Current use, training, and barriers in point-of-care ultrasound in nephrology: A national survey of VA medical centers.

BACKGROUND: Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) can improve diagnostic accuracy, reduce procedural complications and enhance physician-patient interactions in nephrology. Currently, there is limited knowledge about how practicing nephrologists are using POCUS. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to characterize current POCUS use, training needs, and barriers to use among nephrology groups. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective observational study of all Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers was conducted between August 2019 and March 2020 using a web-based survey sent to all chiefs of staff and nephrology specialty chiefs. RESULTS: Chiefs of staff (n = 130) and nephrology chiefs (n = 79) completed surveys on facility- and service-level POCUS use (response rates of 100% and 77%, respectively). Current diagnostic or procedural POCUS use was reported by 41% of nephrology groups, and the most common POCUS applications were central line insertion (28%) and assessment of urinary retention (23%), hydronephrosis (18%), volume status (15%), and bladder (14%). Lack of training was the most common barrier (72%), and most nephrology groups (65%) desired POCUS training. Limited access to ultrasound equipment and POCUS training were barriers reported by 54% and 18% of groups, respectively. CONCLUSION: A minority of nephrology groups currently use common POCUS applications including evaluation of urinary retention, hydronephrosis, and volume status. The most common barriers to POCUS use in nephrology were lack of trained providers and ultrasound equipment. Investment in POCUS training and infrastructure is needed to expand and standardize POCUS use in nephrology.

Myasthenia Gravis-Like Syndrome Resulting From Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in a Patient With Urothelial Carcinoma.

The widespread use of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) for the treatment of various types of cancer has led to increasing reports of associated adverse effects. The use of the ipilimumab/nivolumab/sacituzumab combination is currently under study in patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma, given their potential synergism for immunogenic cell death. Information regarding the toxicity spectrum of this combination is lacking. Here, we describe a patient with urothelial carcinoma who had a severe multisystem autoimmune-like toxicity and myasthenia gravis-like syndrome in response to the ipilimumab/nivolumab/sacituzumab combination therapy. We also briefly describe the literature regarding the association between combined immunotherapy use and systemic and neurological autoimmunity.

Acetaminophen as Renoprotective Treatment in a Patient With Severe Malaria.

Background: Severe falciparum malaria with renal impairment carries a significant risk of poor outcomes, including death. Previous randomized controlled trials using acetaminophen as adjunctive treatment for malaria-associated renal failure have demonstrated improvements in renal function and kidney injury progression. Case Presentation: A 50-year-old man with severe falciparum malaria presented with hemolytic anemia, oliguric acute kidney injury, nephrotic range proteinuria, and significant architectural changes on renal ultrasound. Treatment with oral acetaminophen 975 mg every 6 hours was based on the randomized controlled trial protocol to salvage his renal function and avoid dialysis. During the acetaminophen course, urine output and cystatin C level improved with only mild, asymptomatic elevations in aminotransferases that were corrected on follow-up. The patient recovered without requiring dialysis. Conclusions: Acetaminophen's potential to mitigate the oxidative damage of hemoproteins suggests its use as a treatment in severe malaria with renal impairment.

Role of Point-of-Care Ultrasonography in the Evaluation and Management of Kidney Disease.

Imaging at the nephrology point of care provides an important and continuously expanding tool to improve diagnostic accuracy in concert with history and physical examination.

Atypical sarcoidosis diagnosed by bone marrow biopsy during renal workup for possible multiple myeloma.

Sarcoidosis is a multi-organ disease of unknown etiology characterized by non-caseating granulomas. Here we report the case of a 78-year-old white male with a past medical history of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and chronic kidney disease stage III with a baseline serum creatinine of 2.5 mg/dl. The patient had a prior admission history for acute kidney injury (AKI) attributed to dehydration and medication-induced nephro-toxicities. He presented to the renal clinic for follow-up with acute worsening of chronic kidney failure with a serum creatinine level of 3.5 mg/dl. Examination revealed that he was anemic and mildly hypercalcemic with suppressed parathyroid hormone and had proteinuria of 1.3 g per day. The computed tomography scan of the abdomen revealed right renal pelvic non-obstructing calculi. Serum protein electrophoresis revealed gammopathy with two distinct monoclonal peaks consisting of immunoglobulin G (IgG) kappa and IgG lambda, respectively. The kappa/lambda ratio was within normal limits, and urine protein electrophoresis showed no evidence of a monoclonal peak or Bence Jones proteins. Further workup for multiple myeloma, including bone marrow (BM) biopsy, revealed polyclonal plasma cells and B cells with no clonality. No morphological and immune-phenotypic evidence of plasma cell dyscrasia was found, but BM biopsy did show numerous non-caseating granulomas consistent with sarcoidosis. Skin biopsy from non-scaly 6-mm skin colored papule also showed non-caseating granulomas. The patient had elevated angiotensin-converting enzyme levels (165 ug/l) and an erythrocyte sedimentation rate of 27 mm/h. Kidney biopsy did not show granulomas. The hypercalcemia, proteinuria, and AKI responded well after 2 weeks of 60 mg oral prednisone daily.

Baclofen toxicity in patients with advanced nephropathy: proposal for new labeling.

BACKGROUND: Despite several reports in the literature of baclofen toxicity in patients with renal dysfunction, the drug is being used for many patients. METHODS: Herein we report a case of baclofen-induced encephalopathy in a patient with pre-end-stage renal disease and review the literature regarding the magnitude of baclofen toxicity in patients with renal insufficiency. A Medline search for studies in English was performed. Twenty-one case reports involving 41 patients (including our patient) were identified. RESULTS: The majority of patients were elderly (62.5% above 60 years) males (56.3%) on dialysis (62.9%). Neurotoxicities were almost always present at presentation. Manifestations of baclofen toxicity usually started 2-3 days after starting baclofen; however, periods as long as 16 weeks have been reported. The daily dose of baclofen ranged from 5 to 60 mg with a mean dose of 20 mg. Hemodialysis (HD) was the most common treatment modality used for drug elimination (65.7%). The recovery time ranged from 2 h in patients who received HD, to 8 days with conservative treatment. CONCLUSION: The literature does not mention a clear recommendation about baclofen safety and dose adjustment, or a minimum level of kidney function below which the drug should not be used.

Serum cystatin C versus serum creatinine in the estimation of glomerular filtration rate in rhabdomyolysis.

Cystatin C has emerged as a possible, usable surrogate marker of renal function. We present a case that illustrates the clinical utility of cystatin C in the setting of acute kidney injury secondary to rhabdomyolysis. An African American male whose baseline cystatin C and serum creatinine levels taken a month prior to admission were compared against their daily values during his admission and at follow up. On admission, the patient's reduction in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) from baseline was much less when calculated with cystatin C than with serum creatinine. His clinical recovery was more reflective of the higher GFR with cystatin C than what would be assumed with his serum creatinine, which at its worst was 5 ml/min/1.73 m(2). The patient was eventually discharged from the hospital with a GFR of 40 ml/min by cystatin C despite his GFR by the MDRD equation being 12. Cystatin C may be a more accurate marker of the both the amount of injury and the rate of resolution of acute kidney injury than serum creatinine in rhabdomyolysis.

Vitamin C-induced oxalate nephropathy.

Although a multitude of syndromes have been thoroughly described as a result of vitamin deficiencies, over consumption of such substances may also be quite dangerous. Intratubular crystallization of calcium oxalate as a result of hyperoxaluria can cause acute renal failure. This type of renal failure is known as oxalate nephropathy. Hyperoxaluria occurs as a result of inherited enzymatic deficiencies known as primary hyperoxaluria or from exogenous sources known as secondary hyperoxaluria. Extensive literature has reported and explained the mechanism of increased absorption of oxalate in malabsorptive syndromes leading to renal injury. However, other causes of secondary hyperoxaluria may also take place either via direct dietary consumption of oxalate rich products or via other substances which may metabolize into oxalate within the body. Vitamin C is metabolized to oxalate. Oral or parenteral administration of this vitamin has been used in multiple settings such as an alternative treatment of malignancy or as an immune booster. This article presents a clinical case in which ingestion of high amounts of vitamin C lead to oxalate nephropathy. This article further reviews other previously published cases in order to illustrate and highlight the potential renal harm this vitamin poses if consumed in excessive amounts.

Bite-related and septic syndromes caused by cats and dogs.

Bite infections can contain a mix of anaerobes and aerobes from the patient's skin and the animal's oral cavity, including species of Pasteurella, Streptococcus, Fusobacterium, and Capnocytophaga. Domestic cat and dog bite wounds can produce substantial morbidity and often require specialised care techniques and specific antibiotic therapy. Bite wounds can be complicated by sepsis. Disseminated infections, particularly those caused by Capnocytophaga canimorsus and Pasteurella multocida, can lead to septic shock, meningitis, endocarditis, and other severe sequelae. An emerging syndrome in veterinary and human medicine is meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections shared between pets and human handlers, particularly community-acquired MRSA disease involving the USA300 clone. Skin, soft-tissue, and surgical infections are the most common. MRSA-associated infections in pets are typically acquired from their owners and can potentially cycle between pets and their human acquaintances.

A case of selective immunoglobulin M deficiency and autoimmune glomerulonephritis.

Immunodeficiency states have been implicated in autoimmune diseases. Early recognition of these states is important because prophylaxis can prevent morbidity and mortality. The following is a case report of a 57-year-old male who presented with recurrent infections. He was found to have IgM deficiency. All of his infections were treated appropriately with successful responses. He developed glomerulonephritis, which was read by the pathologist as post-infectious glomerulonephritis. Despite antibiotic therapy, his renal function never recovered, leading to permanent hemodialysis. The patient's renal biopsy exhibited histological features compatible with a membrano-proliferative glomerulonephritis. Retrospectively, it is likely that this patient had autoimmune glomerulonephritis, explaining his failure to respond to antimicrobials.

Anti-MPO small-vessel vasculitis causing prostatis and nephritis.

Microscopic polyangiitis is a necrotizing angiitis involving capillaries, venules, and arterioles. The vascular beds of various organs may be involved, causing varying presentations. To our knowledge, this is the first case of anti-myeloperoxidase (anti-MPO) antibody small-vessel vasculitis causing prostatic vasculitis. A 79 year-old nonsmoker American man presented with symptoms of fevers, malaise, weight loss, and cough. Urine analysis revealed hematuria. Blood tests were remarkable for an elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and a serum creatinine of 3.1 mg/dl (baseline, 1.2 mg/dl). Computed tomography (CT) scan of the thorax revealed a 4.7-cm mass in the left lower lobe of the lung. Metastatic prostate cancer was suspected. Therefore, prostatic biopsy was performed. The biopsy revealed fibrinoid degeneration with vasculitic changes involving the arterioles. When evaluated by nephrology, his serum creatinine was 9.9 mg/dl. A renal biopsy was performed, which revealed focal segmental necrotizing glomerulopathy with microscopic vasculitis. All the serologies were normal, with the exception of low C4, and positive perinuclear antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) associated with anti-MPO. The patient was started on intermittent hemodialysis, steroids, and oral cytoxan. Despite treatment, with improvement of the respiratory and constitutional symptoms, the patient remained dialysis-dependent. He later decided to discontinue dialysis and subsequently expired. Vasculitic involvement of the prostate is an uncommon manifestation of microscopic polyangiitis. This bedazzling entity is challenging to diagnose and thus makes it difficult to treat in a timely manner.