Pregnancy in patients on dialysis--experience at a referral center.

OBJECTIVE: Pregnancy is infrequent in women with end-stage renal disease. The frequency of conception in dialysis patients has been reported as 0.3% to 1.4% in different studies from different countries. In the present study the frequency and outcome of pregnancies from a referral center in Saudi Arabia from January 1992 to December 2003 is reported. METHODS: All females on maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) and chronic peritoneal dialysis (CPD) were reviewed. Files of the patients in childbearing age (less than 50 years) were analyzed for the frequency of pregnancy, mode of dialysis, complications and outcome. Of the 192 females taken for MHD and CPD, 113 were of the childbearing age. Five patients were already on HD when they became pregnant, the period on HD varied from 7-34 (mean = 24) months and in 4 dialysis was initiated during first pregnancy. (Abortion was defined as termination of pregnancy before 22 weeks of gestation. Perinatal mortality was taken as death of a viable fetus after 22 weeks of gestation or within 4 weeks after delivery. Preterm was defined as delivery before 37 weeks of gestation and low birth weight as a baby weighing less than 2500 gm at birth). RESULTS: Twelve pregnancies were noted in 9 patients (7.9%) with a yearly frequency of 0.66%. All pregnancies were noted in patients on MHD and none on CPD. Seven pregnancies (58%) ended in live births and all were preterm deliveries in the range of 27-36 (mean 31.5) weeks. All babies were low birth weight ranging from 1115-2300 (mean 1700) gram. Three deliveries were spontaneous vaginal and 4 underwent lower segment cesarean sections. Two deliveries ended in perinatal mortality. Three pregnancies ended in spontaneous abortions between 10-20 (mean 12) weeks. One woman had 3 pregnancies, the last one ending in antepartum hemorrhage, hysterotomy and hysterectomy for rupture of uterus. Another patient had 2 pregnancies. No congenital abnormalities were noted in any of the live births. CONCLUSION: Pregnancy though uncommon in women on dialysis can occur. Preterm deliveries with low birth weight are usual though live birth rate of 58% was observed. In view of the need for increased frequency of dialysis for successful outcome, planning the pregnancy and high chances of dangerous complications, early diagnosis of pregnancy in a patient on dialysis essential.

Eleven years of experience with dialysis associated tuberculosis.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the incidence of tuberculosis (TB) in dialysis patients and to determine its clinical features and results of short-course (6 months) chemotherapy, mortality and risk factors of mortality. METHODS: The study included 48 TB patients among 330 patients on dialysis of whom 37 were on hemodialysis and 11 were on peritoneal dialysis at Security Forces Hospital in the period from October 1989 to October 2000. The diagnosis of TB was established by a combination of clinical, radiological, biochemical, microbiological and histological examinations. Treatment with anti-TB drugs, the results of therapy and the outcome of patients were noted. RESULTS: There were 32 males and 16 females with age ranges of 18 -89 (mean = 53.4) and 40 - 70 (mean 57.9) years, respectively. Their duration on dialysis ranged from 1 month to 10 years (mean = 26 months). The presenting clinical features were fever (32), cough (16), weight loss (9), and anorexia (7). The organ systems involved were pulmonary (23), peritoneal (15), lymphadenopathy (11), pericardial (4), bone TB (3), bone marrow (2), epididimo-orchitis (1), right infraclavicular chest wall cold abscess (1), right infrascapular cold abscess (1) and right renal mass (1). Single organ system involvement was noted in 36 patients, 2 systems in 10 patients and 3 systems in 2 patients. Two patients were treated empirically with good response. Evidence of tuberculosis was obtained from chest X-rays (23), bone X-rays (3), spinal MRIs (1), AFB (stain and culture) of sputum and fluid (15), ascitic fluid examination with exudate and raised adenine deaminase (ADA) levels (12), lymph node biopsy (8), pleural fluid examination with exudate and raised ADA levels (5), bone marrow aspiration (2), exudative pericardial fluid with raised ADA levels (2), nephrectomy and histopathology (1), dorsal spine biopsy (1) and laparotomy and biopsy ofperitoneum (1). Thirty-two patients received 4 anti-TB drugs: isoniazid (INH), rifampicin (Rif), pyrazinamide (Pyra) and ethambutol (Eth), 10 received 3 drugs (INH, Rif and Pyra or Eth), 2 received 2 drugs (INH + Rif) and a modified regimen was used in 3. The drug toxicities noted were hepatoxicity (5) and INH encephalopathy prior to the routine use of pyridoxine 100 mg daily (3), INH-induced SLE (1) and pyrazinamide-induced thrombocytopenia (1). The outcome of the patients was cured (35), expired (13), and 1 patient expired before starting therapy. Tuberculosis was not the direct cause of death in any of the patients. CONCLUSION: The incidence of TB in dialysis patients is 26 times more common than in the general Saudi population and a high index of suspicion is needed for early diagnosis and treatment. Extrapulmonary TB was noted in 52% of the patients. Short-course (6 months) chemotherapy is effective. INH-induced CNS toxicity is significant.

Morbidity and mortality in ESRD patients on dialysis.

End-stage renal disease (ESRD), due to its high morbidity and mortality as well as social and financial implications, is a major public health problem. Outcome depends not only on different modalities of treatment like hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis, but also on existing co-morbidities, age, duration on dialysis, supportive therapies and infection control strategies. Thus, a detailed study becomes necessary to improve health care delivery, provide medical care and to establish a geographical reference. The present study was undertaken to characterize the ESRD patients by their demographic and co-morbid conditions and relate this to the morbidity and mortality trends. The medical records of 110 ESRD patients seen over a five-year period (June 1995 to December 1999) in two tertiary-care hospitals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia were studied retrospectively. There were 79 (64.5%) males and 31 (35.5%) females; their age ranged from 17 to 92 years (mean age 53.8 +/- 17.8 years). Diabetes was the commonest cause of ESRD seen in 26 (26.6%) followed by nephrosclerosis, unknown etiology, lupus nephritis, pyelonephritis and primary glomerulonephritis. Diabetes mellitus was the most prevalent co-morbidity seen during the study period and occurred in 65 patients (59%) followed by heart disease in 36 (32.7%), liver disease in 30 (27.3%), cerebrovascular accidents in 13 (11.8%) and neoplasm in 11 (10%). Seven (6.3%) patients only were smokers. Hemodialysis was the most frequent treatment choice as renal replacement therapy. Among the causes of hospitalization, cardiovascular conditions were the leading single cause (19.1%), followed by access related reasons and infections (11.5% each). The overall hospitalization rate was 11.2 days/year. The overall mortality rate was 8.07 deaths/year. The leading cause of death was cardiovascular in 15 (51.7%) followed by unknown/sudden death in eight (27.5%). Other causes of death included fluid overload, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, septicemia, liver disease and pulmonary embolism. Diabetes was the commonest co-morbid cause among the deceased. Old age, diabetes mellitus, prolonged duration on dialysis and cardiac diseases were the common causes of mortality. Our findings are consistent with worldwide reports. The study provides a reference data and will hopefully be helpful in improving the medical care.

Repeated pregnancies in patients with non-immunoglobulin a mesangioproliferative glomerulonephritis.

AIM: To analyze the effect of repeated pregnancies on underlying MesGN and see the reciprocal effect on maternal and fetal outcome. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Pregnancy records of cases with histological diagnosis of MesGN were reviewed, and past medical histories recorded. RESULTS: Cesarean section (CS). Only two patients developed renal insufficiency after undergoing 5 and 11 pregnancies and follow-up of 9 and 20 years respectively. CONCLUSION: The outcome of repeated pregnancies in patients with MesGN is comparable to normal deliveries. A higher incidence of pre-eclampsia, LBW babies and CS was noted in the post- compared to the pre-MesGN pregnancies. Repeated pregnancies do not influence the course of the MesGN.

The spectrum of glomerulonephritis in saudi arabia: the results of the saudi registry.

Only few studies regarding glomerulonephritis, with relatively small numbers of patients, have so far been published from different centers in Saudi Arabia, and have reported conflicting results regarding the patterns, even in the same city. The possible reasons for these differences include the small number of patients in the different studies, differences in the indications for renal biopsies, referral bias, geographical differences, and, sometimes, the non-availability of the necessary diagnostic facilities in the reporting centers. In order to overcome these problems, a registry for glomerulonephropathy was attempted in Saudi Arabia. Six large referral hospitals from different regions of Saudi Arabia participated in this registry. Biopsy reports and clinical information of 1294 renal biopsies were obtained. There were 782 renal biopsies due to glomerulonephritis (GN) accounting for 77.2% of the total biopsies. Five hundred eighty seven (72.6%) were primary glomerulonephritidis. Focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) (21.3%) and membrano-proliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN) (20.7%) were the most common types found in the primary glomerulonephritidis. Membranous glomerulonephritis (MGN) was present in only 10.6% of the cases. IgA nephropathy was found in 6.5% of the cases. Of the secondary glomerulo-nephritides, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) was the most common indication for biopsy (57.0%) and amyloidosis was found in only 3.2% of the biopsies. In conclusion, FSGS and MPGN were the most common forms of primary glomerulonephritis in adult patients in Saudi Arabia. MGN was not as common as in the western world. SLE was the commonest cause of secondary GN. Amyloidosis was not as common as in other Arab countries. There is a need for more centers from Saudi Arabia to join this national GN registry. Similar registries can be established in different Arab countries, which all would, hopefully, lead to a Pan-Arab GN registry.

Living unrelated renal transplant: outcome and issues.

Living unrelated transplantation (LURT) is emerging as a practical option in renal transplantation due to shortage of living related and cadaver donors. We report a six-years (December 1991 to December 1996) follow-up of 60 LURT patients. The majority of these patients (95%) were transplanted outside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; 37 in India, 14 in Egypt, five in the USA and one in Pakistan. Only three patients (emotionally related) were transplanted in Saudi Arabia. Before transplantation, 50 (83.4%) patients were on chronic hemodialysis, three (5%) on peritoneal dialysis and three (5%) were transplanted pre-emptively. Post-operatively, the majority of the study patients were on three drug immunosuppressive therapy. One and five year graft survival was 93.0% and 59.6%, while patient survival at one and three years was 93.7% and 81%, respectively. Surgical complications included lymphocele in 10% of the study patients, urinary leak in 8.3%, and bleeding from the vascular anastomosis in 6.6%. There were eight episodes of acute rejection in eight (13.3%) patients and all episodes were successfully treated; two patients required monoclonal anti-lymphocyte antibodies (OKT3). Eleven (18.3%) patients developed chronic rejection, which resulted in the loss of ten (90%) allografts. Infection was the commonest cause for hospital admission; urinary tract infection (UTI) being responsible for 40% of admissions. Three patients had Cytomegalovirus pneumonia, one had Pneumocystis Carinii pneumonia and one had candida pneumonia. Two (3%) patients developed Kaposi's sarcoma. We conclude that LURT can help in overcoming the shortage of organs for transplant, however, commercial transplantion in developing countries is associated with high morbidity and mortality.

Renal cell carcinoma of contralateral kidney with secondaries in gallbladder eight years after nephrectomy.

A 55-year-old female underwent right nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The histopathology showed clear cell carcinoma. There was no evidence of metastasis. After remaining asymptomatic for eight years, she developed pain in the right loin. Abdominal ultrasound, computerized tomography (CT) Scan and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were suggestive of a tumor mass in the right renal area, multiple tumor masses in the left kidney and a mass in the gallbladder. Cholecystectomy, left radical nephrectomy and right adrenal mass with excision of adjacent lymph nodes were performed. The histopathology from all sites was suggestive of RCC. She was maintained on hemodialysis. Two and half years later she died after surgical exploration for spinal cord decompression due to metastasis to the dorsal spine.

Role of interferon-alpha in the treatment of primary glomerulonephritis.

Interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) is a naturally occurring cytokine. It was the first cytokine used with clinical benefit in the treatment of viral hepatitis and malignancies. Patients with viral hepatitis B or C may have complications with glomerulonephritis (GN). Improvement in proteinuria with or without clearing of viral markers after IFN-alpha therapy has been reported. This encouraged us to offer IFN-alpha therapy to four patients with GN. These patients refused treatment with steroids and/or cyclophosphamide because of concerns about side effects. One patient with membranous GN and two patients with mesangial GN (MesGN) had a remission of nephrotic syndrome. In one patient with type II diabetes and MesGN, renal insufficiency and proteinuria did not subside; however, renal function remained stable. The mechanism of action of IFN-alpha is discussed, with its possible role in the treatment of primary GN.

Acute Hydrothorax Complicating continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis: A Case Report and Review of Literature.

We describe here hydrothorax that occurred in a patient on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) and highlight the problems of diagnosis and management. A 48 years-old man with history of obstructive uropathy secondary to urolithiasis was stared on CAPD when he reached end-stage renal failure. Two months later, he was admitted with two days history of shortness of breath on exertion and dry cough increasing in supine position. Chest examination was suggestive of right sided pleural effusion confusion confirmed by chest X-ray. Radioisotope Technetium 99m labeled albumin instilled through the peritoneal catheter was detected in the right pleural fluid confirming the peritoneo-pleural leak. The peritoneal dialysis (PD) was discontinued and the patient was switched to hemodialysis. The pleural effusion subsided and has not recurred for the following three years.

Dual-lumen femoral vein catheterization as vascular access for hemodialysis--a prospective study.

Prospectively from January 1991 to January 1993, the efficacy and complications of 104 polyurethane, double-lumen femoral vein catheterizations (FVC) in 96 renal failure patients were studied. Ambulation was allowed in the hospital as well as at home while the catheter was in. There were 53 males and 43 females, with ages ranging from 13 to 87 (mean, 48.3 +/- 19.7) years. Forty-eight patients had chronic renal failure and 48 had acute renal failure. The catheters were used for 1 to 26 days (mean, 8 +/- 5 days). Fifty-two (50%) of the FVC were used for 2 weeks and 14 (13.5%) for 3 weeks or longer. The various complications encountered were infection (n=31), poor blood flow (n=8), displaced catheter (n=6), thrombosis of the catheter (n=4), hematoma (n=4), bleeding (n=3), exit site infection (n=3), ileofemoral vein thrombosis (n=2), and tear in the catheter wall (n=2). On removal, bacterial colonization was present in 34 out of 93 catheter tips (36.5%); Staphylococcus epidermidis (n=12) was the commonest organism grown. There was no significant difference of infection between diabetic and nondiabetic chronic renal failure patients. The duration of catheterization was found to have no relation with either thrombosis or infection. Femoral vein catheters can be used for hemodialysis for 2 to 3 weeks and ambulation during cannulation may be allowed.

Intraventricular and brachial artery thrombosis in nephrotic syndrome.

A 23-year-old Saudi female presented with nephrotic syndrome. On renal biopsy she had primary focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis which was resistant to steroids. Two years later she presented with absent left arm pulses and on investigation a diagnosis of left ventricular thrombosis and thromboembolism of left brachial artery was made. Low antithrombin III, high fibrinogen levels and diuretic therapy were the possible causative factors for hypercoagulable state. On anticoagulation therapy initiated with heparin and continued with warfarin for 8 weeks there was complete dissolution of intraventricular and improvement of left brachial artery thrombosis. An early diagnosis and treatment of this potentially serious complication of nephrotic syndrome are stressed.

Serum ionic fluoride levels in haemodialysis and continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis patients.

High serum fluoride (F-) in patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) is associated with risk of renal osteodystrophy and other bone changes. This study was done to determine F- in normal healthy controls and patients with ESRD on haemodialysis (HD) or peritoneal dialysis (PD). Seventeen healthy controls (12 males, 5 females) and 39 ESRD patients on dialysis (17 males, 22 females) were recruited in the study in a community with 47.4 +/- 3.28 microM/l (range 44-51 microM/l) of F- content in drinking water. Control subjects showed a mean serum F- concentration of 1.08 +/- 0.350 microM/l. Males in control group showed slightly higher F- levels (1.15 +/- 0.334, range 0.55-1.9 microM/l) than females (0.92 +/- 0.370, range 0.6-1.5 microM/l). Mean serum F- concentration did not correlate significantly with age and sex among control subjects, whereas such correlation was observed in patients with ESRD on dialysis. Mean serum F- concentration was significantly higher in patients on dialysis (2.67 +/- 1.09, range 0.8-5.2 microM/l) than normal controls. When grouped according to sex, the mean serum F- concentration in males (3.05 +/- 1.04, range 1.8-5.2 microM/l) was significantly higher than females (2.38 +/- 1.08, range 0.8-5.2 microM/l). When patients were grouped according to age, it was observed that F- concentration was significantly higher in patients with age groups 21-70 (2.86 +/- 1.05) than those with age group 13-20 years (1.42 +/- 0.531). Thus F- concentration correlated with age and sex, being higher in males and above 20 years. Despite appreciable clearance of F- (39-90%) across the peritoneum, patients on CAPD showed higher serum F- concentration than those on HD (3.1 +/- 1.97 vs 2.5 +/- 1.137 microM/l). Of the total 39 patients on dialysis 39% had their serum F- concentration above 3.0 microM/l, posing the risk of renal osteodystrophy.

Bartter's syndrome in two successive generations of a Saudi family.

Bartter's syndrome (BS) is characterized by primary renal tubular hypokalemic metabolic alkalosis, hyperreninemia, hyperaldosteronism and normal blood pressure. The parents and siblings of a BS patient were evaluated for renal tubular function. The father and all 9 siblings of the patient had biochemical features of BS. His mother, a first cousin of his father, had hypokalemia and hyperkaluria but no other features of BS and could have been a 'carrier'. The mother and all 9 siblings were asymptomatic. Including the patient, hypomagnesemia was present in 8 of 12 family members. Therapy with a combination of potassium chloride and magnesium increased the serum potassium and magnesium levels to within normal limits. The familial occurrence in BS is well known, and reports of the disorder in siblings and the first generation of children of consanguineous marriages and normal parents have been taken to suggest an autosomal recessive inheritance. One affected parent and involvement of all siblings of the patient raise the possibility of an autosomal dominant inheritance in the present family.

Liver disease in dialysis patients with antibodies to hepatitis C virus.

Eighty-three patients with chronic end-stage renal failure, including 65 on haemodialysis and 18 on intermittent peritoneal dialysis, were evaluated for hepatitis B virus profile and antibodies to hepatitis C virus (HCV). All those positive for HBsAg were excluded from the study. Nineteen patients were found to be positive for antibodies to HCV by the ELISA II test. Eight cases were already positive for HCV antibody when they started dialysis in our unit, the other 11 became positive during dialysis in our unit. Only one of the patients on peritoneal dialysis was positive for HCV. A liver biopsy was obtained from 17 patients, who consented to the procedure. All the cases were evaluated for the number of blood transfusions received, HIV infection and the approximate time of contracting the HCV infection. Liver enzymes were determined every month. Only three patients had abnormally raised serum aminotransferase at the time of biopsy. The various histopathological lesions detected were chronic active hepatitis (n = 3, including one with changes consistent with cirrhosis), chronic persistent hepatitis (n = 4), non-specific hepatitis (n = 3) and haemosiderosis (n = 3); four biopsy samples were normal. There was no correlation between the biochemical and histopathological changes. Moreover, patients with normal serum aminotransferase levels had abnormal histopathological changes. All were negative for HIV and none of the patients had received a renal graft. Twelve patients had received blood transfusions varying from 2 to 12 units, four had not received any blood, and in one the history of blood transfusion could not be confirmed. The four patients with anti-HCV antibodies who had not received blood transfusion had relatively mild disease--non-specific hepatitis (n = 2) or normal biopsy (n = 2). One patient with cirrhosis died 30 months after liver biopsy from hepatic insufficiency and three received renal transplants. Others are continuing on dialysis and their biochemical tests are within normal limits 12-45 (30 +/- 14) months after biopsy. In conclusion, biochemical tests are poor indicators of liver disease, and liver biopsy is a definitive way of evaluating the patients of dialysis with positive HCV antibodies for prognosis.

Pattern of glomerular disease in Saudi Arabia.

Clinical data and renal biopsy study of 186 adult patients found to have nephropathy and seen at the Security Forces Hospital, Riyadh, over a 5-year period (1989 to 1994) were reviewed. Primary glomerular disease accounted for more than three fourths of all patients (79%), and the most common histological lesion was focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (40.8%) associated with a high incidence of hypertension (86.7%), nephrotic syndrome (61.7%), hematuria (48.8%), and renal impairment (33.3%). Mesangioproliferative glomerulonephritis was the second most common lesion (21.1%), followed by membreous glomerulonephritis (13.6%), immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) (13.6%), membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (9.5%), and minimal change disease (1.4%). Although not as common as in most other developed countries, IgAN is being increasingly recognized in Saudis. Lupus nephritis remained the commonest cause of secondary glomerulonephritis (48.5%), whereas amyloidosis was conspicuously absent. There is no evidence, at least in this series, that chronic infection such as hepatitis B virus infection has a major role in the development of glomerulonephritis.

Device-day infection rates - a surveillance component system for intensive care units at Security Forces Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

A surveillance component system for Intensive Care Units (ICUs) designed to account for major extrinsic risk factors for nosocomial infections using device days as the denominator has been advocated. A study of the surveillance component system in ICUs was conducted in Security Forces Hospital (SFH), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from February 1993 to January 1994 to verify the validity and compare the device-related infection rates with the infection rates based on patient admission and patient days. The standard recommended method was used in data collection. Device-associated infection rates vary by ICU types and device exposure. The surgical ICU (SICU) had the highest pneumonia rate while the pediatric ICU (PICU) had the lowest, being 22.0 and 6.4 per 1000 ventilator days respectively. Bacteremia was highest in the PICU with 20.7/1000 intravascular catheter days. The urinary tract infection rate of 11.4/1000 urinary catheter days was the highest in the medical ICU (MICU). These were statistically significant (P>0.001). The conclusion from the demonstration of these variables is that the use of the surveillance component system gives specific information on the effect of invasive devices in the occurrence of infection related to their use in the various ICUs. It permits the calculation of risk-specific infection rates, being a marker for the unit's invasive practices. Improved handwashing and the wearing of sterile gloves reduced the central intravascular catheter bacteremia rate in PICU from 20.7 to 10.0/1000 catheter days.

Erythropoietin therapy in a pregnant woman on maintenance hemodialysis.

A 25 year old Saudi female, sixth gravida, para four, on renal replacement therapy with regular dialysis for nearly two years, was diagnosed to be pregnant at 12 weeks, with a single viable fetus. She was managed with increased frequency of dialysis and increased doses of anti-hypertensive drugs. For the control of anemia, which was further worsened by the pregnancy, she was treated with r-HuEPO 125 to 150 u/kg 3 times/week along with iron and vitamin supplements to maintain hemoglobin of 90 gm/L. The pregnancy continued to 36 weeks and she had a spontaneous normal delivery of a male baby without any congenital defects, weighing 1605 grams with Apgar score of four at one minute and nine at five minutes.

Effectiveness of low-dose erythropoietin in predialysis chronic renal failure patients.

Recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEpo) has been shown to be both effective and usually safe in patients with chronic renal failure who have not yet reached the stage requiring dialysis. There are, however, disturbing reports on the possibility of deterioration of the reserve renal function in association with rHuEpo therapy. Most of the published studies have used rHuEpo in doses of 50-150 U/kg three times weekly subcutaneously. An open-label trial of rHuEpo therapy was conducted on 21 patients with chronic renal failure treated sequentially at a referral hospital, rHuEpo was used in doses of 50 U/kg twice weekly for 4 weeks followed by 25 U/kg twice weekly for 8 weeks subcutaneously, a regimen substantially lower than current recommendations. This was associated with a gentle but significant increase in haematocrit (P < 0.05) and haemoglobin (P < 0.05), while the serum creatinine and the reciprocal of the creatinine remained stable, with a tendency to improve rather than worsen (P = 0.06). We conclude that there is no need to aim at a rapid increase in haematocrit and haemoglobin by rHuEpo therapy; rather a gentle increase using modest doses is both effective and safe.