A high rate of recurrence has been described in atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome renal transplant recipients, favored by certain immunosuppressant drugs that can induce complement activation. We present four case series in which three patients were diagnosed pretransplantation and a fourth who had onset in the very early post-transplantation period. The patients received different immunosuppression schedules, and all had improvement after more than 2-years. We suggest the need to stratify the risk of atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome recurrence using genetic studies and the available drugs as the main factors that allow graft survival improvement today.
Atypical Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome/immunology , Immunosuppression Therapy/adverse effects , Kidney Transplantation/adverse effects , Postoperative Complications/immunology , Adult , Aged , Atypical Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome/surgery , Complement Activation , Female , Graft Survival/immunology , Humans , Immunosuppression Therapy/methods , Kidney/immunology , Male , Middle Aged , Recurrence , Risk Factors
Sixty patients with moderate and severe burns were randomly assigned to receive topical silver sulfadiazine (SSD) alone (n=30) or SSD combined with cerium nitrate (SSD-CN) (n=30). There were four deaths in the SSD group and one in the SSD-CN group; more patients with higher risk severity survived in the SSD-CN group. Wound infection did not differ significantly between the groups. The rate of re-epithelialization of partial thickness burns was faster by 8 days in the SSD-CN group. The relatively dry shell-like eschar of the SSD-CN-treated burn allowed planned excisions with immediate autologous grafting and the tissue beneath was ready to accept grafting 11 days earlier than in the SSD group (p=0.03). This resulted in a significantly shorter hospital stay for those in the SSD-CN group than in the SSD group (23.3 vs. 30.7 days; p=0.03) with consequent cost savings. A higher incidence of transient stinging pain was reported with application of SSD-CN, but this was effectively managed with analgesics where necessary. The results of this study confirm the greater efficacy of SSD-CN in the treatment of burns patients.
Anti-Infective Agents, Local/administration & dosage , Burns/drug therapy , Cerium/administration & dosage , Silver Sulfadiazine/administration & dosage , Administration, Topical , Adolescent , Adult , Burns/mortality , Burns/surgery , Child , Child, Preschool , Drug Therapy, Combination , Female , Humans , Length of Stay , Male , Middle Aged , Patient Dropouts , Skin Transplantation , Treatment Outcome , Wound Healing/drug effects , Wound Infection/prevention & control
Introducción. Las técnicas continuas de reemplazo renal (TCRR) están indicadas en pacientes graves; pero su implantación parece condicionada por la existencia de Unidades de Cuidados Intensivos (UCI) cerradas, atendidas por intensivistas. Material. Estudio observacional mediante una encuesta enviada a las UCI de los hospitales públicos de nuestro país. Se completaron 56 encuestas. Resultados. El intensivista atiende el fracaso renal agudo en un 62,7 por ciento de los hospitales que cuentan con nefrología. El 91 por ciento usan TCRR (16,6 [14,5] procedimientos/año y UCI): veno-venosa el 79,6 por ciento; hemodialfiltración el 65,3 por ciento y arterio-venosa el 49 por ciento. Se limita la producción de ultrafiltrado en el 71,8 por ciento, con una media de recambio de 803 (538) ml/h. Los filtros tienen una duración de 49,4 (20,5) horas (4,4 [2] filtros/paciente). Las membranas preferidas son AN69 (48,6 por ciento) y polisulfona (45,7 por ciento). Entre las indicaciones no renales se aceptan: control de volumen el 88 por ciento, intoxicaciones el 46 por ciento y pancreatitis el 40 por ciento. Su uso se centra en UCI (nefrología 19,6 por ciento, anestesia 7,1 por ciento). La enfermería de intensivos inicia la técnica en el 77,6 por ciento y se encarga de su manejo en el 100 por ciento, con una relación enfermero/paciente de 1/2 en el 54,4 por ciento y 1/1 en el 43,5 por ciento. El seguimiento y control es responsabilidad exclusiva del intensivista en el 73,5 por ciento. La aceptación inicial fue baja en el 12,8 por ciento del personal médico y en el 29,8 por ciento de la enfermería. Los datos del tratamiento no difieren según el tamaño de la UCI. Conclusión. Las TCRR se utilizan preferentemente en la UCI, donde es casi el único medio de tratamiento de depuración siendo el intensivista el responsable de su indicación y control. Es realizada por la enfermería de intensivos. El tipo de Unidad no condiciona diferencias en cuanto al rendimiento (AU)
Renal Replacement Therapy/methods , Renal Replacement Therapy , Data Collection/methods , Hemofiltration/methods , Critical Care/methods , Nurse-Patient Relations , Intensive Care Units , Intensive Care Units/organization & administration , Critical Care/methods , Spain/epidemiology , Prospective Studies , Signs and Symptoms , Hemofiltration/trends , Hemofiltration , Hemofiltration/classification
BACKGROUND: Acute renal failure (ARF) complicating severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) carries a high mortality. Clinically useful scores to define patients who will develop this complication are lacking. We try to determine the incidence of ARF and variables predicting the appearance and severity of the episodes. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Retrospective study of all SAP patients admitted in an intensive care unit between 1991 and 1998 (n = 154). RESULTS: ARF incidence was 42%. Haemodynamic instability, APACHE II and Ranson score were related to ARF development. 62.2% of severe ARF patients had multiple organ failure (MOF). Mortality was 71.2% compared to 6.8% in patients without ARF (39.9% in mild ARF and 94.6% in severe ARF). Etiology relates to mortality (prerenal [46.4%], after severe hypotensive episode [71.4%], in MOF [93.3%]; p < 0.005). 63.6% patients required replacement therapy (hemofiltration [HF] 95.5%), with a mortality of 89.3% (100% for intermittent dialysis compared to 88% with HF). In 32% patients treated with HF, ARF improved (when initiated early mortality was 76.9% compared to a 100% when initiated in more advanced stages) (p < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis showed that ARF severity and haemodynamic failure were related with mortality. CONCLUSION: ARF is a frequent and early complication of SAP, worsening its prognosis. FRA severity is related to the outcome. Need of replacement therapy supposes a high mortality. In this setting, HF seems to have advantages over conventional dialysis.
Acute Kidney Injury/etiology , Pancreatitis/complications , Pancreatitis/mortality , APACHE , Acute Disease , Acute Kidney Injury/epidemiology , Acute Kidney Injury/therapy , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Female , Humans , Incidence , Male , Middle Aged , Multiple Organ Failure/etiology , Prognosis , Renal Dialysis , Retrospective Studies , Survival Analysis
