Hyponatremia in a Patient With Vasodilatory Shock Due to Overdose of Antihypertensive Medications: A Case Report.

Vasodilatory shock can be caused by septic shock, neurogenic shock, anaphylaxis, drugs, and toxins. Vasopressin is commonly used for the restoration of vasomotor tone in vasodilatory shock due to sepsis. This agent exerts its vasoconstrictive effect via smooth muscle V1 receptors and has antidiuretic activity via kidney V2 receptors. Stimulation of V2 receptors results in the integration of aquaporin 2 channels into the apical membrane of collecting ducts leading to free water reabsorption. This antidiuretic action of vasopressin predisposes to hyponatremia. Yet, the development of hyponatremia with the use of vasopressin in critically ill patients with sepsis is rare. A 75-year-old female presented after a suicidal attempt by ingestion of amlodipine and lisinopril. Despite adequate intravenous fluids administration, she remained hypotensive, requiring the initiation of vasopressors. She developed hyponatremia after initiation of vasopressin due to the absence of endotoxemia, and her serum sodium normalized once vasopressin was discontinued. We recommend monitoring for hyponatremia as a complication of vasopressin, especially in patients without sepsis.

Kidney Biopsy Un-masquerading Plasma Cell Leukemia Diagnosed as Acute Myeloid Leukemia: An Unusual Clinical Experience.

Plasma cell leukemia (PCL) is a rare aggressive variant of plasma cell myeloma. The differential diagnosis of PCL includes multiple myeloma (MM), other leukemias, and lymphomas with abnormal cells circulating in the peripheral blood. In addition, infectious or autoimmune diseases can cause reactive polyclonal plasmacytosis, which could confuse us with PCL occasionally. Sometimes, blastoid morphology can cause confusion in diagnosis, and immunohistochemistry is needed to differentiate PCL from other forms of leukemias and lymphomas. Here, we present a rare case of PCL diagnosed as acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with kidney biopsy establishing the correct diagnosis.

Diversity of the midstream urine microbiome in adults with chronic kidney disease.

PURPOSE: To examine the characteristics of the midstream urine microbiome in adults with stage 3-5 non-dialysis-dependent chronic kidney disease (CKD). METHODS: Patients with non-dialysis-dependent CKD (estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] < 60 ml/min/1.73 m2) and diuretic use were recruited from outpatient nephrology clinics. Midstream voided urine specimens were collected using the clean-catch method. The bacterial composition was determined by sequencing the hypervariable (V4) region of the bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA gene. Extraction negative controls (no urine) were included to assess the contribution of extraneous DNA from possible sources of contamination. Midstream urine microbiome diversity was assessed with the inverse Simpson, Chao and Shannon indices. The diversity measures were further examined by demographic characteristics and by comorbidities. RESULTS: The cohort of 41 women and 36 men with detectable bacterial DNA in their urine samples had a mean age of 71.5 years (standard deviation [SD] 7.9) years (range 60-91 years). The majority were white (68.0%) and a substantial minority were African-American (29.3%) The mean eGFR was 27.2 (SD 13.6) ml/min/1.73 m2. Most men (72.2%) were circumcised and 16.6% reported a remote history of prostate cancer. Many midstream voided urine specimens were dominated (> 50% reads) by the genera Corynebacterium (n = 11), Staphylococcus (n = 9), Streptococcus (n = 7), Lactobacillus (n = 7), Gardnerella (n = 7), Prevotella (n = 4), Escherichia_Shigella (n = 3), and Enterobacteriaceae (n = 2); the rest lacked a dominant genus. The samples had high levels of diversity, as measured by the inverse Simpson [7.24 (95% CI 6.76, 7.81)], Chao [558.24 (95% CI 381.70, 879.35)], and Shannon indices [2.60 (95% CI 2.51, 2.69)]. Diversity measures were generally higher in participants with urgency urinary incontinence and higher estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). After controlling for demographics and diabetes status, microbiome diversity was significantly associated with estimated eGFR (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The midstream voided urine microbiome of older adults with stage 3-5 non-dialysis-dependent CKD is diverse. Greater microbiome diversity is associated with higher eGFR.

Menopause in CKD.

Most women with dialysis-dependent chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage 5 (CKD stage 5D) are in the postmenopausal age group. Early menopause is reported for all CKD stages (stages 3-5D). The traditional definition of menopause is not applicable in CKD stage 5(D) because menses can resume with hormone replacement therapy or kidney transplantation. Treatment of vasomotor symptoms continues to be the primary indication for hormone replacement therapy, with no dosing studies done specifically for CKD or kidney transplantation populations. Similarly, the risk for cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis in menopause is well described in healthy women, but the role that menopause plays in accelerating the risk further in CKD/kidney transplantation is yet to be explored. Lack of data and specific guidance on management make the long-term effects of menopause one of the most under-recognized and neglected patient problems in clinical nephrology. The efficacy and side effects of widely available therapeutic options in healthy women for menopause-related clinical manifestations, be it hormone replacement therapy for vasomotor symptoms or antiresorptive agents for osteoporosis, are to be tested in kidney transplantation and CKD populations. Longitudinal clinical trials are in need to define menopause in CKD and determine the role that CKD plays in menopause transition and menopause on CKD manifestations.

Non-dialysis dependent chronic kidney disease is associated with high total and out-of-pocket healthcare expenditures.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have documented the high costs of non-dialysis dependent chronic kidney disease (CKD) but out-of-pocket healthcare expenditures remain poorly explored. This study described total direct and out-of-pocket expenditures for adults with non-dialysis dependent CKD and compared expenditures with those for cancer or stroke. METHODS: This study used data from the 2011-2013 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, a national survey of healthcare expenditures in the U.S. POPULATION: Expenditures were determined for adults with the following chronic diseases: CKD defined by 585 ICD9 codes (n = 52), cancer (colon, breast or bronchus/lung) (n = 870), or stroke (n = 1104). These represent adults who were aware of their conditions or visited a healthcare provider for the condition during the study period. Generalized linear models were used to estimate the marginal effects of CKD, cancer or stroke on adjusted expenditures compared to adults without CKD, cancer or stroke (n = 72,241) while controlling for demographics and co-morbidities and incorporating the sample weights of the complex survey design. RESULTS: The mean age for group with CKD, cancer or stroke was 65.5, 66.1, and 68.2 years, respectively, while mean age for group without CKD, cancer or stroke was 47.8 years. Median values of total direct and out of pocket healthcare expenditures ranged from as high as $12,877 (Interquartile Range [IQR] $5031-$19,710) and $1439 ($688-$2732), respectively, with CKD, to as low as $1189 (IQR $196-$4388) and $226 (IQR $20-$764) in the group without CKD, cancer or stroke. After adjusting for demographics and comorbidities, the adjusted difference in total direct healthcare expenditures was $4746 (95% CI $1775-$7718) for CKD, $8608 (95% CI $6167-$11,049) for cancer and $5992 (95% CI $4208-$7775) for stroke vs. group without CKD, cancer or stroke. Adjusted difference in out-of-pocket healthcare expenditures was highest for adults with CKD ($760; 95% CI 0-$1745) and was larger than difference noted for cancer ($419; 95% CI 158-679) or stroke ($246; 95% CI 87-406) relative to group without CKD, cancer or stroke. CONCLUSIONS: Total and out of pocket health expenditures for adults with non-dialysis dependent CKD are high and may be equal to or higher than expenditures incurred by adults with cancer or stroke.

Urinary incontinence and diuretic avoidance among adults with chronic kidney disease.

PURPOSE: Diuretics remain an important medication for hypertension management among adults with chronic kidney disease (CKD), but diuretics may also worsen urinary symptoms, especially urinary incontinence (UI). This single-center pilot study examined the prevalence of UI among adults age ≥60 years with CKD using diuretics and assessed diuretic avoidance due to urinary symptoms. METHODS: Patients with non-dialysis-dependent CKD (estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 ml/min/1.73 m(2)) and diuretic use were recruited from outpatient nephrology clinics. Urinary symptoms and diuretic avoidance were assessed using standardized questionnaires. RESULTS: The cohort of 44 women and 54 men had a mean age of 71.8 (8.4) years, and urgency-UI, stress-UI and mixed-UI (the presence of both urgency-UI and stress-UI) were reported by 44.9 % (n = 44), 36.7 % (n = 36) and 26.5 % (n = 26), respectively. Nocturia was noted in 68 % (n = 67). Overall, 15.3 % (6 men and 9 women) reported diuretic avoidance. Avoidance of diuretics was 27.3 % (n = 12), 25.5 % (n = 9) and 34.6 % (n = 9) among participants with urgency-UI, stress-UI and mixed-UI, respectively, while only 6.8 % (n = 3) of participants without any UI reported diuretic avoidance. After adjusting for age, sex and diuretic type (loop vs. others), both urgency-UI (odds ratio 5.9 95 % CI 1.5-22.8) and mixed-UI (odds ratio 5.7; 95 % CI 1.6-19.9) were significantly associated with diuretic avoidance compared to participants without urgency-UI, or mixed-UI, respectively. Stress-UI and nocturia were not significantly associated with diuretic avoidance. CONCLUSIONS: UI is common among older adults with CKD receiving diuretics. Patients with urgency-UI are more likely to avoid diuretics.

Time trends in the association of ESRD incidence with area-level poverty in the US population.

The objective of this study was to examine the temporal trends of the association between area-level poverty status and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) incidence. We hypothesized that the association between area-level poverty status and ESRD incidence has increased significantly over time. Patient data from the United States Renal Data System were linked with data from the 2000 and 2010 US census. Area-level poverty was defined as living in a zip code-defined area with ≥20% of households living below the federal poverty line. Negative binomial regression models were created to examine the association between area-level poverty status and ESRD incidence by time period in the US adult population while simultaneously adjusting for the distribution of age, sex, and race/ethnicity within a zip code. Time was categorized as January 1, 1995 through December 31, 2004 (Period 1) and January 1, 2005 through December 31, 2010 (Period 2). The percentage of adults initiating dialysis with area-level poverty increased from 27.4% during Period 1 to 34.0% in Period 2. After accounting for the distribution of age, sex, and race/ethnicity within a zip code, area-level poverty status was associated with a 1.24 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.22, 1.25)-fold higher ESRD incidence. However, this association differed by time period with 1.04-fold (95% CI 1.02, 1.05) higher ESRD incidence associated with poverty status for Period 2 compared with the association between ESRD and poverty status in Period 1. Area-level poverty and its association with ESRD incidence is not static over time.

Neurologic Complications of Chronic Kidney Disease.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is an increasing problem worldwide and is now being recognized as a global health burden particularly for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events. The incidence of stroke increases in the presence of CKD with a 3-fold increased rate reported in ESRD. Atrial fibrillation (AF) increases the risk of stroke in CKD. There is conflicting observational evidence regarding benefit of anticoagulation in CKD for prevention of stroke in AF as risk of bleeding is high. Overall, anticoagulant in CKD may be beneficial in appropriate patients with meticulous monitoring of international normalized ratio (INR). Neurological manifestations related to electrolyte disorders, drug toxicity, and uremia are common in CKD. Appropriate drug dosing, awareness of potential side effects of medications, prompt diagnosis, and treatment are essential in preventing long-term morbidity and mortality.

The Western Diet and Chronic Kidney Disease.

Characteristics of the Western diet that fueled the obesity epidemic may also impact kidney disease incidence and progression. Enlarging portion sizes over the past half century has been accompanied by increased intake of protein, sodium, and processed foods while consumption of fruits and vegetables has declined. Overall dietary patterns play a strong role for chronic disease risk including chronic kidney disease. While dietary patterns high in fresh fruits and vegetables and low in red meats, such as the Mediterranean diet, decrease the risk of chronic diseases, the Western diet, characterized by high intake of red meat, animal fat, sweets, and desserts and low intake of fresh fruits and vegetables and low-fat dairy products, increases risk of chronic diseases. In this article, we review the potential mechanisms whereby several key characteristics of the typical Western diet may impact kidney disease incidence and progression. We also discuss a public health policy initiative to improve dietary choices. Reducing protein intake to the recommended daily allowance of 0.8 g/kg/day and increasing intake of fruit and vegetables and fiber may mitigate kidney disease progression and reduce risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality.

Pregnancy in chronic kidney disease.

Despite vast improvements in fetal outcomes, pregnancy in women with CKD is fraught with hazards; worsening of renal function and complications like preeclampsia and premature delivery are common. To date, there is no accurate formula to calculate glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Also, whether the current CKD classification is better than the older classification at predicting outcomes in pregnant women with CKD is unknown. Women with an estimated GFR ≥1.4 mg/dL are at increased risk of progressive worsening of renal function regardless of the cause of the underlying kidney disease. Preeclampsia is difficult to diagnose in pregnant women with underlying CKD, and serum markers such as soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt1) and placental growth factor (PIGF) may lead the way for definitive diagnosis. New-onset lupus or lupus flare is an indication for kidney biopsy during pregnancy; cyclosporine is safe and is the most effective agent that can be used during pregnancy. Women with adult polycystic kidney disease are at increased risk of hypertension and preeclampsia during pregnancy, as well as hepatic cysts later in life, the latter occurring with multiple pregnancies. Strict blood pressure control is important in pregnant women with diabetic nephropathy. A multidisciplinary team that includes nephrologists and obstetricians who deal with high-risk pregnancies should be involved in the care of pregnant women with CKD for successful pregnancy outcomes.