Impact of anticoagulation and antiplatelet therapy on dialysis catheter fibrin sheath formation.

PURPOSE Fibrin sheaths are a significant cause of dialysis catheter dysfunction. This study aimed to determine the role of anticoagulation, antiplatelet medications, and other factors in delaying fibrin sheath formation. METHODS An institutional review board-approved retrospective review of all patients treated for tunneled dialysis catheter fibrin sheaths from January 2014 to January 2020 was undertaken. All catheters were symmetric tipped, 14.5 F in diameter, and placed via the internal jugular vein. Seventy patients with venographically confirmed fibrin sheaths that developed after de novo catheter placement were identified. Recurrent fibrin sheaths were excluded. The impact of anticoagulation and antiplatelet therapy, as well as statin therapy, catheter side (right or left), hematocrit, platelet count, prothrombin time (PT), and international normalized ratio (INR), on the time to fibrin sheath formation was determined. RESULTS Patients on anticoagulation had a longer median catheter implantation time of 109.2 days (interquartile range (IQR): 29.3-178.5 days) compared to 80.7 days (IQR: 28.0-168.6 days) among patients not on anticoagulation. Catheter dwell time among patients taking antiplatelet therapy was 86.0 days (IQR: 31.5-160.7 days) versus 74.4 days (IQR: 27.5-202.4 days) for patients not on antiplatelet medication. Patients taking statins versus those not taking statins had median catheter dwell times of 97.5 days (IQR: 27.5-138.5 days) and 62.4 days (IQR: 29.9-259.6 days), respectively. Time to fibrin sheath formation was not significantly associated with hematocrit (P =.16), platelet count (0.12), PT (P =.51), or INR (P =.74). CONCLUSION Anticoagulation has no significant benefit in delaying sheath formation in patients with tunneled dialysis catheters. Hematologic and coagulation parameters at the time of catheter placement were also not associated with catheter dwell time.

Long-term renal function outcomes after renal cryoablation complicated by major hemorrhage requiring selective transarterial embolization.

PURPOSE: To determine long-term renal function outcomes after renal cryoablation complicated by major hemorrhage requiring transarterial embolization compared to patients who underwent uncomplicated renal cryoablation without major hemorrhage. METHODS: Utilizing a matched cohort study design, retrospective review identified 23 patients who underwent percutaneous image-guided renal cryoablation complicated by major hemorrhage requiring ipsilateral transarterial embolization (TAE group) and a control group of 23 patients who underwent uncomplicated renal cryoablation matched 1:1 by age, gender and RENAL Nephrometry score at a single institution from 1/1/2005 to 12/31/2019. Primary outcome parameters included change in creatinine (mg/dl) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (ml/min/1.73 m2; eGFR) from baseline and were compared between TAE and control group using a paired t-test. RESULTS: There was a significantly higher proportion of patients on pre-ablation anticoagulation in the TAE v. control group (30% v. 4%; p = 0.047), but all patients were off anticoagulation and with normal coagulation parameters at the time of cryoablation. Otherwise there were no significant differences in clinical, renal tumor, Charlson co-morbidity index, baseline renal function or cryoablation parameters between the TAE and control group. In the post-ablation period, there was trend toward greater increase in creatinine from baseline to worst post-ablation creatinine in the TAE v. the control group (+ 0.5 ± 0.7 mg/dl v. 0.2 ± 0.1 mg/dl; p = 0.056). However, at a mean follow-up of 42.7 ± 35.7 months, there was no significant difference between the TAE and control group in creatinine (p = 0.68), eGFR (p = 0.60) or change from baseline in creatinine (p = 0.28), eGFR (p = 0.80) or CKD stage (p = 0.74). No patient required initiation of hemodialysis. CONCLUSION: Selective transarterial embolization for post-renal cryoablation hemorrhage does not significantly affect long-term renal function compared to cryoablation alone. Pre-ablation anticoagulation despite normal coagulation at time of ablation may be a risk factor for post-ablation hemorrhage, and warrants further evaluation when considering pre-ablation embolization.

Sarcopenia in Children With End-Stage Liver Disease.

BACKGROUND: Sarcopenia, reflected by decreased psoas muscle surface area (PMSA), has been identified as a novel and independent predictor of wait-list mortality and outcomes in adult liver transplantation (LT). We hypothesized that children with end-stage liver disease (ESLD) would have smaller PMSA than healthy controls. METHODS: Computer tomography images of children (ages 0 to 18 years) listed for LT in 2015 and a control group comprised 2:1 age- and gender-matched healthy pediatric trauma victims were reviewed. PMSA was determined at 2 intervertebral disc (L3/4; L4/5) levels. A subset of images was reviewed by 2 radiologists to determine interrater correlation. RESULTS: A total of 23 children with ESLD were included, and the most prevalent diagnosis was biliary atresia (61%). On both lumbar levels, median PMSA was significantly smaller in ESLD subjects compared with the 46 healthy controls (L4/5; median total PMSA (tPMSA) 407 mm (interquartile range 339-537) versus controls 513 mm (interquartile range 437-672); P = 0.004), independent of participants' weight z scores (r = 0.01; P = 0.95). Excellent interrater correlation was seen (intraclass correlation 0.99). CONCLUSIONS: In this retrospective pilot study, PMSA was significantly lower in children with ESLD compared with healthy age- and gender-matched controls. Because this finding was independent of growth in ESLD subjects, PMSA may represent a novel objective nutritional biomarker in children with advanced liver disease.