95% CI: 0.14-0.53]) and (PedsQL ESRD, SMD: 0.65 [95% CI: 0.39-0.90]) concordant with parent-proxy reports. DISCUSSION: Patients with ESRD reported lower HRQoL in physical and psychosocial domains compared with healthy controls, while transplant and peritoneal dialysis patients reported better HRQoL than those on hemodialysis. This analysis demonstrates the need to identify dimensions of impaired functioning and produce congruent clinical interventions. Further research on the impact of individual comorbidities in HRQoL is necessary for developing comprehensive, integrated, and holistic treatment programs.

Developmental changes in polyunsaturated fetal plasma phospholipids and feto-maternal plasma phospholipid ratios and their association with bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

BACKGROUND: Docosahexaenoic (C22:6) and arachidonic acid (C20:4) are long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA), essential to fetal development, and preferentially transported by plasma phospholipids. OBJECTIVE: To characterize fetal and maternal plasma phospholipid changes during gestation, and to investigate whether LC-PUFA phospholipid profiles are associated with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). DESIGN: Cord plasma and parturient serum from N = 108 pregnancies [24-42 week postmenstrual age (PMA)] were collected. Phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) were analyzed with tandem mass spectrometry. PMA-associated changes were quantified, and break point analyses served to describe nonlinear changes during gestation. RESULTS: PC and PE were lower in cord than in parturient samples. In parturients, PC decreased until 33 week PMA, but then re-increased, whereas in cord plasma, concentrations linearly decreased. Fetal PC and PC sub-group values correlated with maternal values. C20:4-PC was twofold higher in cord than in maternal samples throughout gestation. C22:6-PC values, however, exceeded maternal values only beyond 33 week PMA. Consequently, early preterm C20:4-PC-to-C22:6-PC ratio largely exceeded term infant values. In infants born before 28 week PMA, a low C20:4-PC-to-C22:6-PC ratio was associated with BPD severity. CONCLUSIONS: Fetal plasma LC-PUFA-PC composition correlates with maternal values. Fetal C20:4-PC exceeds maternal values throughout gestation, whereas C22:6-PC exceeds maternal values only beyond 33 week PMA, resulting in a low fetal C20:4-PC/C22:6-PC ratio only toward end gestation. A low C20:4-PC/C22:6-PC ratio before 28 week PMA is associated with BPD severity. These data point to a concept of PMA-adjusted ARA and DHA supplementation and, potentially, cord plasma phospholipid analysis for BPD prediction.

Flow-through peritoneal dialysis in neonatal enema-induced hyperphosphatemia.

Fleet enemas are hypertonic solutions with an osmotic action and a high concentration of phosphate. When retained in the human body they have a great toxic potential, causing severe hydro-electrolyte disorders in children, especially in newborns. We report the case of a previously healthy 8-day-old newborn who needed neonatal intensive care treatment after the inadvertent administration of an osmotically active hypertonic phosphate enema. Taking into account that phosphate removal by peritoneal dialysis (PD) strongly depends on total dialysate turnover, we chose continuous flow PD (CFPD) as the treatment option, with a successful outcome. Clinical experience with this dialytic modality is limited to a few case reports in pediatric and adult patients. To the best of our knowledge, we report here the first description of CFPD in the setting of acute phosphate nephropathy in the neonatal period. The modality of PD described here has potential as an alternative management option as it is a highly efficient, methodologically simple, and low-cost method without any need for sophisticated equipment. Physicians and parents should be aware of the adverse effects of a hypertonic phosphate enema and should never use these medications in infants and newborns.

Hypophosphatemic rickets: results of a long-term follow-up.

This study reports the benefits and side effects of conventional treatment, phosphate and calcitriol supplementation in patients with heritable hypophosphatemic rickets and a long-term follow-up, median of 60.9 months. The group is composed of 17 patients (ten girls). Sixteen patients presented with bone pain and/or deformities, and in one patient the diagnosis was radiological. All the patients had increased alkaline phosphatase, hypophosphatemia, decreased fractional phosphate tubular reabsorption (TRP) and maximum tubular phosphate reabsorption/glomerular filtration rate ratio (TPO4/GFR). Ten of 17 patients had metabolic acidosis, which was corrected only with the conventional treatment. Potassium citrate was prescribed to the patients who developed hypercalciuria. Excluding one patient with pulmonary dysfunction, the remaining 16 patients were divided into two groups according to the age at treatment onset (T0): group I (GI) > or =4 years (n =9) and GII <4 years (n =7). GI and GII had similar follow-up periods and treatment protocols. Seven out of nine GI patients underwent orthopedic surgery, in contrast to none of GII. Anthropometric data results showed that within each group there is no difference in weight and stature z -score at T0 and at the end of the observation (Tf), but, when both groups are compared, GII shows higher z-score for stature at T0 (p <0.05) and at Tf (p <0.05). Nephrocalcinosis developed in three cases and correlated with hypercalciuria (p <0.001) and dose of calcitriol (p =0.03). In conclusion, higher stature z-score is associated with early treatment. A careful protocol is recommended to detect such complications as nephrocalcinosis. We suggest potassium citrate for patients with hypercalciuria to avoid calcium precipitation.

Bartter syndrome: benefits and side effects of long-term treatment.

The present study reports clinical and laboratory data of patients with Bartter syndrome at diagnosis and follow-up with emphasis on the long-term benefits and side effects of the pharmacological therapy, which includes indomethacin and potassium supplementation. We followed 12 children, 6 boys, with a median age at diagnosis of 24.5 months (range 7-137 months) and at the end of the study 157.5 months (range 26.0-224.0 months). All children presented with polyuria and polydipsia, dehydration, and metabolic and electrolyte disturbances with failure to thrive. However, at study entry 5 of 12 patients also had hypophosphatemia, which disappeared after a mean time of 50+/-22.4 months, 3 of 12 had nephrocalcinosis, and 2 of 12 had typical renal cysts. Despite treatment, hypokalemia was persistent in some patients. During long-term follow-up we observed recovery of growth velocity and adequate metabolic and electrolyte balance. However, we noticed renal and gastrointestinal complications: 2 patients had a perforated gastric ulcer, 1 had a gastric ulcer, and gastritis was detected in 3 children. A decreased glomerular filtration rate was observed in 2 patients during follow-up. Our data emphasize the need for regular surveillance of renal function and gastrointestinal endoscopy in these patients. As an alternative to indomethacin, we present our satisfactory preliminary results with rofecoxib.