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The aim of this study is to evaluate if hemodialysis (HD) patients with similar blood pressure (BP) in the whole inter-HD period could have different target organ lesions and survival if the behavior of BP differs from the first to the second day of the inter-HD period. The present study compares 44-hour ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM) patterns in 45 HD patients. Three BP patterns emerged: group A (n = 15) had similar BPs throughout (138 ± 11/88 ± 12 in the first 22 h vs. 140 ± 11/87 ± 12 mm Hg in the second 22-hour period); group B (n = 15) had a significant systolic BP rise from the first to the second period (132 ± 15/80 ± 12 vs. 147 ± 12/86 ± 13 mm Hg, p < 0.05); group C (n = 15) had significantly higher BPs (p < 0.05) than the other 2 groups throughout the whole inter-HD period, with no significant change between the 2 halves (172 ± 14/108 ± 12 vs. 173 ± 18/109 ± 14 mm Hg). Ventricular mass and survival during the 30-month follow-up period were statistically significantly better in group A, intermediate in group B and worse in group C. The data suggest that a 44-hour ABPM is more accurate than a 24-hour one in evaluating organ lesion and prognosis in HD patients. Copyright © 2006 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is no consensus in the literature on the best renal replacement therapy (RRT) in acute kidney injury (AKI), with both hemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD) being used as AKI therapy. However, there are concerns about the inadequacy of PD as well as about the intermittency of HD complicated by hemodynamic instability. Recently, continuous replacement renal therapy (CRRT) have become the most commonly used dialysis method for AKI around the world. A prospective randomized controlled trial was performed to compare the effect of high volume peritoneal dialysis (HVPD) with daily hemodialysis (DHD) on AKI patient survival. A total of 120 patients with acute tubular necrosis (ATN) were assigned to HVPD or DHD in a tertiary-care university hospital. The primary end points were hospital survival rate and renal function recovery, with metabolic control as the secondary end point. Sixty patients were treated with HVPD and 60 with DHD. The HVPD and DHD groups were similar for age (64.2±19.8 and 62.5±21.2 years), gender (male: 72 and 66%), sepsis (42 and 47%), hemodynamic instability (61 and 63%), severity of AKI (Acute Tubular Necrosis-Index Specific Score (ATN-ISS): 0.68±0.2 and 0.66±0.2), Acute Physiology, Age, and Chronic Health Evaluation Score (APACHE II) (26.9±8.9 and 24.1±8.2), pre-dialysis BUN (116.4±33.6 and 112.6±36.8 mg per 100 ml), and creatinine (5.8±1.9 and 5.9±1.4 mg per 100 ml). Weekly delivered Kt/V was 3.6±0.6 in HVPD and 4.7±0.6 in DHD (P<0.01). Metabolic control, mortality rate (58 and 53%), and renal function recovery (28 and 26%) were similar in both groups, whereas HVPD was associated with a significantly shorter time to the recovery of renal function. In conclusion, HVPD and DHD can be considered as alternative forms of RRT in AKI.Kidney International (2008) 73, S87–S93; doi:10.1038/sj.ki.5002608 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Acute renal injury (AKI) interferes greatly with nutritional status, affecting the metabolism of all macronutrients and increased mortality rates in hospitalized patients. Our objective was to evaluate the association of nutritional parameters (albumin, cholesterol, caloric and protein intake and nitrogen balance (NB)) with mortality in patients with AKI., Methods: This is a prospective observational study that evaluated 595 consecutive patients over the age of 18 years with AKI, requiring enteral or parenteral feeding. At the time of the patient's enrollment, demographic and laboratorial data, caloric and protein supply and NB were recorded on the first day of referral to the nephrologist. All patients were followed throughout the hospital stay and mortality rate was also recorded., Results: The medium age of patients with AKI was 64 (54-75) years, 64.5% male, 62% admitted to intensive care unit (ICU), 52% on dialysis and the majority (48%) were at stage 3 by AKIN. Length of stay and hospital mortality were 18 (10-31) days and 46%, respectively. Superior age, AKI severity, lower body weight and body mass index (BMI), higher need for dialysis, ICU admission and shorter hospital stay were associated with higher mortality. At logistic regression, caloric (OR: 0.946; CI:95%: 0.901-0.994; p:0.029) and protein intake (OR: 0.947; CI:95%: 0.988-0.992; p = 0.028) and serum albumin (OR: 0.545; CI:95%: 0.401-0741; p < 0.001) were associated with hospital mortality. Cholesterol (OR: 0.995; CI:95%: 0.991-1.000; p = 0.052) was not associated with increased mortality in the adjusted analysis. Analysis of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve showed that calorie intake < 12 kcal/kg (AUC: 0.745; CI:95%: 0.684-0.765; p < 0.001) and protein intake < 0.5 g/kg (AUC: 0.726; CI:95%: 0.686-0.767; p < 0.001) were predictors of hospital mortality, as well as a negative NB < -6.47 g N/day (AUC: 0.745; CI:95%: 0.704-0.786; p < 0.001)., Conclusions: In conclusion, low caloric and protein intake, negative NB and low albumin value are conditions associated with higher hospital mortality in patients with AKI., (Copyright © 2018 European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Surviving acute kidney (AKI) patients have a higher late mortality compared with those admitted without AKI. The negative impact of malnutrition on the early outcome of AKI patients has recently been confirmed by various studies. However, its impact after hospital discharge has not been studied. The objective of the study was to determine the role of anthropometric measurements and handgrip strength as predictors of mortality 180 days after discharge., Methodology: Eighty-two survivors AKI patients who were older than 18 y old and followed by AKI team were prospectively evaluated. Patient's characteristics were recorded, anthropometric measurements were taken, handgrip strength (HGS) was measured, subjective global assessment and bioimpedance were applied and blood samples were collected during hospitalization at first and last nephrologist evaluation and in after hospital discharge at 1 month, 3 and 6 months. Multivariable logistic regression was used to adjust confounding and selection bias., Results: Age was 62.3 ± 14.7 years, prevalence of hospitalization in medical wards of 71.6%, index of severity of AKI (ATN-ISS) was 28% and late mortality rates was 25.6%. Risk factors associated with late mortality were the number of comorbidities (HR = 1.79, 95% CI = 1.45-2.46, p = 0.04), cancer (HR = 1.89, 95 CI% = 1.48-3.16, p = 0.01), sepsis (HR = 1.47, 95% CI = 1.18-2.38, p = 0.03), no recovery of renal function at hospital discharge (HR = 1.46, 95% CI = 1.02-2.16, p = 0.03), malnutrition at first evaluation (HR = 1.58, 95% CI = 1.14-2.94, p = 001), the HGS value at the moment of last evaluation by nephrologist (HR = 1.81, 95% CI = 1.17-2.31, p = 0.04) and gain weigh < 1 kg between the moment at first evaluation by nephrologist and one month after hospital discharge (HR = 1.95, 95 CI% = 1.29-3.3, p = 0.02)., Conclusion: HGS and gain weight were identified as predictors of late mortality. Simple and ease methods can be applied in AKI patients during and after hospitalization to diagnose nutritionally patients who are at higher risk for poor prognosis and, consequently intervention measures can be performed to improve survival in long-term., (Copyright © 2016 European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is a well-known predictor of cardiovascular mortality in patients who have end-stage renal disease and are maintained on hemodialysis (HD), and LVH is not always correlated with the severity of hypertension in these patients. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of other factors contributing to LVH., Methods: A total of 50 patients with HD were classified in three groups according to whether their LV mass index (LVMI) was higher than (n = 15), equal to (n = 20), or lower than (n = 15) that predicted by a formula based on their ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM)., Results: Subjects with higher LVMI than predicted had significantly greater inter-HD weight gain (3.4 +/- 0.8 v 2.7 +/- 0.8 and 2.6 +/- 05 kg, respectively, in the other two groups, P < .05), and subjects with lower LVMI than predicted had a tendency toward a more pronounced nocturnal dipping pattern of BP (P = .07 v the other two groups), although daytime and night-time average BP levels did not differ between groups. All other clinical and laboratory parameters were similar among the three groups except higher cardiac output and various indices of LVH, which were more pronounced in the group with higher LVMI by ABPM. This group had also the lowest survival rate over the 2 to 3 years of follow-up, with five deaths versus two in each of the other two groups., Conclusions: The data suggest that correct management of inter-HD weight gain by nutritional counseling and shorter inter-HD intervals may prevent LVH and improve survival independently of BP control.

Purpose: To evaluate the therapeutic complications due to the use of immunosupressors in patients with nephropathy., Methods: 76 patients who had used steroids and cyclophosphamide were retrospectively studied. The cases were divided into three groups: G1= 15 patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus without renal lesion; G2= 33 patients with lupus nephritis and G3= 28 patients with nephrotic syndrome owing to idiopathic glomerulopathy., Results: There were no differences related to time of follow up (G1= 42.4 +/- 51, G2= 52.3 +/- 51, G3= 41.8 +/- 47.8 months), total used dosage of steroids (G1= 20, G2= 28, G3= 16 grams) and time of drug use (G1= 20, G2= 26, G3= 14.5 months). About cyclophosphamide use, there was no difference in the percentage of patients who used it (13% in G1, 51% in G2, 28% in G3), but the patients from G1 received lower total dosage than those from G2 (p<0.05). Cushingoid appearance, epigastric distress, psychiatric disorders, diabetes mellitus and ocular alterations occurred in all the three groups, with no statistically significant differences. The infections complications, those considered more severe clinically, were more frequent in G2 (G1= 6%, G2= 15%, G3= 0% - p<0.05), the same occurring with the deaths (7% in G1, 30% in G2, 0% in G3 - p<0.05)., Conclusion: In patients with lupus nephritis there were more infections complications owing to prolonged immunosuppresion what may indicate a severity marker of this type of lesion.

In order to evaluate the role of underlying disease in the high mortality observed in acute renal failure (ARF) and risk factors related to the development of oliguric ARF in renal allograft recipients, two groups were selected: 34 patients with native kidneys, aged 16 and 57 years, and presenting ischemic ARF caused by cardiovascular collapse, with no signs of infection at the time of diagnosis; and 34 renal allograft recipients who developed ARF immediately after transplantation, without rejection. ARF was defined either as 30% increase of basal plasmatic creatinine in patients with native kidneys or nonnormalization of plasmatic creatinine at day 5 after transplantation in renal allograft recipients; oliguria as diuresis < or = 400 mL/24 h. There were no differences in age, male frequency, oliguria presence and duration, need for dialysis, and infection episodes for renal allograft recipients and patients with native kidneys. The development of sepsis (3% and 41%) and death rate (3% and 44%) were higher in patients with native kidneys (p < 0.01). The renal allograft recipients with both oliguric (n = 18) and nonoliguric (n = 16) ARF were evaluated and no difference was observed in the recipient's age, donor's age, cold ischemia time, time elapsed until plasmatic creatinine normalization, donor's plasmatic creatinine or urea, and mean arterial pressure. No differences were observed between the groups regarding frequency of infection episodes during ARF and frequency of death. In conclusion, renal allograft recipients presented a lower death rate and were less susceptible to sepsis. Cold ischemia time, age, and hemodynamic characteristics of the donor did not affect the development of oliguria.

Purpose: To compare the antihypertensive and metabolic effects of captopril combined with hydrochlorothiazide (C+HCTZ) versus chlorthalidone (CT) in mild and moderate primary hypertensive patients., Methods: Fifty five patients, without treatment or treated with 15 days placebo were randomized for treatment with the combination of captopril 50mg and hydrochlorothiazide 25mg (n = 29) against chlorthalidone (n = 26). The clinical evaluation was done during placebo and monthly throughout three months, and the laboratory tests were done before and at the end of the study., Results: The blood pressure were similar between groups during placebo period (C + HCTZ: 161 +/- 25/102 +/- 6-CT: 155 +/- 18/101 +/- 6 mmHg); the diastolic blood pressure decreases significantly at first month already in the group C + HCTZ (89 +/- 8 mmHg) compared to group CT (94 +/- 8 mmHg, p < 0.05). The percentile diastolic and mean blood pressure dropped, in average, 12% in C + HCTZ group and in CT varied between 7 (1st and 2nd month) to 11% (3rd month). Without statistical difference, the blood pressure normalization was obtained in 69% of the patients with the association captopril and diuretic and in 50% of the patients in the chlorthalidone group. It was observed a significant reduction of potassium in patients treated with chlorthalidone (4.2 +/- 0.7 to 3.7 +/- 0.4 mEq/L, p < 0.01) that was not observed with the captopril and the thiazide associated. The last treatment also significantly reduced the cholesterol levels (219 +/- 39 mg/dl to 202 +/- 39 mg/dl, p < 0.04)., Conclusion: Our results indicate that captopril combined with low diuretic dose normalize the blood pressure in 69% mild to moderate primary hypertensive patients, and acts faster than chlorthalidone in this control. In addition has metabolic benefits reducing cholesterol levels with no alteration in potassium levels.