Exogenous Vasopressin-Induced Hyponatremia in Patients With Vasodilatory Shock: Two Case Reports and Literature Review.

Vasopressin has gained wide support as an adjunct vasopressor in patients with septic shock. This agent exerts its vasoconstriction effects through smooth muscle V1 receptors and also has antidiuretic activity via renal V2 receptors. This interaction with the renal V2 receptors results in the integration of aquaporin 2 channels in the apical membrane of the renal collecting duct leading to free water reabsorption. Thus, water intoxication with subsequent hyponatremia, although rare, is a potentially serious side effect of exogenous vasopressin administration. We present 2 patients who developed hyponatremia within hours of initiation of vasopressin infusion. Extensive diuresis followed its discontinuation with subsequent normalization of serum sodium. One of the patients required the use of hypertonic saline for more rapid normalization of serum sodium due to concerns for potential seizure activity. A review of the literature relevant to the incidence of vasopressin-induced hyponatremia is provided as well as discussion on additional factors relevant to septic shock that should be considered when determining the relative risk of hyponatremia in patients receiving vasopressin.

The Physician Quality Reporting Initiative: a practical approach to implementing quality reporting.

The Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) is a voluntary program in which Medicare encourages eligible physicians in the United States to report on specific quality measures. This article is a case study of the implementation of PQRI reporting by Kidney Associates, a nephrology practice in Houston, TX. After reviewing and discussing 74 potential measures, the group narrowed the selection to 5 and chose 1 office measure and 2 dialysis measures. PQRI reporting was established through an Encounter Note template that forced a required entry for whether a patient was diabetic. For each diabetic, blood pressures were entered in the template and appropriate G-codes were created, which were then selected and linked with the diabetes International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision code and electronically submitted for billing. The dialysis measures were automatically selected from the urea reduction rate and hematocrit (hemoglobin x 3) measures that were received for each patient on a regular basis from a large dialysis chain. Software was developed to parse these data, evaluate them, and generate the appropriate G-codes. At the end of the billing cycle, these data were exported through a standard spreadsheet formatting along with the billing G codes, and claims were submitted. The system was cost-effective to implement, required minimal education, and achieved 100% cooperation through feedback education and rapid correction of systems issues. Kidney Associates was able to show that PQRI reporting is easy to implement with minimal expense and staff labor. Sharing these methods with other practices should facilitate the implementation of efficient reporting systems.

A systematic review of diabetes self-care interventions for older, African American, or Latino adults.

PURPOSE: This study systematically identified and examined published self-care interventions designed to improve glycemic control or quality of life (QoL) among older, African American, or Latino adults. METHODS: Six electronic databases were searched. Eligible publications were those that described an intervention to change knowledge, beliefs, or behavior among adults with diabetes who were either older than 55 years, African American, or Latino, and that measured the outcomes of glycemic control or QoL. RESULTS: Twelve studies met the inclusion criteria, of which 8 were randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Of the 8 RCTs, improved glycemic control was reported in the intervention arm of 5 RCTs compared with the control arm. Of the 4 RCTs that examined QoL, improved QoL was reported in the intervention arm of 1 study. Characteristics of successful interventions included poor glycemic control at baseline (A1C > 11%), cultural or age-tailoring the intervention, use of group counseling or support, and involvement of spouses and adult children. CONCLUSIONS: Large-scale clinical trials designed according to cultural and age criteria specific for older Latinos and African Americans with diabetes are needed to determine how best to address this growing public health problem.