Crescentic glomerulonephritis: data from the Spanish Glomerulonephritis Registry.

BACKGROUND: Crescentic glomerulonephritis (CGN) is a histological finding that implies rapid deterioration of renal function and can be related to different diseases, such as type 1 or anti-glomerular basement membrane antibody (Goodpasture) disease, type 2 or immune complex CGN and type 3 or pauci-immune disease. AIM: The present study describes CGN and its characteristics based on the data from the Spanish Glomerulonephritis Registry. METHODS: An analysis was made of all native renal biopsies obtained from patients during 1994-2013 and classified as CGN. A patient epidemiological and clinical data questionnaire was completed by the 120 centres involved. RESULTS: A total of 21,774 biopsies was performed, of which 2089 (8.1%) corresponded to CGN (211 type 1, 177 type 2 and 1701 type 3). Renal function was poorer in type 1 compared with types 2 and 3, and proteinuria was higher in type 2 compared to types 1 and 3. Patients diagnosed with CGN type 3 were older than those with types 1 and 2, but less hypertensive than the type 2 patients. No differences in the urine test findings were found between types 1 and 2. Microhaematuria was the most frequent feature in general, as well as in type 3 compared with types 1 and 2. The main indication for biopsy was acute renal injury. Age was the only difference between type 1 patients with and without alveolar haemorrhage (53 [33-67] vs 64 [46-73], P = 0.008). CONCLUSION: Although classified as the same entity, the different types of CGN have different features that must be taken into account.

Dose equivalence between continuous erythropoietin receptor activator (CERA), Darbepoetin and Epoetin in patients with advanced chronic kidney disease.

BACKGROUND: Anemia is a prevalent situation in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and can be well managed with erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs). Continuous erythropoietin receptor activator (CERA) has a long half-life that allows to be administered once monthly. The lowest recommended dose for patients with non dialysis CKD is 120 µg per month. The objectives were to assess the efficacy of subcutaneous monthly dosing of CERA in CKD stages 4 and 5 not on dialysis, and to determine the equivalent dose to epoetin ß and darbepoetin α. METHODS: This is a cohort study. A 30-patient group that ESAs was changed to CERA (µg/month) was used as treatment group. We used the following clinically-based equivalent dosing: epoetin ß (IU/week) and darbepoetin α (µg/week): 3000/15= 50; 4000/20=75; 6000/30=100; 8000/40=150. Another group of 30 patients with similar characteristics was used as control group and received the same epoetin ß and darbepoetin α doses. RESULTS: The mean CERA initial dose and at 6 months was 81.9 ± 35.2 and 82.0 ± 37.82 µg/month (p=0.37). The mean erythropoietin resistance index (ERI) and hemoglobin at baseline and at 6 months in the CERA group and in the control group were not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Monthly dosing treatment with CERA is safe and effective. A dose of 75-100 µg/month is enough to maintain stable levels of hemoglobin. Hippokratia 2014; 18 (4): 315-318.

The phase angle of the electrical impedance is a predictor of long-term survival in dialysis patients.

INTRODUCTION: Protein-energy malnutrition is a risk factor for mortality in dialysis patients; however, its clinical assessment has not been well defined. Electrical bioimpedance (EBI) is a non-invasive and objective procedure, which is increasingly being used for this assessment. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to analyse the relationship between the phase angle determined by EBI at a frequency of 50kHz (AF50) and other nutritional parameters, and prospectively evaluate its ability as a marker for long-term mortality. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We included 164 patients (127 on haemodialysis and 37 on peritoneal dialysis) who underwent an EBI analysis while simultaneously determining inflammation and nutrition parameters. The Charlson comorbidity index was then calculated. RESULTS: In the linear correlation analysis, we found that the AF50 had a direct association with lean mass, intracellular water, extracellular water and interdialytic weight gain, while having an inverse association with age and fat mass. Patients with AF50 >8º had a better nutritional status, were younger and had significantly longer survival at the six-year follow-up. Among the patients studied, both the AF50 and the other body composition parameters were better in peritoneal dialysis than in haemodialysis, but these differences may be attributable to the fact that the first patients were younger. In the multivariate analysis, only the AF50 <8º and comorbidity adjusted for age persisted as independent risk factors for mortality. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that AF50 has a good correlation with nutritional parameters and is a good marker of survival in dialysis patients. Nevertheless, intervention studies are needed to demonstrate if the improvement in EBI parameters is associated with better survival.

El ángulo de fase de la impedancia eléctrica es un predictor de supervivencia a largo plazo en pacientes en diálisis / The phase angle of the electrical impedance is a predictor of long-term survival in dialysis patients

Introducción: La malnutrición calórico-proteica es un factor de riesgo de mortalidad en pacientes en diálisis, sin embargo, su valoración clínica no ha sido bien definida. La bioimpedancia eléctrica (BIE) es un procedimiento no invasivo y objetivo, cada vez más empleado en su valoración. Objetivo: El objetivo de este estudio es analizar la relación entre el ángulo de fase determinado por BIE a una frecuencia de 50 kHz (AF50) con otros parámetros de nutrición y valorar prospectivamente su capacidad como marcador pronóstico de mortalidad a largo plazo. Pacientes y métodos: Incluimos a 164 pacientes, 127 en hemodiálisis y 37 en diálisis peritoneal, a los que se les realiza un análisis de BIE al tiempo que se solicitan parámetros de inflamación y nutrición y se calcula el índice de comorbilidad de Charlson. Resultados: En el análisis de correlación lineal, encontramos que el AF50 tiene una asociación directa con la masa magra, con el agua intracelular, con el agua extracelular y con la ganancia de peso interdiálisis, mientras que se asocia de forma inversa con la edad, con la masa grasa y con el log PCR. Los pacientes con AF50 >8o presentan un mejor estado nutricional, son más jóvenes y tienen una supervivencia significativamente mejor a los seis años de seguimiento. Entre los pacientes (..) (AU)

Introduction: Protein-energy malnutrition is a risk factor for mortality in dialysis patients; however, its clinical assessment has not been well defined. Electrical bioimpedance (EBI) is a non-invasive and objective procedure, which is increasingly being used for this assessment. Objective: The aim of this study is to analyse the relationship between the phase angle determined by EBI at a frequency of 50kHz (AF50) and other nutritional parameters, and prospectively evaluate its ability as a marker for long-term mortality. Patients and methods: We included 164 patients (127 on haemodialysis and 37 on peritoneal dialysis) who underwent an EBI analysis while simultaneously determining inflammation and nutrition parameters. The Charlson comorbidity index was then calculated. Results: In the linear correlation analysis, we found that the AF50 had a direct association with lean mass, intracellular water, extracellular water and interdialytic weight gain, while having an inverse association with age and fat mass. Patients with AF50 >8o had a better nutritional status, were younger and had significantly longer survival at the six-year follow-up. Among the patients studied, both the AF50 and the other body composition parameters were better in peritoneal dialysis than in haemodialysis, but these differences may be attributable to the fact that the first patients were younger. In the multivariate analysis, only the AF50 <8o and comorbidity adjusted for age persisted as independent risk factors for mortality. Conclusions: We conclude that AF50 has a good correlation with nutritional parameters and is a good marker of survival in dialysis patients. Nevertheless, intervention studies are needed to demonstrate if the improvement in EBI parameters is associated with better survival (..) (AU)

Serum cystatin C and microalbuminuria in the detection of vascular and renal damage in early stages.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to assess serum cystatin C and urinary albumin in the early detection of impairment in cardiovascular and renal function. MATERIAL ANS METHODS: Cystatin C was quantified in sera from healthy people, moreover, cystatin C was quantified in a group of patients diagnosed with chronic kidney disease for predicting a measured glomerular filtration rate <60 ml/min/1.73 m2. Finally serum cystatin C and microalbuminuria were measured in patients with increasing of risk of impairment in cardiovascular and renal function (hypertension, diabetes and hyperlipidemia). RESULTS: When the serum cystatin C was quantified in a group of risk, we observe as when being increased the cystatin C, the values of the glomerular filtration rate decreased (p <0.05), the cystatin values C were increased when increasing the age of the patients (p <0.05) and cystatin C values higher than 0.95 mg/l were not observed in patient smaller than 50 years old. In the group of risk, serum cystatin C was high regarding to the values obtained in healthy people in 27.6%, microalbuminuria in the 20.3% and both parameters were high in the 14.4% of patients with a glomerular filtration rate >90 ml/min/1.73 m2, while in patients with a glomerular filtration rate 60-90 ml/min/1.73 m2, cystatin C was high in the 51.7% and the microalbuminuria only in the 6.4%. CONCLUSIONS: Determinations of serum cystatin C associated to the quantification of urinary albumin in patients with cardiovascular risk can optimize the early detection of vascular and renal damage. Cystatin C can show vascular and renal damage in patients without urinary albumin.

Cistatina C sérica y microalbuminuria en la detección del daño vascular y renal en estadios precoces, en pacientes de riesgo sin enfermedad renal crónica / Serum cystatin C and microalbuminuria in the detection of early-stage vascular and renal damage, in at-risk patients without chronic kidney disease

Objetivo: Evaluar la cistatina C sérica y la microalbuminuria en la detección precoz de las alteraciones vasculares y renales. Material y método: La cistatina C sérica fue cuantificada en suero de un grupo de personas sanas y en un grupo de pacientes con enfermedad renal crónica para establecer un valor de cistatina C a partir del cual se pueda predecir un filtrado glomerular <60 ml/min/1.73 m2. Finalmente, la cistatina C sérica y la microalbuminuria fueron cuantificadas en pacientes con un incremento del riesgo de daño vascular y renal (hipertensión, diabetes e hiperlipemia). Resultados: Cuando la cistatina C sérica fue cuantificada en un grupo de riesgo, observamos cómo al aumentar los valores de cistatina C disminuían los valores del filtrado glomerular (p <0,05), que los valores de cistatina C se incrementaban al aumentar la edad de los pacientes (p <0,05) y cómo valores de cistatina C superiores a 0,95 mg/l no se observaron en pacientes con edad inferior a 50 años. En los pacientes del grupo de riesgo con un filtrado glomerular >90 ml/min/1,73 m2, la cistatina C sérica estaba elevada en un 27,6% con respecto a los valores obtenidos en personas sanas; existía microalbuminuria en un 20,3% y elevación de ambos parámetros en un 14,4%. Con valores de filtrado glomerular 60-90 ml/min/1,73 m2, la cistatina C estaba elevada en un 51,7%, la microalbuminuria en un 6,4% y ambos parámetros en un 23,8%. Conclusiones: Determinaciones de cistatina C sérica asociadas a la cuantificación de microalbuminuria en pacientes con riesgo pueden mejorar la detección del daño vascular y renal en estadios precoces. La cistatina C puede poner de manifiesto el daño vascular y renal precoz incluso en pacientes sin microalbuminuria (AU)

Background: The aim of this study was to assess serum cystatin C and urinary albumin in the early detection of impairment in cardiovascular and renal function. Material ans methods: Cystatin C was quantified in sera from healthy people, moreover, cystatin C was quantified in a group of patients diagnosed with chronic kidney disease for predicting a measured glomerular filtration rate <60 ml/min/1.73 m2. Finally serum cystatin C and microalbuminuria were measured in patients with increasing of risk of impairment in cardiovascular and renal function (hypertension, diabetes and hyperlipidemia). Results: When the serum cystatin C was quantified in a group of risk, we observe as when being increased the cystatin C, the values of the glomerular filtration rate decreased (p <0.05), the cistatina values C were increased when increasing the age of the patients (p <0.05) and cystatin C values higher than 0.95 mg/l were not observed in patient smaller than 50 years old. In the group of risk, serum cystatin C was high regarding to the values obtained in healthy people in 27.6%, microalbuminuria in the 20.3% and both parameters were high in the 14.4% of patients with a glomerular filtration rate >90 ml/min/1.73 m2, while in patients with a glomerular filtration rate 60-90 ml/min/1.73 m2, cystatin C was high in the 51.7% and the microalbuminuria only in the 6.4%. Conclusions: Determinations of serum cystatin C associated to the quantification of urinary albumin in patients with cardiovascular risk can optimize the early detection of vascular and renal damage. Cystatin C can show vascular and renal damage in patients without urinary albumin (AU)

[Approach to quality objectives in incidents of patients in peritoneal dialysis]. / Cumplimiento de objetivos de calidad y evolución de los pacientes incidentes en diálisis peritoneal.

INTRODUCTION: In 2007 the Scientific Quality-technical and Improvement of Quality in Peritoneal Dialysis was edited. It includes several quality indicators. As far as we know, only some groups of work had evaluated these indicators, with inconclusive results. AIM: To study the evolution and impact of guidelines in Peritoneal Dialysis. METHODS: Prospective cohort study of each incident of patients in Peritoneal Dialysis, in a regional public health care system (2003-2006). We prospectively collected baseline clinical and analytical data, technical efficacy, cardiovascular risk, events and deaths, hospital admissions and also prescription data was collected every 6 months. RESULTS: Over a period of 3 years, 490 patients (53.58 years of age; 61.6% males.) Causes of ERC: glomerular 25.5%, diabetes 16%, vascular 12.4%, and interstitial 13.3%. 26.48% were on the list for transplant. Dialysis efficacy: Of the first available results, the residual renal function was 6.37 ml/min, achieving 67.6% of all the objectives K/DOQI. 38.6% remained within the range during the entire first year. Anaemia: 79.3% received erythropoietic stimulating agents and maintained an average Hb of 12.1 g/dl. The percentage of patients in the range (Hb: 11-13 g/dl) improved after a year (58.4% vs 56.3% keeping in the range during this time of 25.6%). Evolution: it has been estimated that per patient-year the risk of: 1) mortality is 0.06 IC 95% [0.04-0.08]; 2) admissions 0.65 [0.58-0.72]; 3) peritoneal infections 0.5 [0.44-0.56]. CONCLUSION: Diabetes Mellitus patients had a higher cardiovascular risk and prevalence of events. The degrees of control during the follow-up in many topics of peritoneal dialysis improve each year; however they are far from the recommended guidelines, especially if they are evaluated throughout the whole study.

Factors predicting mortality in elderly patients on dialysis.

UNLABELLED: Elderly patients are increasingly enrolled in dialysis programs and present a series of special characteristics due to their high morbidity and mortality. OBJECTIVE: To describe the characteristics of incident dialysis patients aged >75 years, their comorbidities and their admissions, with a view to determining the factors that influence their course and mortality. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study included all patients aged >75 years who started dialysis in our center since January 2000. The mean duration of follow-up was 3.3 +/- 2.2 years. Data were collected on incident comorbidity, admissions and their causes. A total of 139 patients were included, with a mean age of 78.6 +/- 2.6 years (67.6% males, 33.8% diabetic and 7.9% on peritoneal dialysis). Three groups were established according to age: 75-79, 80-85 and >85 years. The most frequent comorbidities were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (25.9%), ischemic heart disease (25.2%), heart failure (25.9%), neoplasms (23.7%), peripheral vascular disease (23.7%), cerebrovascular disease (18.7%) and arterial hypertension (81%). The Charlson index was calculated, not adjusted for age, and comorbidity tertiles were established. RESULTS: During follow-up, the patients presented 0.82 +/- 0.99 admissions/patient/year, with a duration of 12.1 +/- 20.6 days/patient/year. The main causes of admission were infection (33%), vascular access problems (27%) and peripheral vascular events (14%). A total of 61 patients died (44%), and 4 underwent kidney transplantation (2.9%). The mean duration of follow-up of the transplanted patients was 3.6 +/- 1.8 years. The main causes of death were infection (32%), cardiovascular problems (28.3%) and neoplastic disease (11.3%). The global survival rate was 90, 82 and 53% after 1, 2 and 5 years, respectively. No significant differences in survival or annual admission rate were found in relation to age group and dialysis technique. In contrast, the annual admission rate and days of admission were directly correlated to the Charlson index (p = 0.009 and p = 0.032, respectively). No significant differences in the Charlson index were found between the patients on hemodialysis and those subjected to peritoneal dialysis. In the univariate model, the factors associated to mortality were diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart failure and the Charlson index. In the multivariate model, only the Charlson index remained as an independent predictive factor (p = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS: Unlike the general population, age does not influence mortality or admissions in elderly patients on dialysis. Incident comorbidity is the factor exerting the greatest influence upon mortality and admissions. Advanced age in itself should not be regarded as an excluding factor for starting dialysis.

Corrección de la anemia en pacientes diabéticos con enfermedad renal crónica sin tratamiento sustitutivo: enseñanzas del estudio TREAT / No disponible

No disponible

Evolución del índice de resistencia a darbepoetina alfa en pacientes dializados que cambian de administración semanal a quincenal en la práctica clínica / Evolution of the darbepoetin alpha resistance index in patients on dialysis who change from weekly to fortnightly treatments in clinical practice

Antecedentes: Diversos estudios han demostrado la eficacia de darbepoetina alfa (DA) administrada quincenalmente (C2S), lo que permite simplificar el tratamiento para la anemia, pero faltan datos acerca de la evolución del índice de resistencia (IRE) tras el espaciamiento desde una frecuencia semanal (CS) en la práctica clínica. Material y métodos: Estudio observacional, multicéntrico, retrospectivo, con 16 semanas de seguimiento, en pacientes dializados estables convertidos de DA CS a C2S. El espaciamiento se realizó según ficha técnica (duplicación de dosis semanal). El cálculo del IRE fue: dosis DA (µg/sem.kg*200)/Hb (g/dl). Se analizó la evolución del IRE mediante un ANOVA multivariado de medidas repetidas, ajustando por variables confusoras. Resultados: Se reclutaron 202 pacientes (137 en hemodiálisis [HD], DA intravenosa, y 65 con diálisis peritoneal [DP], DA subcutánea). La edad media (DE) fue 66 (17) años, y el 61% eran hombres. Se apreció una gran variabilidad intercentro en el IRE basal (coeficiente de variación del 88%, p <0,001 para diferencias entre centros). En el análisis univariado los factores predictores de IRE elevado fueron un bajo nivel de albúmina, la HD, o los antecedentes de enfermedad cardiovascular. Durante el seguimiento, el IRE aumentó ligeramente en los pacientes con HD (9,3 [8,4] basal frente a 11,1 [7,3] a 16 semanas; p <0,05), y se mantuvo estable en los pacientes con DP (6,8 [4,6] frente a 6,7 [4,0], respectivamente; NS). En el análisis multivariado, tras ajustar por los niveles de albúmina y el centro, el IRE global no presentó cambios significativos (media [IC 95%] basal de 10,0 [8,7-11,4] frente a 10,5 [9,3-11,8] a las 16 semanas, cambio ajustado de +0,5 [–0,67; 1,67]; NS). Conclusiones: La conversión de frecuencia semanal a quincenal de DA logró mantener el IRE, con independencia del tipo de diálisis. El análisis multivariado refleja que, una vez ajustado por las variables centro y estado de inflamación/nutricional del paciente, no hay cambios en el IRE en las primeras 16 semanas tras el espaciamiento (AU)

Background: Darbepoetin alfa (DA) administered every-other-week (Q2W) is efficacious and safe for the treatment of anaemia in patients undergoing dialysis. There are no data available regarding the evolution of erythropoietic resistance index (ERI) after conversion from weekly (QW) to Q2W administration of DA in clinical practice. Material and methods: Multicenter, observational, retrospective, 16-weeks study, which included stable patients undergoing dialysis who were converted from DA QW to DA Q2W in clinical practice. Conversion was done according to product specifications (duplicating QW dose). The ERI to DA was calculated by dividing the weekly DA dose per kilogram of weight (µg/wk.kg)*200 by the Hb level (g/dL). ERI evolution with time was evaluated by multivariate repeated measures ANOVA, adjusting for significant covariates. Results: A total of 202 patients were included (137 patients undergoing haemodialysis [HD], intravenous (IV) DA, and 65 patients receiving peritoneal dialysis [PD], subcutaneous DA). Mean (SD) age was 66 (17) years; 61% of patients were men. Large intercentre variability was observed for the ERI at conversion time (coefficient of variation of 88%, p <0.001 for differences between centres). In the univariate analysis, predictor factors for high baseline ERI were low albumin level (r = –0.29; p =0.001), HD (mean ERI of 9.3 [8.4] vs 6.8 [4.6] for PD; p = 0.005), or previous cardiovascular disease (9.9 [8.7] vs 7.4 [6.3] for patients without history; p =0.025). During the follow up, the ERI was slightly increased in HD patients (9.3 [8.4] at conversion vs 11.1 [7.3] at 16 weeks; p <0.05), and remained stable in PD patients (6.8 [4.6] vs 6.7 [4.0], respectively; NS). In the multivariate analysis, there were no significant differences in ERI during the 16 weeks post-conversion after adjusting for albumin levels and centre (adjusted baseline mean [95% CI] of 10.0 [8.7-11.4] vs 10.5 [9.3-11.8] at 16 weeks, adjusted change of +0.5 [–0.67; 1.67] ; NS). After 16 weeks, only 7 patients (3.5%) had discontinued Q2W administration. Conclusions: Extension from weekly to once every-other-week darbepoetin alfa allows to simplify anaemia treatment without increasing the resistance index, regardless of dialysis type. The multivariate analysis shows that, after adjusting by center and inflammation/nutritional status, there were no changes in the response to darbepoetin alfa during the first 16 weeks after conversion in clinical practice (AU)

[Evolution of the darbepoetin alpha resistance index in patients on dialysis who change from weekly to fortnightly treatments in clinical practice]. / Evolución del índice de resistencia a darbepoetina alfa en pacientes dializados que cambian de administración semanal a quincenal en la práctica clínica.

BACKGROUND: Darbepoetin alpha (DA) administered every-other-week (Q2W) is efficacious and safe for the treatment of anaemia in patients undergoing dialysis. There are no data available regarding the evolution of erythropoietic resistance index (ERI) after conversion from weekly (QW) to Q2W administration of DA in clinical practice. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Multicenter, observational, retrospective, 16-weeks study, which included stable patients undergoing dialysis who were converted from DA QW to DA Q2W in clinical practice. Conversion was done according to product specifications (duplicating QW dose). The ERI to DA was calculated by dividing the weekly DA dose per kilogram of weight (microg/wk.kg)*200 by the Hb level (g/dL). ERI evolution with time was evaluated by multivariate repeated measures ANOVA, adjusting for significant covariates. RESULTS: A total of 202 patients were included (137 patients undergoing haemodialysis [HD], intravenous (IV) DA, and 65 patients receiving peritoneal dialysis [PD], subcutaneous DA). Mean (SD) age was 66 (17) years; 61% of patients were men. Large intercentre variability was observed for the ERI at conversion time (coefficient of variation of 88%, p < 0.001 for differences between centres). In the univariate analysis, predictor factors for high baseline ERI were low albumin level (r = -0.29; p =0.001), HD (mean ERI of 9.3 [8.4] vs 6.8 [4.6] for PD; p = 0.005), or previous cardiovascular disease (9.9 [8.7] vs 7.4 [6.3] for patients without history; p =0.025). During the follow up, the ERI was slightly increased in HD patients (9.3 [8.4] at conversion vs 11.1 [7.3] at 16 weeks; p < 0.05), and remained stable in PD patients (6.8 [4.6] vs 6.7 [4.0], respectively; NS). In the multivariate analysis, there were no significant differences in ERI during the 16 weeks post-conversion after adjusting for albumin levels and centre (adjusted baseline mean [95% CI] of 10.0 [8.7-11.4] vs 10.5 [9.3-11.8] at 16 weeks, adjusted change of +0.5 [-0.67; 1.67]; NS). After 16 weeks, only 7 patients (3.5%) had discontinued Q2W administration. CONCLUSIONS: Extension from weekly to once every other-week darbepoetin alpha allows to simplify anaemia treatment without increasing the resistance index, regardless of dialysis type. The multivariate analysis shows that, after adjusting by center and inflammation/nutritional status, there were no changes in the response to darbepoetin alpha during the first 16 weeks after conversion in clinical practice.

Manejo de la anemia en la enfermedad renal crónica / No disponible

1. Deben tratarse todos los pacientes con anemia secundaria a ERC, y ser evaluados para posible tratamiento, independientemente de la enfermedad de base, comorbilidad asociada o posibilidad de tratamiento renal sustitutivo.2. En pacientes tratados con AEE, la monitorización de la Hb debe realizarse al menos mensualmente.3. Objetivos de Hb:3. – En todos pacientes con ERC, la concentración de Hb debería ser >11 g/dl y no existen evidencias que justifiquen la corrección total de la anemia de forma rutinaria.3. – La normalización de los niveles de Hb en la ERC se asocia a una mejoría de la calidad de vida relacionada con la salud, pero sin diferencias en mortalidad ni en la tasa de pérdida de función renal (Fuerza de Recomendación A).4. Indicaciones de ferroterapia:3. – La ferroterapia es necesaria en la gran mayoría de los (..) (AU)

1. All patients with anemia secondary to CKD should be treated and evaluated for possible treatment, irrespective of underlying disease, associated comorbidity or possibility of kidney placement therapy.2. In patients treated with ESAs, Hb concentrations should be monitored at least monthly.3. Hb targets:– In all patients with CKD, Hb concentration should be > 11g/dl and there is no evidence to justify total correction of anemia on a routine basis.– Normalization of Hb levels in CKD is associated with an improvement in health-related quality of life, but without differences in mortality or the rate of loss of kidney function(Strength of Recommendation A).4. Indications for iron therapy:– Iron therapy is required in the large majority of patients with CKD treated with ESAs to achieve a Hb equal to or (..) (AU)

Avances en hemodiálisis clínica: accesos vasculares y pacientes de edad avanzada / No disponible

En la mayoría de las unidades de hemodiálisis (HD) actuales, dos de los problemas más relevantes que existen son el acceso vascular y el incremento progresivo de los pacientes incidentes añosos. Ambos son factores de riesgo de mortalidad y morbilidad, que requieren frecuentes ingresos hospitalarios y que suponen un coste sanitario muy destacable. El objetivo de esta revisión es mostrar los estudios más interesantes publicados en 2007 sobre estos dos aspectos. En torno al acceso vascular para hemodiálisis, un dato muy preocupante es el incremento progresivo del porcentaje de pacientes incidentes y prevalentes que se dializan con catéter permanente, a sabiendas de que el catéter es un factor de riesgo de gran morbimortalidad. Los objetivos de las unidades de diálisis deben ir dirigidos a disminuir el porcentaje de catéteres y a detectar precozmente las fístulas arteriovenosas en riesgo de trombosis. En los últimos años, la incidencia de pacientes con edad muy avanzada está experimentando un aumento destacable. Este tipo de pacientes presenta una elevada tasa de morbimortalidad. El gran desafío que se plantea para los nefrólogos es conocer cuáles son los pacientes que real-mente se pueden beneficiar del tratamiento con diálisis. Además, este tipo de pacientes presenta unas características diferentes del resto de la población general en diálisis, que hace necesario adoptar criterios clínicos distintos (AU)

In most current hemodialysis (HD) units, two of the most significant problems are vascular access and the steady increase in incidentelderly patients. Both are risk factors for morbidity and mortality that require frequent hospitalizations and have a very considerable health cost. The aim of this review is to show the most interesting studies published in 2007 on these two aspects. Regarding vascular access for hemodialysis, a very worrying fact is the progressive increase in incident and prevalent patients dialyzed with a permanent catheter, even though the catheter is a known risk factor of great morbidity and mortality. The dialysis units should have as their goals to reduce the percentage of catheters and to detect early arteriovenous fistulas at risk of thrombosis. In recent years, the incidence of patients of very advanced age is experiencing a notable increase. This type of patients has a high rate of morbidity and mortality. The great challenge for nephrologists is know which patients can really benefit from dialysis treatment. Furthermore, this type of patients have different characteristics than the rest of the general dialysis population, which makes it necessary to adopt different clinical criteria (AU)

[Management of anemia in chronic kidney disease]. / Manejo de la anemia en la enfermedad renal cronica.

1. All patients with anemia secondary to CKD should be treated and evaluated for possible treatment, irrespective of underlying disease, associated comorbidity or possibility of kidney replacement therapy. 2. In patients treated with ESAs, Hb concentrations should be monitored at least monthly. 3. Hb targets: In all patients with CKD, Hb concentration should be > 11 g/dl and there is no evidence to justify total correction of anemia on a routine basis. Normalization of Hb levels in CKD is associated with an improvement in health-related quality of life, but without differences in mortality or the rate of loss of kidney function (Strength of Recommendation A). 4. Indications for iron therapy: Iron therapy is required in the large majority of patients with CKD treated with ESAs to achieve a Hb equal to or greater than 11 g/dl (Strength of Recommendation B). The recommended serum concentration of ferritin is > 100 mg/dl, which should be associated with a TSI > 20% (Strength of Recommendation C). Iron therapy in patients with CKD can be given orally or intravenously, although the IV route is more effective (Strength of Recommendation A). 5. The initial dose of ESA and its adjustments will depend on the patients clinical condition, baseline Hb levels, the Hb target and the rate of increase in Hb levels observed (Strength of Recommendation C). 6. In all cases and for all ESAs, the subcutaneous route is the recommended route of administration for patients with CKD (Strength of Recommendation C). 7. Resistance to ESAs: A hyporesponse to ESAs is considered to be present when an Hb level of 11 g/dl is not achieved with a dose of epoetin > 300 IU/kg/week or a dose of darbepoetin alpha > 1.5 microg/kg/week (Strength of Recommendation B). 8. There is insufficient evidence in patients with CKD to justify routine use of coadjuvant treatments.

[Updates in clinical hemodialysis: vascular accessess and elderly patients]. / Avances en hemodiálisis clínica: accesos vasculares y pacientes de edad avanzada.

SUMMARY In most current hemodialysis (HD) units, two of the most significant problems are vascular access and the steady increase in incident elderly patients. Both are risk factors for morbidity and mortality that require frequent hospitalizations and have a very considerable health cost. The aim of this review is to show the most interesting studies published in 2007 on these two aspects. Regarding vascular access for hemodialysis, a very worrying fact is the progressive increase in incident and prevalent patients dialyzed with a permanent catheter, even though the catheter is a known risk factor of great morbidity and mortality. The dialysis units should have as their goals to reduce the percentage of catheters and to detect early arteriovenous fistulas at risk of thrombosis. In recent years, the incidence of patients of very advanced age is experiencing a notable increase. This type of patients has a high rate of morbidity and mortality. The great challenge for nephrologists is know which patients can really benefit from dialysis treatment. Furthermore, this type of patients have different characteristics than the rest of the general dialysis population, which makes it necessary to adopt different clinical criteria.

[Peripheral vascular disease: prevalence, mortality and relationship with inflammation in hemodialysis]. / Enfermedad Vascular Periférica: Prevalencia, Mortalidad y Asociación con Inflamación en Hemodiálisis.

Peripheral vascular disease (PVD) is a common disease among patients undergoing hemodialysis leading to increase morbidity and mortality with a high risk of inflammation and sepsis. The aim of the present study was to determinate PVD prevalence in our hemodialysis population and association with inflammation. The study sample consisted of 220 patients prevalents in hemodialysis. A basal study was made in 2001 and a follow up for 47 months. Data were collected retrospectively. PVD diagnosis was made attending to limb pulses and doppler in revisions. Diagnosis was classified as rest pain, ischemic ulceration and gangrene. Among a total of 220 patients, 89 had prevalent PVD. Thirty per cent had rest pain, 6,5% had ischemic ulceration and 3% had gangrene. Ninety five per cent underwent medical treatment, 0,5% were treated by percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA), 2% were treated with surgical revascularization and 2,5% were treated with amputation. Patients with PVD were older, with higher Charlson index, diabetes, they hay higher CRP and fibrinogen serum levels; and lower albumin and prealbumine serum levels. Survival PVD was decreased in Kaplan-Meier (log rank =12,4; p<0,000). Adjusted Cox regression analysis revealed that PVD (p =0,034; OR =2,10; IC [1,06 ; 4,23]) ; age (p =0,001; OR =1,06; IC [1,03 ; 1,09]) and low serum albumin levels (p =0,012; OR =0,93; IC [0,89 ; 0,98]) predicted significantly the risk of mortality. PVD is an independent mortality risk factor in hemodialysis patients. An early diagnosis and treatment are able with examination and doppler. In our sample, a few patients are treated with PTA or surgical revascularization. There is an association between PVD and inflammation.

[Calciphylaxis: fatal complication of cardiometabolic syndrome in patients with end stage kidney disease]. / Calcifilaxis: complicación grave del síndrome cardio-metabólico en pacientes con enfermedad renal crónica terminal (ERCT).

UNLABELLED: Calciphylaxis characterized by schemic skin ulceration due to subcutaneous small arterioles calcification, is a rare disease but usually fatal. Disorders of calcium metabolism and vascular calcifications are common in dialysis patients but calciphylaxis prevalence is low in patients with end stage renal disease. So we proposed other emergent factors implicated in calciphylaxis development. METHODS: We studied retrospective 8 patients who developed calciphylaxis in our service from january 2001 to december 2006. RESULTS: All patients were female with mean age at diagnosis 68.5+/-6.7 years. All patients were receiving hemodialysis therapy and 6 patients had been receiving hemodialysis less than four months. Six patients had diabetes mellitus type II and all patients were obese (BMI >25 kg/m2). All patients had metabolic syndrome (APTIII) with bad control hypertension and 6 (75%) were receiving anticoagulation therapy with warfarin. Patients didn t have severe alterations of calcium metabolism, all had product calcium-phosphorus <55. All patients developed low blood pressure at the beginning of dialysis treatment (98.3+/-22.7/60+/-18,29 mmHg). 7 patients present proximal lesions in fatty regions like abdomen and thighs. Histopathologic examination reveals calcium deposits in arteriole-sized and small vessels with vascular thrombosis. Prognosis was poor, seven patients died secondary to a sepsis originated in infected cutaneous ulcers. CONCLUSIONS: calciphylaxis is a disease with poor prognosis and high mortality, without specific treatment actually. Female gender, obesity associated with diabetes mellitus and cardiometabolic syndrome, anticoagulant therapy with warfarin and low blood pressure associated with hemodialysis therapy, are risk factors to develop calciphylaxis, in absence of severe disorders of calcium metabolism. In these patients is important to avoid hypotension episodes during dialysis, dialysis hypotension appears to be an important risk factor who promotes ischemia of subcutaneous adipose tissue.