Acute Kidney Injury Following Ingestion of Raw Fish Gallbladder of Indian Crap (Labeo Rohita): Thirty Case Series During 1975-2018.

Introduction: Ayurveda describes using desiccated and well-processed gallbladder of Indian carp (Labeorohita) as a traditional remedy for some diseases. People consume it irrationally following the hearsay advice for all types of chronic diseases. Methods: Here we report 30 sporadic cases of acute kidney injury (AKI) following ingestion of raw gallbladder of Indian carp during 1975-2018 (44 years). Results: Most of the victims were males (83.3%) with an average age of 37.7 years. The mean onset of symptoms was 2 to 12 hours after ingestion. All patients presented as acute gastroenteritis and AKI. Among them, 22 (73.33%) needed urgent dialysis, and 18 (81.81%) of them recovered with four (18.18%) deaths. Eight patients (26.6%) were managed conservatively, of which seven (87.5%) recovered with one (12.5%) death. Septicemia, myocarditis, and acute respiratory distress syndrome were the causes of death. Conclusions: This longest four-decade case series highlights that indiscriminate ingestion of raw fish gallbladder by unqualified prescription results in toxic AKI with multiple organ dysfunction and death.

Identification of high-risk population and prevalence of kidney damage among asymptomatic central government employees in Delhi, India.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) has attained epidemic proportions in India due to increased incidence of diabetes and hypertension (HTN). It was surmised that identification of only high-risk groups (HRGs) through a questionnaire would be sufficient to identify cases of kidney damage (KD). The study attempted to device a questionnaire to classify the subjects in to HRG and low-risk group (LRG) and assess the extent of early KD. The central government employees were classified into HRG and LRG based on "SCreening for Occult REnal Disease (SCORED)" and "EXTENDED" questionnaire formulated after addition of 10 more parameters apart from diabetes and HTN. Urine examination by dipstick, quantitative microalbumin, serum creatinine, and estimated glomerular filtration rate were assessed to determine KD. The data were analyzed for risk-group classification. Sensitivity was calculated based on the number of KD cases in the HRG. Of the 1104 employees screened, 58% and 42% were classified in HRG and LRG, respectively. There were 306 KD cases of whom, 65% were in the HRG. The sensitivity of the EXTENDED questionnaire to detect CKD was much higher (60%) compared to the SCORED questionnaire (25%). The prevalence of KD according to stage was: stage-1, 13.4%; stage-2, 9.9%; and late stages (3, 4, and 5), 4.5%. Microalbuminuria and dipstick-positive proteinuria showed statistically higher proportion in the HRG (25% and 4.1%) than in the LRG (19% and 1%, respectively) (P <0.05). Although the EXTENDED questionnaire was more sensitive in detecting KD, only screening the high-risk population will leave behind 35% of KD cases. There is, therefore, a need for mass screening at regular intervals.

Analysis of case series of milky urine: A single center and departmental clinical experience with emphasis on management perspectives: A prospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: Milky urine can be due to chyluria or lipiduria due to nephrotic syndrome. Filarial chyluria usually responds to medical management while non-filarial cases may require surgical intervention. AIM: To perform a prospective observational study in patients presenting with milky urine in our centre over a period of one year from July 2011 to June 2012, a complete biochemical work up and imaging to find out the site of leakage of lymph if it is a case of chyluria, its response to medical management and the requirement of surgical intervention. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Routine blood and urine investigations, 24 hour urine protein excretion, USG abdomen, serum lipid profile and rapid filarial antigen test were done in all. MRI abdomen was done in affordable patients. Renal biopsy was done in some chyluria patients for academic purpose and in milky urine with negative urine ether test. Sclerotherapy was done with 50% dextrose and 0.2% povidone iodine. Patients were followed up with 24 hour urine protein and triglyceride estimation. RESULTS: 18 cases of milky urine were encountered. 8 were filarial chyluria, 9 non- filarial and 1 MCD. Mean urine TG level and median 24 hour urinary protein excretion were 37.2 ± 24.6 mg% and 4.96 g respectively. The mean age for filariasis (22.9 ± 4.5 years) was significantly different from that of non-filarial etiology (31.5 ± 4.8 years) (P = 0.005). The mean 24 hour urinary protein for normal MRI cases (4.64 ± 0.70 g) was significantly different from those with dilated lymphatics (8.15 ± 2.55 g) (P = 0.02). All the non- filarial and 4 filarial cases required sclerotherapy. One patient required a second sitting. CONCLUSION: Milky urine is most commonly due to chyluria and occasionally due to nephrotic syndrome. Nephrotic syndrome is managed in its own way while chyluria not amenable to pharmacological intervention is managed with sclerotherapy.

Estimation of renal function in the intensive care unit: the covert concepts brought to light.

Frantic efforts have been made up to this date to derive consensus for estimating renal function in critically ill patients, only to open the Pandora's box. This article tries to explore the various methods available to date, the newer concepts, and the uncared issues that may still prove to be useful in estimating renal function in intensive care unit patients. The concept of augmented renal clearance, which is frequently encountered in critically ill patients, should always be taken into account, as correct therapeutic dosage of drugs sounds vital which in turn depends on correctly calculated glomerular filtration rate. Serum creatinine and creatinine-based formulae have their own demerits that are well known and established. While Cockcroft-Gault and 4-variable modification of diet in renal diseases formulae are highly inadequate in the intensive care setup for estimating glomerular filtration rate, employing isotopic methods is impractical and cumbersome. The 6-variable modification of diet in renal diseases formula fairs better as it takes into account the serum albumin and blood urea nitrogen, too. Jelliffe's and modified Jelliffe's equations take into account the rate of creatinine production and volume of distribution which in turn fluctuates heavily in a critically ill patient. Twenty-four-hour and timed creatinine clearances offer values close to reality although not accurate and cannot provide immediate results. Cystatin C is a novel agent that offers a sure promise as it is least influenced by factors that affect serum creatinine to a major extent. Aminoglycoside clearance, although still in the dark area, may prove a simple yet precise way of estimating glomerular filtration rate in those patients in whom these drugs are therapeutically employed. Optic ratiometric method has emerged as the most sophisticated one in glomerular filtration rate estimation in critically ill patients.

Cardiorenal syndrome.

Very often, physicians confront with patients who have concomitant heart and kidney failure. The coexistence of kidney and heart failure carries an extremely bad prognosis. The exact cause of deterioration of kidney function and the mechanism underlying this interaction are complex, multifactorial in nature, and still not completely understood. Both the heart and the kidney act in tandem to regulate blood pressure, vascular tone, diuresis, natriuresis, etc. An extension to the Guytonian model of volume and blood pressure control is proposed called cardiorenal connection. Regulating actions of Guyton's model were coupled to their extended actions on structure and function of the heart and the kidney changes in the rennin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, the imbalance between nitric oxide and reactive oxygen species, the sympathetic nervous system, and inflammation are the cardiorenal connectors to develop cardiorenal syndrome. Imbalance in this closed complex will often lead to deterioration of both cardiac and kidney function. The World Congress of Nephrology emphasized vast interrelated derangements that can occur in cardiorenal syndrome and proposed that the recent definition of cardiorenal syndrome be modified into categories whose labels reflect the likely primary and secondary pathology and time frame. For management, drugs that impair kidney function are undesirable, particularly in a population with already compromised or at risk of kidney function. In severe volume-loaded patients who are refractory to diuretics, management of cardiorenal dysfunction is challenging. In the absence of definitive clinical trials, treatment decision must be based on a combination of patient's condition and understanding of individual treatment options.