A New Cycler for Automated Peritoneal Dialysis to Provide Efficient Dialysis and Improved Sleep Quality.

INTRODUCTION: Automated peritoneal dialysis (APD) employs cyclers to control inflow and outflow of the dialysis fluid to the patient's abdomen. To allow more patients to use this modality, cyclers should support the achievement of an adequate dialysis dose and be easy to use, cost-effective, and silent. The new SILENCIA cycler (Fresenius Medical Care, Bad Homburg, Germany), designed to improve these characteristics in comparison to its predecessor device, was evaluated in this respect in a prospective study. METHODS: This cross-over study comprised two 2-week study periods, separated by a 3-week training phase. First, patients underwent APD with their current cycler (PD-NIGHT [Fresenius Medical Care, Bad Homburg, Germany] or HomeChoice Pro [Baxter, Deerfield, IL, USA] as control), followed by training on the SILENCIA cycler. Then, patients were switched to the SILENCIA cycler. During each treatment period, we collected data on total Kt/Vurea, ultrafiltration (UF) volume, patient-reported outcomes (sleep quality, among others), and device handling. RESULTS: Sixteen patients were enrolled; 2 patients terminated the study prematurely before study intervention, 1 patient due to a protocol violation. In 13 patients, total Kt/Vurea and UF could be evaluated. Neither Kt/Vurea nor UF differed significantly between control and SILENCIA cyclers. Out of 10 patients answering the questionnaire on sleep quality after the 2-week phase with the SILENCIA cycler, sleep quality improved in 5 patients; in the other patients, sleep quality was rated unchanged compared to the previously used cycler. The average reported sleep time was 5.9 ± 1.8 h with the PD-NIGHT, 7.2 ± 2.1 h with HomeChoice Pro, and 8.0 ± 1.6 h with the SILENCIA cycler. All patients were much or very much satisfied with the new cycler. CONCLUSION: The SILENCIA cycler delivers adequate urea clearance and UF. Importantly, sleep quality improved, possibly related to less caution messages and alarms.

Comparison of plasma separation using centrifugation or filtration for MONET lipoprotein apheresis in patients with cardiovascular disease and severe dyslipidemia.

INTRODUCTION: Homozygous or severe heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia and elevated lipoprotein(a) levels may be treated with membrane filtration. The MONET system (Fresenius Medical Care, Bad Homburg, Germany) involves plasma separation by centrifugation or filtration. METHODS: Whether the method of plasma separation affects lipoprotein lowering and treatment safety was investigated in a single-center retrospective study. RESULTS: The centrifugation-based plasma separation achieved a higher plasma flow and shorter time to treat 1 L of plasma (46.2 ± 8.6 min), than the filtration-based system (71.5 ± 40.0 min; p = 0.001). The mean reduction of LDL-cholesterol was 69% and 67% with centrifugation and filtration and was 75% for lipoprotein(a) with both plasma separation methods. A reduction of IgM by more than 60%, of albumin and total protein by approximately 20% and low frequency of side effects was observed. CONCLUSIONS: The efficacy of lowering atherogenic lipoproteins was comparable with both plasma separation methods. Centrifugation was more time-efficient compared to filtration.

Performance, clinical effectiveness, and safety of immunoadsorption in a wide range of indications.

Immunoadsorption is well known to selectively remove immunoglobulins and immune complexes from plasma and is applied in a variety of autoimmune diseases and for desensitization before, or at acute rejection after organ transplantation. Performance, safety, and clinical effectiveness of immunoadsorption were the aim of this study. This prospective, noninterventional, multicentre cohort study included patients treated with immunoadsorption (Immunosorba or GLOBAFFIN adsorbers) for any indication. Clinical effectiveness was assessed after termination of the patient's individual treatment schedule. Eighty-one patients were included, 69 were treated with Immunosorba, 11 with GLOBAFFIN, one patient with both adsorbers. A majority of patients was treated for neurological indications, dilated cardiomyopathy, and before or after kidney or heart transplantation. Mean IgG reduction from pre- to post-treatment was 69.9% ± 11.5% for Immunosorba and 74.1% ± 5.0% for GLOBAFFIN, respectively. The overall IgG reduction over a complete treatment block was 68%-93% with Immunosorba and 62%-90% with GLOBAFFIN depending on the duration of the overall treatment. After termination of the immunoadsorption therapy, an improvement of clinical status was observed in 63.0%, stabilization of symptoms in 29.6%, and a deterioration in 4.9% of patients. Changes in fibrinogen, thrombocytes, and albumin were mostly classified as noncritical. Overall, the treatments were well tolerated. Immunoadsorption in routine clinical practice with both GLOBAFFIN and Immunosorba has been safely performed, was well tolerated by patients, and effective in lowering immunoglobulins with an improvement or maintenance of clinical status, thus represents an additional therapeutic option for therapy refractory immune disorders.

Current clinical practice in adapted automated peritoneal dialysis (aAPD)-A prospective, non-interventional study.

Adapted automated peritoneal dialysis (aAPD), comprising a sequence of dwells with different durations and fill volumes, has been shown to enhance both ultrafiltration and solute clearance compared to standard peritoneal dialysis with constant time and volume dwells. The aim of this non-interventional study was to describe the different prescription patterns used in aAPD in clinical practice and to observe outcomes characterizing volume status, dialysis efficiency, and residual renal function over 1 year. Prevalent and incident, adult aAPD patients were recruited during routine clinic visits, and aAPD prescription, volume status, residual renal function and laboratory data were documented at baseline and every quarter thereafter for 1 year. Treatments were prescribed according to the nephrologist's medical judgement in accordance with each center's clinical routine. Of 180 recruited patients, 160 were analyzed. 27 different aAPD prescription patterns were identified. 79 patients (49.4%) received 2 small, short dwells followed by 3 long, large dwells. During follow-up, volume status changed only marginally, with visit mean values ranging between 1.59 (95% confidence interval: 1.19; 1.99) and 1.97 (1.33; 2.61) L. Urine output and creatinine clearance decreased significantly, accompanied by reductions in ultrafiltration and Kt/V. 25 patients (15.6%) received a renal transplant and 15 (9.4%) were changed to hemodialysis. Options for individualization offered by aAPD are actually used in practice for optimized treatment. Changes observed in renal function and dialysis efficiency measures reflect the natural course of chronic kidney disease. No safety events were observed during the study period.

Association of Prescription With Body Composition and Patient Outcomes in Incident Peritoneal Dialysis Patients.

Objective: The nutritional status of patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD) is influenced by patient- and disease-related factors and lifestyle. This analysis evaluated the association of PD prescription with body composition and patient outcomes in the prospective incident Initiative for Patient Outcomes in Dialysis-Peritoneal Dialysis (IPOD-PD) patient cohort. Design and Methods: In this observational, international cohort study with longitudinal follow-up of 1,054 incident PD patients, the association of PD prescription with body composition was analyzed by using the linear mixed models, and the association of body composition with death and change to hemodialysis (HD) by means of a competing risk analysis combined with a spline analysis. Body composition was regularly assessed with the body composition monitor, a device applying bioimpedance spectroscopy. Results: Age, time on PD, and the use of hypertonic and polyglucose solutions were significantly associated with a decrease in lean tissue index (LTI) and an increase in fat tissue index (FTI) over time. Competing risk analysis revealed a U-shaped association of body mass index (BMI) with the subdistributional hazard ratio (HR) for risk of death. High LTI was associated with a lower subdistributional HR, whereas low LTI was associated with an increased subdistributional HR when compared with the median LTI as a reference. High FTI was associated with a higher subdistributional HR when compared with the median as a reference. Subdistributional HR for risk of change to HD was not associated with any of the body composition parameters. The use of polyglucose or hypertonic PD solutions was predictive of an increased probability of change to HD, and the use of biocompatible solutions was predictive of a decreased probability of change to HD. Conclusion: Body composition is associated with non-modifiable patient-specific and modifiable treatment-related factors. The association between lean tissue and fat tissue mass and death and change to HD in patients on PD suggests developing interventions and patient counseling to improve nutritional markers and, ultimately, patient outcomes. Study Registration: The study has been registered at Clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01285726).

Single-dwell treatment with a low-sodium solution in hypertensive peritoneal dialysis patients.

BACKGROUND: Patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD) may suffer from sodium (Na) and fluid overload, hypertension and increased cardiovascular risk. Low-Na dialysis solution, by increasing the diffusive removal of Na, might improve blood pressure (BP) management. METHODS: A glucose-compensated, low-Na PD solution (112 mmol/L Na and 2% glucose) was compared to a standard-Na solution (133 mmol/L Na and 1.5% glucose) in a prospective, randomised, single-blind study in hypertensive patients on PD. One daily exchange of the standard dialysis regimen was substituted by either of the study solutions for 6 months. The primary outcome (response) was defined as either a decrease of 24-h systolic BP (SBP) by ≥6 mmHg or a fall in BP requiring a medical intervention (e.g. a reduction of antihypertensive medication) at 8 weeks. RESULTS: One hundred twenty-three patients were assessed for efficacy. Response criteria were achieved in 34.5% and 29.1% of patients using low- and standard-Na solutions, respectively (p = 0.51). Small reductions in 24 h, office, and self-measured BP were observed, more marked with low-Na than with standard-Na solution, but only the between-group difference for self-measured SBP and diastolic BP was significant (p = 0.002 and p = 0.003). Total body water decreased in the low-Na group and increased in the control group, but between-group differences were not significant. Hypotension and dizziness occurred in 27.0% and in 11.1% of patients in the low-Na group and in 16.9% and 4.6% in the control group, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Superiority of low-Na PD solution over standard-Na solution for control of BP could not be shown. The once daily use of a low-Na PD solution was associated with more hypotensive episodes, suggesting the need to reassess the overall concept of how Na-reduced solutions might be incorporated within the treatment schedule.