Parathyroidectomy improves survival in patients with severe hyperparathyroidism: a comparative study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) in CKD is associated with an increased risk for mortality, but definitive data showing that parathormone control decreases mortality is still lacking. This study aimed to compare the mortality of patients with severe SHPT submitted to parathyroidectomy(PTX) with those who did not have access to surgery. METHODS: This is a retrospective study in a cohort of 251 CKD patients with severe SHPT who were referred to a CKD-MBD Center for PTX from 2005 until 2012. RESULTS: Most of our patients had indication of PTX, but only 49% of them had access to this surgical procedure. After a mean follow-up of 23 months, 72 patients had died. Non-survivors were older; more often had diabetes, lower serum 25 vitamin D and mostly had not been submitted to surgery. The relative risk of death was lower in the PTX patients (0.428; 95% CI, 0.28 to 0.67; p<0.0001). After adjustments, mortality risk was dependent on age (1.04; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.07; p = 0.002), 25 vitamin D (0.43; 95% CI, 0.24 to 0.81; p = 0.006) and no access to PTX (4.13; 95% CI, 2.16 to 7.88; p<0.0001). Results remained the same in a second model using the PTX date as the study start date for the PTX group. CONCLUSIONS: Our data confirms the benefit of PTX on mortality in patients with severe SHPT. The high mortality encountered in our population is significant and urges the need to better treat these patients.

Contrast-induced nephropathy: attributable incidence and potential harm.

Contrast-induced nephropathy is a common form of hospital-acquired acute kidney injury. Incidence is low in patients with normal renal function but increases in high-risk patients. Patients with contrast-induced nephropathy have higher in-hospital complication rates and mortality. Critically ill patients have been assumed to be a high-risk group for contrast-induced nephropathy. In the previous issue of Critical Care, Cely and colleagues showed an unexpectedly low incidence of contrast-induced nephropathy in critically ill patients receiving radiographic contrast material for computerized tomography. We should note that it is difficult to establish the true frequency and impact of the contrast nephrotoxicity because of many other causes for acute kidney injury in this population. Moreover, the impact on long-term kidney function and the possible effect of this insult on the recovery of renal function when associated with other causes of acute kidney injury are unknown.