Our shared responsibility: the urgent necessity of global environmentally sustainable kidney care.

In response to Earth's accelerating climate crisis, we, an international group of nephrologists, call on our global community to unite and align kidney care in accordance with United Nation's 26th Conference of the Parties health sector principles. We announce a global and inclusive initiative, "GREEN-K": Global Environmental Evolution in Nephrology and Kidney Care, with a vision of "sustainable kidney care for a healthy planet and healthy kidneys" and mission to "promote and support environmentally sustainable and resilient kidney care globally through advocacy, education, and collaboration." A patient-centric approach that permits climate change mitigation and adaptation is proposed. Multi-stakeholder GREEN-K action and focus areas will include education, sustainable clinical care, and advances toward environmentally sustainable innovations, procurement, and infrastructure. Mindful of the disproportionately high climate impact of kidney therapies, we welcome the opportunity to work together in shared accountability to patients and Earth's natural systems.

C-reactive protein levels in patients on maintenance hemodialysis: reliability and reflection on the utility of single measurements.

BACKGROUND: Single C-reactive protein (CRP) values have been associated with death and cardiovascular disease in dialysis patients. We prospectively obtained multiple CRP values in stable patients, hypothesizing that values would remain stable in the absence of disease and that a single CRP value would be a reliable marker of risk. METHODS: Four CRP values per week for three consecutive weeks were obtained in 10 clinically stable patients receiving conventional HD. Using prespecified cutoffs of 2.2 and 4.4 mg/l, the frequency of risk misclassification relative to the lowest CRP value obtained was determined. Within and between patient variability was also calculated. RESULTS: The median age was 54 years, and the average duration of dialysis was 41 months. Nine out of ten patients had at least one abnormal CRP value (>2.2 mg/l), six had all values elevated, and seven had an abnormal median CRP. The overall coefficient of reliability was 0.63 (95% CI 0.42-0.87). The misclassification rate varied with cutoff, and ranged from 0-83% and 0-58% using upper limit of normal (ULN) and twice ULN, respectively. The within patient variability was 0.37 for the entire cohort, and 0.33 when three patients with intercurrent acute inflammation were excluded. CONCLUSIONS: CRP exhibits short term variability in HD patients, resulting in a risk of misclassification depending on sampling time and chosen cutoff point. Single CRP values must be interpreted with caution, and multiple measurements, or use of other biomarkers, should be considered.

What's new in peritoneal dialysis: biocompatibility and continuous flow peritoneal dialysis.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This review examines recent developments in the understanding of the effect of conventional, bioincompatible peritoneal dialysis fluids on structural and functional changes in the peritoneal membrane. Emphasis is placed on the clinically relevant outcome of failure of long-term peritoneal dialysis. Therapeutic strategies to prevent technique failure, including the use of new peritoneal dialysis fluids and continuous flow peritoneal dialysis, are explored. RECENT FINDINGS: Long-term (greater than 6 months) exposure to new peritoneal dialysis fluids with physiologic pH, lower lactate concentrations, or lower concentrations of glucose degradation products results in improved leukocyte cytokine release, ultrafiltration, and mesothelial cell mass, respectively. Continuous flow peritoneal dialysis allows efficient small molecule removal using dialysate with lower glucose concentration and possibly less glucose degradation products. Recent technical advances include creation of a double-lumen peritoneal dialysis catheter, and methods of monitoring intra-abdominal pressure and ultrafiltration. SUMMARY: Though initial reports with biocompatible peritoneal dialysis fluids are promising, the efficacy of these new solutions in preventing long-term peritoneal dialysis failure is unproven. Conditions in which new peritoneal dialysis fluids may be beneficial are suggested. Continuous flow peritoneal dialysis requires substantial technical improvements before this technique can be widely accepted.