Acute large-dose exposure to organophosphates in patients with and without diabetes mellitus: analysis of mortality rate and new-onset diabetes mellitus.

BACKGROUND: We investigated the mortality rates of patients with and without diabetes mellitus after acute large-dose exposure to organophosphate insecticides. All patients without diabetes mellitus were traced to examine the long-term risk of new-onset diabetes mellitus. Previous reports indicated that organophosphate exposure might increase the risk of new-onset diabetes mellitus. METHODS: We analyzed the records of 118 patients referred to Chang Gung Memorial Hospital for management of intentional organophosphate poisoning between 2000 and 2011. Patients were stratified by diabetes mellitus status. Demographic, clinical, laboratory and mortality data were analyzed. RESULTS: Most patients were middle aged (53.45 ± 16.20 years) and male (65.3%) and were referred to our hospital after a relatively short amount of time had elapsed since poisoning (median 3.0 hours). 18 (15.2%) of 118 patients died, including 15 (13.8%) of 109 patients without diabetes mellitus and 3 (33.3%) of 9 with diabetes mellitus. There was no significant difference in mortality between these groups (P = 0.117). In a multivariate Cox regression model, hypotension (P = 0.000), respiratory failure (P = 0.042), coma (P = 0.023), and corrected QT interval prolongation (P = 0.002) were significant risk factors for mortality. Conversely, diabetes mellitus status was not a significant variable in this model. At routine outpatient follow up a median of 1.25 months post exposure, random blood glucose measurements gave no evidence of new-onset diabetes in patients without pre-existing diabetes. CONCLUSIONS: Diabetes mellitus status might not increase mortality risk following acute large-dose exposure to organophosphates, and the risk of new-onset diabetes mellitus also might be minimal in the short term. Larger prospective studies with formal testing for diabetes at later times post-exposure are required.

Association between blood cadmium levels and malnutrition in peritoneal dialysis.

BACKGROUND: Malnutrition is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular death and may cause protein-energy wasting in individuals with chronic kidney disease. A previous study demonstrated that blood cadmium levels (BCLs) were associated with malnutrition in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients. However, the correlation between cadmium exposure and malnutrition remains unclear in chronic peritoneal dialysis (CPD) patients. This study examined the possible adverse effects of environmental cadmium exposure in CPD patients. METHODS: A total of 301 CPD patients were enrolled and divided into 3 study groups based on the following BCL tertiles: low (<0.19 µg/L), middle (0.19-0.39 µg/L), and high (>0.39 µg/L). Demographic, hematological, biochemical, and dialysis-related data were obtained for analysis. The analysis also included values of nutritional and inflammatory markers. RESULTS: The BCLs of CPD patients were lower than those of MHD patients. At baseline, patients in the high BCL group were older and had a higher prevalence of diabetes mellitus but lower serum albumin, creatinine, and phosphate levels than the patients in the other 2 groups. After adjusting for potential variables, stepwise backward multiple linear regression analysis revealed that age and alanine aminotransferase levels were positively associated with logarithmic transformation of BCLs (log BCLs), while serum albumin levels were negatively associated with log BCLs in CPD patients. The log BCLs were a significant determinant (beta coefficient ± standard error = -0.185 ± 0.074; P = 0.013) of nutritional status and significantly associated with the presence of malnutrition (odds ratio = 2.64; 95% confidence interval: 1.07-6.48; P = 0.035) in CPD patients after adjustment for related variables. CONCLUSIONS: BCL is significantly associated with nutritional status and malnutrition in CPD patients. Therefore, it is important for CPD patients to avoid environmental exposure to cadmium such as through smoking and consumption of cadmium-rich foods.

Education level is associated with mortality in male patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis.

BACKGROUND: Studies of the correlation between education levels and mortality in hemodialysis (HD) patients are rare. The aim of this multi-center study was to investigate the relationship between education levels and 3-year mortality rates in HD patients. METHODS: A total of 935 HD patients from 3 HD centers participated in this 3-year prospective observational study. Education levels were categorized as either less than senior high school and above or equal to senior high school. The causes of death and mortality rates were also analyzed for each subgroup. RESULTS: At the end of the 3-year follow-up period, 164 patients had died. In the male group, forward stepwise Cox regression analysis revealed that age, HD duration, hypertension, creatinine level, serum albumin level ≥3.6 g/dl, anuria, Kt/Vurea, and high education level were significant predictive factors for 3-year mortality rates. CONCLUSION: This prospective observational study demonstrated that education level was associated with mortality in men undergoing HD.

Paraquat poisoning in pediatric patients.

OBJECTIVE: This observational study examined the outcome of Taiwanese pediatric patients with paraquat poisoning and compared these data with the published data on paraquat poisonings from other international poisoning centers. METHODS: We performed a retrospective study on children with acute paraquat poisoning that were admitted to the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital during a period of 10 years (2000-2010). Of the 193 paraquat poisoning patients, only 6 were children. RESULTS: The mean age was 8.85 ± 5.55 (1-15.6) years. Younger patients had accidentally swallowed paraquat, whereas older patients had intentionally ingested paraquat. Most patients were referred within a relatively short period (0.5-2.0 hours). Paraquat poisoning was associated with high morbidity and often resulted in severe complications, including acute respiratory distress syndrome and multiple-organ failure. The complications included shock (50.0%), hypoxemia (33.3%), respiratory failure (33.3%), nausea/vomiting (16.7%), abdominal pain (33.3%), hepatitis (66.7%), gastrointestinal tract bleeding (33.3%), acute renal failure (33.3%), and seizures (16.7%). Patients were treated aggressively with a standard detoxification protocol consisting of gastric lavage, active charcoal, charcoal hemoperfusion, and cyclophosphamide and steroid pulse therapies. Secondary bacterial infections were common after hospitalization and included sepsis (33.3%), pneumonia (33.3%), and urinary tract infection (50.0%). In the end, 2 patients (33.3%) died from multiple-organ failure, despite intensive resuscitation. CONCLUSIONS: Our data (mortality rate, 33.3%) are comparable to the data of other published reports from other international poison centers. Evidently, a prompt diagnosis of paraquat poisoning and an immediate institution of a detoxification protocol is a prerequisite for a favorable outcome.

Effect of chelation therapy on progressive diabetic nephropathy in patients with type 2 diabetes and high-normal body lead burdens.

BACKGROUND: A previous study in type 2 diabetic patients with high-normal body lead burdens showed that EDTA chelation therapy for 3 months slows progressive diabetic nephropathy during a 12-month follow-up. The effect of a longer course of therapy on kidney function decrease over a longer follow-up is not known. STUDY DESIGN: A 12-month run-in phase, then a randomized single-blind study with a 27-month intervention. SETTING & PARTICIPANTS: University medical center; 50 patients (serum creatinine, 1.5-3.9 mg/dL) with high-normal body lead burden (≥80-<600 µg) were randomly assigned to the treatment and control groups. INTERVENTION: The treatment group received weekly chelation therapy for 3 months to reduce their body lead burden to <60 µg and then as needed for 24 months to maintain this level. The control group received placebo for 3 months and then weekly for 5 weeks at 6-month intervals for 24 months. OUTCOMES: The primary end point was change in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) over time. A secondary end point was a 2-fold increase in baseline serum creatinine level or the requirement for renal replacement therapy. MEASUREMENTS: Body lead burdens were assessed by EDTA mobilization tests and eGFR was calculated using the equation for Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes. RESULTS: Mean baseline eGFRs in the treatment and control groups were similar. After 3 months of chelation therapy, the change in eGFR in the treatment group (+1.0 ± 4.8 mL/min/1.73 m(2)) differed significantly from that in the control group (-1.5 ± 4.8 mL/min/1.73 m(2); P = 0.04). In the subsequent 24-month intervention, the yearly rate of decrease in eGFR (5.6 ± 5.0 mL/min/1.73 m(2) per year) in the treatment group was slower than that (9.2 ± 3.6 mL/min/1.73 m(2) per year; P = 0.04) in the control group. 17 (68%) control-group patients and 9 (36%) treatment-group patients achieved the secondary end point. LIMITATIONS: Small sample size, not double blind. CONCLUSIONS: A 27-month course of EDTA chelation therapy retards the progression of diabetic nephropathy in type 2 diabetic patients with high-normal body lead burdens.

Lead level in seminal plasma may affect semen quality for men without occupational exposure to lead.

BACKGROUND: Infertility affects approximately 10-15% of reproductive-age couples. Poor semen quality contributes to about 25% of infertile cases. Resulting from the direct effect on testicular function or hormonal alterations, heavy metals exposure has been related to impaired semen quality. The objective of this study was to assess the level of lead in the seminal plasma in men without occupational exposure to lead, and to determine the relationship between semen quality and lead concentration in the semen. METHODS: This is a prospective and nonrandomized clinical study conducted in University infertility clinic and academic research laboratory. Three hundred and forty-one male partners of infertile couples undergoing infertility evaluation and management were recruited to the study. Semen samples collected for the analyses of semen quality were also used for the measurement of lead concentrations. Semen samples were evaluated according to the WHO standards. RESULTS: All subjects were married and from infertile couples without occupational exposure to lead. There is a significant inverse correlation between the lead concentration in seminal plasma and sperm count. A higher semen lead concentration was correlated with lower sperm count, but not with semen volume, sperm motility or sperm morphology as assessed by simple linear regression. CONCLUSIONS: We found that semen lead concentration was significantly higher among the patients with lower sperm count. To our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate that a high level of lead accumulation in semen may reduce the sperm count contributing to infertility of men without occupational exposure to lead.

Spectrum of toxic hepatitis following intentional paraquat ingestion: analysis of 187 cases.

INTRODUCTION: This retrospective observational study examined the clinical features, the degrees of toxic hepatitis, physiological markers and clinical outcomes after intentional paraquat poisoning and sought to determine what association, if any, might exist between these findings. METHODS: A total of 187 patients were referred for management of intentional paraquat ingestion between 2000 and 2010. Patients were categorized into two groups according to their hepatic complication, i.e. with (N = 87) or without (N = 100) toxic hepatitis. Demographic, clinical and laboratory data were obtained for analysis. Mortality rates were also analysed. RESULTS: It was found that patients with toxic hepatitis were younger (39.7 ± 13.7 vs 44.2 ± 16.6 year old, P = 0.046), and suffered from greater incidences of acute respiratory failure (63.2 vs 48.0%, P = 0.037) and acute renal failure (75.9 vs 56.0%, P = 0.004) than patients without hepatitis. The hospitalization period was longer in patients with hepatitis than without hepatitis (16.2 ± 14.6 vs 11.2 ± 12.1 days, P = 0.012), even though there was no difference in mortality rate between both groups (56.3 vs 53.0%, P = 0.649). Notably, the symptoms of toxic hepatitis developed within 6.7 ± 6.3 days of exposure to paraquat with aspartate aminotransferase (AST) 138 ± 156 U/L, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) 127 ± 114 U/L and total bilirubin 2.7 ± 2.6 mg/dL. The hepatitis peaked at 9.5 ± 8.8 days with AST 125 ± 139 U/L, ALT 183 ± 181 U/L and total bilirubin 3.2 ± 3.6 mg/dL. Nevertheless, the symptoms resolved within 17.3 ± 9.8 days of paraquat exposure, and none of the patients died of hepatic complication. CONCLUSIONS: A substantial proportion of paraquat patients suffered from hepatic complication (46.52%), but the spectrum of hepatitis in these patients seemed mild and transient.

Hyperacute rejection from a donor who died of carbamate intoxication--a case report.

Acute carbamate intoxication can cause cardiac manifestations. We present the case of a 53-year-old man who had been a heavy smoker, admitted to our hospital for recent anterior wall myocardial infarction complicated with congestive heart failure. Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty with stent implantation, coronary artery bypass graft, and mitral annuloplasty were performed, but refractory heart failure and ventricular arrhythmia were still noted. He received orthotropic heart transplantation 7 days later. The donor was a 50-year-old man who had died of brain death due to carbamate intoxication, and the crossmatch before transplantation was negative. The recipient died 24 hours after the operation due to acute left ventricular dysfunction. This report reviews the cardiac manifestations of acute carbamate intoxication and the possibility of heart transplantations from donors who died of carbamate intoxication.

Predictors of acquired perforating dermatosis in uremic patients on hemodialysis: a case-control study.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to identify the predictors of acquired perforating dermatosis (APD) in patients on maintenance hemodialysis (HD). METHODS: A case-control study was performed at our outpatient HD center between January 1, 2000 and March 31, 2011. Patients on HD with APD were matched (1 : 2) for gender and age with controls on HD. Conditional logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with APD. RESULTS: A total of 19 patients with APD and 38 age and gender matched patients were enrolled in the study. Univariate logistic regression showed that APD was significantly associated with diabetes mellitus (DM), reduced levels of intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) and albumin (Alb), reduced dialysis adequacy (Kt/V) and urea reduction rate (URR), and elevated levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP). Multivariate logistic regression identified reduced iPTH (hazard ratio (HR): 0.983; P = 0.026) and Alb (HR: 0.099; P = 0.047) and elevated hsCRP (HR: 1.210, P = 0.024) as risk factors for APD. CONCLUSIONS: iPTH, hsCRP, and Alb are predictors for APD in HD patients.

Association of severity of conjunctival and corneal calcification with all-cause 1-year mortality in maintenance haemodialysis patients.

BACKGROUND: Conjunctival and corneal calcification (CCC) is the most common form of metastatic calcification in patients with chronic renal failure. The aim of this study is to investigate if severity of CCC correlates with vascular calcification and mortality in maintenance haemodialysis (MHD) patients. METHODS: One hundred and nine MHD patients were recruited. CCC was evaluated by external eye photographs, and was graded and scored according to modified Porter and Crombie classification system described by Tokuyama et al. Chest X-ray examination was used to evaluate aortic arch calcification. Geographic, haematological, biochemical and dialysis-related data were obtained. The patients were analysed for traditional and non-traditional risk factors for cardiovascular disease stratified by severity of CCC. All patients were followed up for 1 year to investigate the risks for mortality. RESULTS: Forty-three, 35 and 31 patients had mild (scores ≤ 4), moderate and severe (scores ≥ 9) CCC at baseline, respectively. With trend estimation, patients with severe CCC had a significantly higher percentage of severe aortic arch calcification. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that hypertension, haemodialysis duration and corrected calcium level were associated with scores of CCC in MHD patients. Moreover, age, corrected calcium-phosphate level, and moderate and severe CCC were associated with grades of aortic arch calcification. At 1-year follow-up, 11 of 109 (10.1%) patients had died. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards model showed that age, corrected calcium and severe CCC were significant risk factors for all-cause 1-year mortality in MHD patients. Each increment of one score of CCC is associated with a 26.4% increased risk for all-cause mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Severity of CCC, which is easily obtained at bedside, acts as an independent predictor for all-cause 1-year mortality in MHD patients.

Blood cadmium level's association with 18-month mortality in diabetic patients with maintenance haemodialysis.

BACKGROUND: Cadmium exposure is related to severity of diabetes and diabetes-related organ damage in diabetic patients. Elevated blood cadmium levels (BCLs) are well known in maintenance haemodialysis (MHD) patients but the clinical significance in diabetic MHD patients remains unknown. METHODS: A total of 212 diabetic MHD patients were enrolled in this 18-month prospective study and were categorized into three equal groups according to the basal BCL: high (> 0.889 µg/L; n = 71), middle (0.373-0.889 µg/L; n = 70) and low (< 0.373 µg/L; n = 71) BCL groups. The mortality and cause of death were recorded and analysed longitudinally. RESULTS: Patients with high BCL had trends of higher white blood cell counts, glycosylated haemoglobin, phosphate and blood lead levels than other group patients. At the end of the follow-up, 31 patients had died. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the high BCL group patients had a higher mortality than other group patients (log-rank test, P = 0.036). Cox multivariate analysis demonstrated that logarithmic BCL was associated with increased hazard ratios (HR) for the all-cause mortality (HR = 2.336, 95% confidence intervals [CI] = 1.099-4.964, P = 0.027) in diabetic MHD patients. Similarly, if the low BCL group was the reference, the high BCL was associated with increased HR for all-cause mortality (HR = 2.865, 95% CI = 1.117-7.353, P = 0.043) in these patients. CONCLUSIONS: The study results first demonstrated that BCL is associated with increased HR for 18-month all-cause mortality in diabetic MHD patients. Avoiding smoking and high cadmium-containing food may be important in these patients.

High incidence and recurrence of transitional cell carcinoma in Taiwanese patients with end-stage renal disease.

AIM: This study examines the epidemiology of transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) population from Taiwan, the area with the highest incidence and prevalence of ESRD. METHODS: A total of 98 out of 10,890 ESRD patients were referred for management of TCC between 2000 and 2008. Demographic, clinical and laboratory data were collected and patient mortality and tumour recurrence rates were analyzed. RESULTS: TCC patients were aged 61.4 ± 10.2 years and 66.3% were female. The average time from initiation of dialysis to tumour detection was 51.2 ± 36.4 months. Hypertensive nephrosclerosis, diabetes mellitus, chronic glomerulonephritis and unknown aetiology accounted for 25.5%, 20.4%, 22.4% and 31.6% of the causes of renal failure, respectively. The aetiology of renal failure for the 31.6% of patients was unclear, but chronic tubulointerstitial nephritis following long-term consumption of Chinese herbs (19.4%) or analgesic compounds (3.1%) was considered in some patients. Almost all (98.0%) patients presented with gross haematuria. Most TCC were in early stage (stage 0, 3.1%; stage I, 56.1%) during diagnosis. At the end of this study, 17 of 98 (17.3%) patients died. Multivariate Cox regression analysis found that age (odds ratio =1.140, 95% confidence interval = 1.049-1.239, P = 0.002) and tumour pain (odds ratio = 0.234, 95% confidence interval = 0.057-0.961, P = 0.044) were significant risk factors for all-cause mortality. Furthermore, 35.7% of TCC recurred during follow up. The 5 year patient and tumour-free survival rates were 72.4% and 14.4%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The data shows that Taiwanese patients with ESRD had high incidence (0.9%) and recurrence (35.7%) of TCC.

Food safety involving ingestion of foods and beverages prepared with phthalate-plasticizer-containing clouding agents.

In May 2011, the illegal use of the phthalate plasticizer di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate in clouding agents for use in foods and beverages was reported in Taiwan. This food scandal has caused shock and panic among the majority of Taiwanese people and has attracted international attention. Phthalate exposure is assessed by ambient monitoring or human biomonitoring. Ambient monitoring relies on measuring chemicals in environmental media, foodstuff and consumer products. Human biomonitoring determines body burden by measuring the chemicals, their metabolites or specific reaction products in human specimens. In mammalian development, the fetus is set to develop into a female. Because the female phenotype is the default, impairment of testosterone production or action before the late phase may lead to feminizing characteristics. Phthalates disrupt the development of androgen-dependent structures by inhibiting fetal testicular testosterone biosynthesis. The spectrum of effects obtained following perinatal exposure of male rats to phthalates has remarkable similarities with the human testicular dysgenesis syndrome. Epidemiological studies have suggested associations between phthalate exposure and shorter gestational age, shorter anogenital distance, shorter penis, incomplete testicular descent, sex hormone alteration, precocious puberty, pubertal gynecomastia, premature thelarche, rhinitis, eczema, asthma, low birth weight, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, low intelligence quotient, thyroid hormone alteration, and hypospadias in infants and children. Furthermore, many studies have suggested associations between phthalate exposure and increased sperm DNA damage, decreased proportion of sperm with normal morphology, decreased sperm concentration, decreased sperm morphology, sex hormone alteration, decreased pulmonary function, endometriosis, uterine leiomyomas, breast cancer, obesity, hyperprolactinemia, and thyroid hormone alteration in adults. Finally, the number of phthalate-related scientific publications from Taiwan has increased greatly over the past 5 years, which may reflect the health effects from the illegal addition of phthalate plasticizer to clouding agent in foodstuff over the past two decades.

Glycated hemoglobin predicts mortality in nondiabetic patients receiving chronic peritoneal dialysis.

BACKGROUND: patients with chronic peritoneal dialysis (CPD) use glucose-based dialysate to maintain their life; however, whether the glycemic status influences outcome of these patients without diabetes remains unknown. METHODS: we conducted a cross-sectional and 18-month prospective study, and 269 nondiabetic patients with CPD were enrolled in a medical center. Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels were measured at baseline and categorized in tertiles of HbA1c: high (>5.4%), middle (5.1-5.4%) and low normal (<5.1%). Mortality and cause of death were recorded for longitudinal analyses. RESULTS: the study results showed high HbA1c group patients had a trend of being older and having higher body mass index (BMI) than other group patients. Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis showed HbA1c was positively related to age, BMI and the peritoneal solute transport rate. After 18 months of follow-up, Cox multivariate analysis showed that HbA1c (HR: 4.114; 95% CI: 1.426-11.872; p = 0.009) was the significant risk factor for all-cause mortality after relating variables were adjusted. Moreover, high HbA1c (HR: 3.892; 95% CI: 1.273-11.959; p = 0.026) and low HbA1c (HR: 1.179; 95% CI: 1.160-1.198; p = 0.039), with middle HbA1c group as the reference, also significantly predicted for mortality in these patients. CONCLUSIONS: HbA1c levels, or presence of low or high HbA1c, are associated with 18-month all-cause mortality in nondiabetic patients with CPD.

Blood lead levels association with 18-month all-cause mortality in patients with chronic peritoneal dialysis.

BACKGROUND: The clinical significance of blood lead levels (BLLs) in chronic peritoneal dialysis (CPD) patients was undetermined prior to this study. METHODS: A total of 315 patients on CPD were included in this 18-month prospective study. BLLs measured at baseline were categorized according to a BLL tertile of high (>8.66 microg/dL), middle (5.62-8.66 microg/dL) and low (<5.62 microg/dL) for cross-sectional analyses. Mortality and cause of death were recorded for longitudinal analyses. RESULTS: At baseline, patients with high BLLs had a trend of higher parathyroid hormone and lower residual renal function than patients in other groups. Stepwise multiple regression analysis found that parathyroid hormone positively correlated and residual renal function negatively correlated with logarithmic-transformed BLLs in CPD patients after other confounders were adjusted. At the end of follow-up, 37 (11.7%) patients had died. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that patients with high BLLs had greater mortality than those with middle and low BLLs (P = 0.008). Cox multivariate analysis showed that, using the low BLL group as the reference, basal high BLLs (hazard ratio [HR] = 3.745, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] = 1.218-11.494, P = 0.001) and middle BLLs (HR = 1.867, 95% CI = 1.618-2.567, P = 0.001) were associated with increased HR for all-cause mortality for CPD patients. There is a significant trend (P < 0.001) of HR for mortality trend tests among the three study groups. CONCLUSIONS: BLLs are associated with residual renal function and hyperparathyroidism and are related to increased HR for all-cause 18-month mortality in CPD patients.

High-calcium dialysate: a factor associated with inflammation, malnutrition and mortality in non-diabetic maintenance haemodialysis patients.

AIM: Chronic inflammation, which is common in dialysis patients, often causes malnutrition and even protein-energy wasting. However, the association of high-calcium dialysate with malnutrition and/or inflammation in non-diabetic maintenance haemodialysis patients remains unclear. This study investigated the possible adverse effects of high-calcium dialysate and mortality in this population. METHODS: A total of 717 non-diabetic haemodialysis patients participated in this 2 year prospective study. The subjects were categorized into three subgroups based on whether dialysate calcium concentrations were high (3.5 mEq/L), standard (3.0 mEq/L) or low (2.5 mEq/L). Demographic, haematological, nutritional and inflammatory markers, biochemical and dialysis-related data were obtained for cross-sectional analysis. Causes of death and mortality rates were also analyzed for each subgroup. RESULTS: Patients with high-calcium dialysate (n = 82) had a higher incidence of malnutrition and inflammation (61.0% vs 44.1% and 43.9%, respectively) than those with standard- and low-calcium dialysate (n = 528 and 107). Backward stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that high-calcium dialysate was negatively correlated with nutritional index, serum albumin levels, but positively associated with the inflammatory marker of serum ferritin levels. At the end of the 2 year follow up, 45 patients had died. Cox multivariate analysis demonstrated that high-calcium dialysate was a significant associated factor (relative risk 2.765; 95% confidence interval 1.429-5.352) for 2 year all-cause mortality in these patients. CONCLUSION: The analytical results indicate that high-calcium dialysate is associated with malnutrition and inflammation as well as 2 year mortality in non-diabetic maintenance haemodialysis patients and the findings suggest that this population, even those with optimal mineral balance, should avoid high-calcium dialysate.

Spectrum of corrosive esophageal injury after intentional paraquat ingestion.

INTRODUCTION: This is an observational study that examines the clinical features, the degrees of esophageal injury, physiological markers, and clinical outcomes after paraquat ingestion and seeks to determine what association, if any, may exist between these findings. METHODS: The study included 16 of 1410 paraquat subjects who underwent endoscopies at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital between 1980 and 2007. RESULTS: Corrosive esophageal injuries were classified as grade 1 in 8, 2a in 5, and 2b in 3 patients. No patients had grade 0, 3a, or 3b esophageal injuries. After paraquat ingestion, systemic toxicity occurred, with rapid development of hypoxia, hepatitis, and renal failure in many cases. Hypoxia occurred in 1 (12.5%), 5 (100%), and 3 (100%) patients with grades 1, 2a, and 2b esophageal injury, respectively. There were more hypoxic patients with grades 2a and 2b than those with grade 1 esophageal injury (P < .05). The nadir Pao(2) was lower in patients with grades 2a and 2b than those with grade 1 esophageal injury (P < .05). However, there were no significant differences in terms of acute hepatitis, peak serum alanine aminotransferase, acute renal failure, and peak serum creatinine between the 3 groups (P > .05). Kaplan-Meier analysis did not find any difference in survival between the groups (P > .05). CONCLUSION: Paraquat, a mild caustic agent, produces only grades 1, 2a, and 2b esophageal injury. Our findings showed a potential relationship between the degree of hypoxia, mortality, and degree of esophageal injury, although such a low number of study subjects limits the conclusions that can be made by this study.

Definite and probable septic pericarditis in hemodialysis.

INTRODUCTION: Although the incidence of septic pericarditis in hemodialysis populations is less frequent in the modern antibiotic era, it is still a cause of death partly because diagnosis is sometimes difficult and uncertain. METHODS: From 2002 to 2006, 12 out of a total of 12,213 maintenance hemodialysis patients were referred for management of septic pericarditis. Patients were diagnosed as either definite or probable septic pericarditis. A definite diagnosis of septic pericarditis is based on the discovery of pathogenic bacteria in pericardial effusion, whereas a probable diagnosis is based on the proof of bacterial infection elsewhere in a patient with otherwise unexplained pericarditis, or appropriate response to a trial of systemic antibiotics. RESULTS: Four (33.3%) patients were diagnosed as definite pericarditis, whereas eight (66.7%) patients as probable pericarditis. It was found that although oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (ORSA) (4/12 or 33.3%) and tuberculous (4/12 or 33.3%) pericarditis were common, salmonella pericarditis (2/12 or 16.7%) was also not uncommon. Pericardiocentesis, or pericardial window with pericardiectomy, was performed in three (25%) and two (16%) of patients with cardiac tamponade, respectively. Two patients died because of severe ORSA (1/12 or 8%) and salmonella (1/12 or 8%) sepsis. Finally, there were four (33%) patients who developed constrictive pericarditis after follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: These data are important because the spectrum of septic pericarditis was clearly different between Taiwan and other developed countries. Furthermore, it is the only report in which patients were diagnosed as either definite or probable septic pericarditis, therefore improving the sensitivity of diagnosis as in the case of tuberculous pericarditis.

Cadmium excretion predicting hospital mortality and illness severity of critically ill medical patients.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prognostic value of day 1 urine excretion of cadmium (1st DUE-Cd) for predicting outcomes in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: ICUs in Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Lin-Kou Medical Center, Taiwan, ROC. PATIENTS: Two hundred one ICU patients. INTERVENTIONS: Urine and blood samples were taken within 24 hours after admission. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Disease severity, hospital mortality, and number of organ failures were evaluated in each medical ICU patient. Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis indicated that a history of chronic hepatitis, serum albumin, and glutamic-pyruvic transaminase were significantly related to 1st DUE-Cd after adjusting for other related variables. Cox multivariate analysis revealed that serum blood urea nitrogen level and ICU 1st DUE-Cd were significantly related to hospital mortality after other risk factors and scoring systems were adjusted. Each 1-microg increase in ICU 1st DUE-Cd was associated with a 7% increase in hospital mortality rate. All patients with poisoning magnitude of cadmium excretion (>10 microg/day) died, except one and those with normal cadmium excretion survived. Chi-square values of the Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test were 6.936 (p = 0.544), and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.868 (95% confidence intervals: 0.82-0.92) for ICU 1st DUE-Cd. CONCLUSIONS: The ICU 1st DUE-Cd may predict hospital mortality in critically ill medical patients. Because of excess mortality and relatively small sample size, the predictive role of DUE-Cd needs further external validation.

Association of environmental cadmium exposure with inflammation and malnutrition in maintenance haemodialysis patients.

BACKGROUND: Chronic inflammation and malnutrition are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular death, and may cause protein-energy wasting in individuals with chronic kidney disease. Raised blood cadmium (Cd) levels were observed in maintenance haemodialysis (HD) patients in previous studies. However, the correlation of Cd exposure with inflammation and malnutrition remains uncertain. This study examined the possible adverse effects of environmental Cd exposure in maintenance HD patients. METHODS: A total of 954 maintenance HD patients were enrolled and divided into four equal-sized groups based on blood Cd levels. Geographic, haematological, biochemical and dialysis-related data were obtained. The analysis included values for nutritional and inflammatory markers. RESULTS: Abnormal blood Cd levels (> or =1 microg/L) were exhibited in 26.8% (256/954) of studied subjects. More subjects in the highest quartile group were malnourished (chi- square = 23.27; P < 0.0001) and had inflammatory changes (chi-square = 13.99; P = 0.0029) than in the lowest quartile group. Stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed a significant inverse correlation between serum albumin and blood Cd levels. Notably, a 10-fold increase in blood Cd levels was associated with a 0.06 g/dL decrease in serum albumin levels (P = 0.0060). Multivariate regression analysis also demonstrated a positive correlation between inflammatory risk (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein >3 mg/L) and blood Cd levels. The risk ratio of inflammation with a 10-fold increase in blood Cd levels was 1.388 (95% CI: 1.025-1.825, P = 0.0336). CONCLUSIONS: Environmental Cd exposure is significantly associated with malnutrition, inflammation and even protein-energy wasting in maintenance HD patients. It is important for this population to avoid diets with high Cd concentrations and smoking.