Comparative crossover controlled study using polysulphone and vitamin E coated dialyzers.

OBJECTIVE: There is relatively little clinical experience reported on the use of the vitamin E coated dialyzer (CL-EE12, Terumo). This study compares its efficacy and intradialytic symptoms with a polysulphone dialyzer in 2 groups of patients in a controlled crossover trial design. METHODS: This study was carried out at the Armed Forces Hospital, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, during the time period January to March 2002. In group A, 34 patients were dialyzed for 4 weeks with vitamin E dialyzer then switched over to Fresenius 60 (F60) for 4 weeks. In group B, 41 patients were dialyzed with F60 for 4 weeks then switched to vitamin E coated dilayzers for 4 weeks. The following parameters were measured weekly, hemoglobin level, urea reduction ratio (URR), urea clearance ratio (Kt/V), pre and post dialysis diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and systolic blood pressure (SBP), interdialytic weight gain. The patients were observed for interdialytic hypotension or symptoms. RESULTS: No significant findings were found in any of the parameters except more dialyzer clotting was observed with vitamin E dialyzer than in F60 dialyzers (1.6% of dialysis sessions versus 0.1% P<0.03). The interdialytic weight gain tended to be less in the vitamin E group but did not reach statistically significant difference. The Kt/V and URR were slightly higher when using the vitamin E dialyzer only in the second and third weeks. hypotensive episodes (P<.007) less leg cramp (P<.31) and less itching (P<.02) in the vitamin E coated treated group within group B. CONCLUSION: There were only minor differences noted between the 2 dialyzers in the parameters measured.

Impact of Nephrology publications from Saudi Arabia in the last decade.

OBJECTIVE: To study the present situation with regards to the research output in Nephrology from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) in terms of numbers, type, institution and fields covered. METHODS: An extensive Medline search of Nephrologists working in KSA, as well research output from KSA was undertaken; in addition, all Nephrologists were contacted. All papers appearing in the Saudi Medical Journal, Annals of Saudi Medicine and The Saudi Journal for Kidney Diseases and Transplantation were screened for the years 1992-2001. RESULTS: An average of 45 papers per year appeared over the last 10 years with no major changes over the years. Half were in the indexed Journals. Whereas, 61% were original articles, the majority of the papers (78.2%) were retrospective in nature and 89.9% were clinical. The majority were concerned with transplantation (34.1%) and hemodialysis (24.4%). It is of interest to note that KSA leads other Arab countries in the number of publications in Nephrology and it has a highest total percentage of medical publications compared to other Arab, and Asian countries as well as the United Kingdom, Canada and United States of America. CONCLUSION: Although KSA is leading the Arab countries in renal research, much improvement is still required especially in basic research.