Excess Calcium, Magnesium and Phosphorus Deposition in the Epigastric Artery of Dialysis Patients Undergoing Renal Transplantation

ABSTRACT Objective: Vascular calcification contributes to cardiovascular disease on dialysis patients. Arterial mineral content is modified but not well defined. We aim to define what is the concentration of calcium, magnesium and phosphorus in the epigastric artery of adult dialysis patients undergoing renal transplantation. Methods: All renal allograft recipients who underwent surgery at our centre between May 2003 and December 2005 and consented to be taken small samples of epigastric artery were included in our cross-sectional study. Histological, radiological and spectrometric methods were used to measure vascular calcification, deposits and concentrations of calcium, phosphorus and magnesium in epigastric artery, which were correlated with clinical and biochemical characteristics. Mineral vascular content was compared with corresponding samples from cadaveric renal donors free from renal disease (control group). Results: Calcium and magnesium concentrations in epigastric artery were much higher in recipients (n = 100) than in donors (n = 30). Histologically confirmed calcifications were more frequent in recipients. Calcium and magnesium content in epigastric artery were correlated directly with recipient age, pre-transplant serum P and Ca × P product. A high content of calcium and magnesium in this artery was observed in recipients with media and intimal calcification. Multivariate logistic regression showed that dialysis vintage > 3.5 years and calcium concentration in epigastric artery ≥ 4500 mg/kg wet weight were independent predictors of histological calcification. Conclusion: Excess mineral deposition is observed in the epigastric artery of dialysis patients, where the recipient's age, serum P, Ca × P product and time on dialysis play a decisive role.

A Multicentre Study of Nursing Leadership in Andalusian Hospitals from a Gender-based Perspective

ABSTRACT Introduction: Leadership is the ability to guide subordinates in a direction or decision so that they can perform a task or achieve a goal that leaves them feeling empowered and accomplished. Leaders are capable of producing changes and at the same time, they inspire others to do the same. This research analysed gender-based differences and dimensions of nursing leadership styles in 18 hospitals in Andalusia, a region of southern Spain. Methods: The sample population of the study comprised 335 subjects, who were middle managers in 18 public regional hospitals in Andalusia. The instrument used to measure different leadership styles was the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ 5X-Short form), which is composed of 45 items. Results: The study showed that the most predominant leadership style was transactional leadership with a mean value of M = 4.22 (standard deviation [SD] = 0.42) followed by transformational leadership with a mean value of M = 3.97 (SD 0.45). Of the three styles analysed, transactional leadership had the highest statistical median for both male and female subjects. From a gender-based perspective, transformational leadership showed statistically significant differences (p < 0.01) between men and women. This was true for leadership styles as well as for the dimensions that define each style. Conclusion: The most frequent leadership style in middle nursing management in Andalusian hospitals was transactional leadership. In regard to the three leadership styles as well as their dimensions, the female subjects obtained the highest scores. This means that from a gender-based perspective, female nursing managers had better performance levels than their male counterparts in the regional hospital system in Andalusia.