Epidemiology, diagnosis, and etiology of acute kidney injury in the elderly: A retrospective analysis.

The increased incidence of the acute kidney injury (AKI) in the elderly is becoming a disturbing reality in our days, mainly with the aging of the general population, and the predisposition of old persons to chronic diseases, drug toxicity, and infections. The aim of this study was to investigate the epidemiological, clinical, and biological features and to assess variant etiologies and outcomes of AKI in the elderly. Data were collected from the medical records of patients older than 65 years age having AKI admitted in the Internal Medicine Department of the Military Hospital of Tunis from January 2006 to June 2014. One hundred and seventeen cases were included in the study. The median age was 74.2 years. Male:female ratio was 1.6. Hypertension and diabetes were the most frequently found comorbidities seen in 69.2% and 48.7% of patients, respectively. The percentage of patients having acute-on-chronic renal failure was 13.7%. The AKI was manifested by nausea or vomiting in 33.3% of cases. One patient had hematemesis. The other symptoms were dyspnea in 14.5% of cases, uremic encephalopathy in 6.8% of cases, and oligoanuria in 16.2% of cases. The AKI was discovered fortuitously in 31.6% of cases and was diagnosed early within the 48 h after admission in 94% of cases and after this delay, in 6% of cases. It was ranked Acute Kidney Injury Network 1, 2, or 3, respectively, in 29.9%, 24.8%, and 45.3% of cases. Organic etiologies were observed more frequently (53.8%) followed by functional etiologies (37.6%) and then by obstructive ones (8.5%). Hemodialysis was performed for 9.4% of the patients. Of all the patients, 70.1% had favorable outcome, 49.6% of patients recovered totally. There was aggravation of the AKI in 29.9% of cases. Death occurred in eight cases (6.8%). The epidemiological, clinical, biological, and etiological profile of AKI in the elderly emphasizes the effect of aging of the human being on determining the pathology.

A case of renal granulomatosis with polyangiitis following intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guérin therapy.

Various adverse reactions may occur after intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) therapy. Although the virulence of attenuated BCG is low, serious complications such as bacterial cystitis, bladder contractures, granulomatous prostatitis, epididymitis, orchitis, and systemic reactions such as fever and malaise have been described. Disseminated granulomatosis such as hepatitis and pneumonitis have also been described, but are rare. We report here the case of a 67-year-old patient who presented with renal granulomatosis with polyangiitis following intravesical BCG therapy for superficial bladder tumor. The biological evaluation revealed the presence of perinuclear anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies with specificity for antimyeloperoxidase. Renal biopsy specimen revealed pauci-immune crescentic glomerulonephritis with segmental glomerular necrosis, presence of granulomas and no evidence of any caseating necrosis. He received antituberculosis drugs in addition to corticosteroids and cyclophosphamide without any improvement of the renal function.

A case of abdominal aortic thrombosis associated with the nephrotic syndrome.

Thromboembolic disease is an important and frequent complication in patients with the nephrotic syndrome (NS), and the consequences are often severe. Usually, the venous system is affected. Arterial thrombosis has rarely been reported and occurs mainly in children. We report the case of a 27-year-old man with a history of NS due to focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis resistant to steroids and cyclosporine, admitted for bilateral pain in the calves. Aortogram revealed a suspended thrombus in the abdominal aorta just below the origin of the renal arteries with embolism into the left tibioperoneal trunk and the right anterior tibial artery. Endarterectomy was performed followed by systemic heparinization with a good outcome. Arterial thrombosis is rare and must be prevented.

Acute tubulointerstitial nephritis and uveitis syndrome: A report on four adult cases.

Acute tubulointerstitial nephritis and uveitis (TINU) syndrome is a rare disease, generally presenting in children and young women. The interstitial nephritis may precede, follow, or develop concurrent to the uveitis. We report the clinical features and outcomes of four adult patients, aged 41-70 years with the TINU syndrome.

[Effect of protein restriction on renal function and nutritional status of type 1 diabetes at the stage of renal impairment]. / Effet de la restriction protéique sur la fonction rénale et l'état nutritionnel de diabétiques type 1 au stade d'insuffisance rénale modérée.

BACKGROUND: In an effort to slow the deterioration of renal function, several authors have recommended in the diabetic stage renal disease with moderate renal impairment decreased protein intake to 0.7 or 0.3 g / kg / day associated with energy intake of at least 30 to 35 kcal / kg / day. However, in clinical practice this proved difficult to achieve without exposing patients to the risk of under nutrition. AIM: To evaluate the effects of a protein restricted diet on the development of diabetic nephropathy and the nutritional status of diabetic patients with renal impairment at the stage of moderate renal impairment compared with those of a group of diabetics with the same characteristics put under basal diabetic diet. METHODS: Prospective study of 57 diabetic patients in moderate stage renal disease of middle age (32 ± 0.6 years) followed at the National Institute of Nutrition of Tunis in 2010. Our patients were separated into two groups (group A comprising 30 patients, put on diabetic diet basal and group B comprising 27 patients used in protein-deficient diet: 0.6 to 0.7 g / kg /d). We followed the evolution of certain parameters: glomerular filtration rate (GFR), serum albumin, albuminuria, nutritional risk index (NRI) and we analyzed dietary intake at D0, D90 and D180. RESULTS: Renal function in patients in group B improved as demonstrated by the trend towards higher GFR. It increased from day 0 to day 90 and at day 180. In parallel, there was a beneficial effect on albuminuria which was reduced from 380 ± 56 mg/24h on day 0, to 322 ± 50mg/24h at day J90 and 302 ± 16 mg/24h at day 180. In group A, the opposite phenomena occurred. The patients in Group B have also reduced their overall caloric intake to less than 1800 kcal / day making sure that the balance of their diet quality could no longer be assured the result has a tendency to under nutrition noted more frequently in the latter group (NRI0 = 97.90%, NRI 90= 90.10% , NRI180=90,0%). In the literature these results were found by several studies. CONCLUSION: The protein-deficient diet (0.6 to 0.7 g/ kg /d) must be integrated into the overall care of diabetic renal insufficiency with moderate renal impairment but requires rigorous repeated dietary interviews and customized to avoid malnutrition can result.