Is There Sufficient Evidence Justifying Limited Access of Jehovah's Witness Patients to Kidney Transplantation?

BACKGROUND: Jehovah's Witnesses (JWs) refuse blood transfusions due to religious issues. This situation may impact kidney transplantation (KT) outcomes in case of hemorrhagic complications. We evaluated demographic characteristics of this population, hematologic safety, and graft outcomes. METHODS: This was a retrospective, single-center study comparing KT outcomes in JW patients versus a non-JW control group. Hematologic endpoints included clinical indication for blood transfusion (hemoglobin <7 g/dL), decrease of hemoglobin >2 g/dL or hematocrit >5% in the first week after KT, hemorrhagic complications requiring surgery, and de novo prescription of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents. Secondary endpoints included delayed graft function, treated biopsy-proven acute rejection, renal function, mortality, and graft survival at 12 months. RESULTS: From January 1989 to September 2018, we identified 143 JW (10 pediatric) and selected 142 matched control (non-JW) patients. There were no differences in the incidence of clinical indication for transfusion (13.3% versus 11.3%, P = 0.640), but a higher proportion of non-JW patients received transfusions (2.1% versus 9.2%, P = 0.010). There were no differences in the proportion of patients with decreased hemoglobin concentration, in reinterventions due to hemorrhagic complications, in the use of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents at hospital discharge, in the incidence of acute rejection, in renal function, and in mortality or graft survival rate at 12 months. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, this matched control cohort study suggests that, when clinically indicated, blood transfusions can be safely avoided in the majority of JW kidney transplant, who achieve and maintain comparable hemoglobin concentrations during the first year after transplantation compared with non-JW patients.

La sobrehidratación persistente asocia un riesgo significativo de infección peritoneal por gérmenes entéricos en pacientes tratados con diálisis peritoneal / Persistent overhydration is associated with a significant risk of peritoneal infection by enteric pathogens in patients treated with peritoneal dialysis

ANTECEDENTES Y OBJETIVOS: La sobrehidratación (SH) es frecuente, y a menudo persistente, en pacientes tratados con diálisis peritoneal (DP), y mantiene una asociación controvertida con el riesgo de infección peritoneal. El objetivo principal de este estudio fue desvelar una posible asociación entre la presencia de SH y el riesgo subsiguiente de infección peritoneal por gérmenes entéricos, en una población relativamente amplia de pacientes tratados con DP. MÉTODO: Según diseño prospectivo, monitorizamos de manera sistemática la composición corporal de pacientes tratados con DP en nuestra unidad (2011-2016), buscando una posible correlación con el riesgo de peritonitis durante el seguimiento, con un interés particular en la asociación entre SH persistente (variable de estudio principal) y el riesgo de infección peritoneal por patógenos entéricos (variable resultado principal). Para el análisis tuvimos en cuenta variables demográficas, clínicas y de laboratorio con influencia potencial en el riesgo de infección peritoneal. Utilizamos técnicas de análisis multivariante para clarificar el efecto específico de diferentes parámetros de composición corporal sobre la variable resultado principal. RESULTADOS PRINCIPALES: Incluimos 139 pacientes, con seguimiento medio de 24 meses. Sesenta y tres pacientes sufrieron al menos una peritonitis, y 17 al menos una infección por gérmenes entéricos. El análisis univariante mostró una tendencia general a mayor riesgo de infección peritoneal entérica en pacientes sobrehidratados, que se hacía evidente cuando se usaba el cociente agua extracelular/agua intracelular (AEC/AIC) (p = 0,007), el cociente SH/AEC (SH/AEG) (p = 0,033), o el cociente AEC/agua corporal total (AEC/ACT) (p = 0,004), pero no cuando se usaba la SH absoluta, como variable de estudio. El análisis multivariante confirmó estas asociaciones o tendencias (RR: 3,48; IC 95%: 1,03-14,59; p = 0,046, tercil mayor versus menor para AEC/AIC, RR: 2,31; IC 95%: 0,98-6,56; p = 0,061, tercil mayor versus menor para SH/AEC, y RR: 6,33; IC 95%: 1,37-19,37; p = 0,011, tercil mayor versus menor para AEC/ACT). Por el contrario, no observamos asociación consistente entre SH y riesgo general de infección peritoneal. CONCLUSIÓN: La SH persistente asocia un riesgo significativo de infección peritoneal por patógenos entéricos, en pacientes tratados con DP

BACKGROUND: Overhydration (OH) complicates frequently the clinical course of Peritoneal Dialysis (PD) patients, and keeps a controversial association with the risk of peritoneal infection. The main objective of this study was to disclose an association between persistent OH and the risk of enteric peritonitis in a relatively large sample of patients undergoing PD. METHOD: Following a prospective design, we monitorized systematically body composition of patients treated with PD in our unit (2011-2016), searching for a correlation with the ensuing risk of peritonitis, with an emphasis on the association between persistent OH (main study variable) and the risk of infection by enteric pathogens (main outcome). Essential demographic, clinical and laboratory variables with a potential influence on the risk of peritonitis were recorded. We used multivariate survival analysis to clarify the specific effect of different body composition parameters on the main outcome. MAIN RESULTS: We included 139 patients for analysis (mean follow-up 24 months). Sixty-three patients suffered at least one peritonitis, and 17 had at least one diagnosis of enteric peritonitis. Univariate analysis disclosed a general trend to an increased risk of enteric peritonitis in overhydrated patients, as evidenced by associations of this outcome with mean extracellular water/intracellular water (ECW/ICW) (p = .007), OH/ECW (p = .033) and ECW/total body water (ECW/TBW) (p = .004) ratios, but not with absolute OH values. Multivariate analysis confirmed similar associations or trends (RR: 3.48, 95% CI: 1.03-14.59; p = .046, highest versus lowest tertile of ECW/ICW, RR: 2.31, 95% CI: 0.98-6.56; p = .061, highest versus lowest tertile of OH/ECW, and RR: 6.33, 95% CI: 1.37-19.37; p = .011, highest versus lowest tertile of ECW/TBW). On the contrary, no apparent association was detected between OH and the overall risk of peritoneal infection. CONCLUSION: Persistent overhydration portends a significant risk of peritoneal infection by enteric pathogens, among patients undergoing chronic PD

Persistent overhydration is associated with a significant risk of peritoneal infection by enteric pathogens in patients treated with peritoneal dialysis. / La sobrehidratación persistente asocia un riesgo significativo de infección peritoneal por gérmenes entéricos en pacientes tratados con diálisis peritoneal.

BACKGROUND: Overhydration (OH) complicates frequently the clinical course of Peritoneal Dialysis (PD) patients, and keeps a controversial association with the risk of peritoneal infection. The main objective of this study was to disclose an association between persistent OH and the risk of enteric peritonitis in a relatively large sample of patients undergoing PD. METHOD: Following a prospective design, we monitorized systematically body composition of patients treated with PD in our unit (2011-2016), searching for a correlation with the ensuing risk of peritonitis, with an emphasis on the association between persistent OH (main study variable) and the risk of infection by enteric pathogens (main outcome). Essential demographic, clinical and laboratory variables with a potential influence on the risk of peritonitis were recorded. We used multivariate survival analysis to clarify the specific effect of different body composition parameters on the main outcome. MAIN RESULTS: We included 139 patients for analysis (mean follow-up 24 months). Sixty-three patients suffered at least one peritonitis, and 17 had at least one diagnosis of enteric peritonitis. Univariate analysis disclosed a general trend to an increased risk of enteric peritonitis in overhydrated patients, as evidenced by associations of this outcome with mean extracellular water/intracellular water (ECW/ICW) (p=.007), OH/ECW (p=.033) and ECW/total body water (ECW/TBW) (p=.004) ratios, but not with absolute OH values. Multivariate analysis confirmed similar associations or trends (RR: 3.48, 95% CI: 1.03-14.59; p=.046, highest versus lowest tertile of ECW/ICW, RR: 2.31, 95% CI: 0.98-6.56; p=.061, highest versus lowest tertile of OH/ECW, and RR: 6.33, 95% CI: 1.37-19.37; p=.011, highest versus lowest tertile of ECW/TBW). On the contrary, no apparent association was detected between OH and the overall risk of peritoneal infection. CONCLUSION: Persistent overhydration portends a significant risk of peritoneal infection by enteric pathogens, among patients undergoing chronic PD.