Search

Dialysis withdrawal has become an accepted treatment option for patients with kidney failure and is one of the leading causes of death in patients receiving dialysis in high-income countries. Despite its increasing acceptance, dialysis withdrawal currently lacks a clear, consistent definition. The processes and outcomes of dialysis withdrawal have wide temporal and geographical variability, attributed to dialysis patient selection, influence from cultural, religious and spiritual beliefs, and availability of kidney replacement therapy and conservative kidney management. As a complex, evolving process, dialysis withdrawal poses an enormous challenge for clinicians and healthcare teams with various limitations precluding a peaceful and smooth transition between active dialysis and end-of-life care. In this review, we examine the current definitions of dialysis withdrawal, the temporal and geographical patterns of dialysis withdrawal, international barriers in the decision-making process (including dialysis withdrawal during the COVID-19 pandemic), and gaps in the current dialysis withdrawal recommendations for clinical consideration and future studies.

The burden of type 2 diabetes and related complications has steadily increased over the last few decades and is one of the foremost global public health threats in the 21st century. Diabetes is one of the leading causes of chronic kidney disease and kidney failure and is an important contributor to the cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in this population. In addition, up to one in three patients who have received kidney transplants develop post-transplant diabetes, but the management of this common complication continues to pose a significant challenge for clinicians. In this review, we will describe the global prevalence and temporal trend of kidney failure attributed to diabetes mellitus in both developing and developed countries. We will examine the survival differences between treated kidney failure patients with and without type 2 diabetes, focusing on the survival differences in those on maintenance dialysis or have received kidney transplants. With the increased availability of novel hypoglycemic agents, we will address the potential impacts of these novel agents in patients with diabetes and kidney failure and in those who have developed post-transplant diabetes.

Background ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) is more prevalent in rural Australia compared to metropolitan areas suggesting a role of environment in disease pathogenesis. However, the prevalence of environmental risk factors in Australian AAV patients has not been described. Aims To compare the incidence of AAV between two health districts (Illawarra Shoalhaven local health district (ISLHD), a mixed rural/metropolitan region, and South Eastern Sydney local health district (SESLHD), a metropolitan region) in Australia and its relationship to environmental exposures. Methods Cases of AAV from 2002 to 2017 were retrospectively identified from ISLHD and SESLHD using electronic medical records. Eligible participants were invited to complete a standardised questionnaire examining their exposure to silica, solvents, metal, dust, farming, gardening, and sunlight. Results 156 cases of AAV were identified from 2002 to 2017. A higher cumulative incidence of AAV was observed in the ISLHD (184.2 [95% confidence interval (CI) 143.6-232.7] per million) compared to SESLHD (102.6 [95% CI 82.1-126.8] per million). Over 50% of the cohort had high levels of silica and solvents exposure, based on self-reported questionnaires. There was no significant relationship between region and exposure to silica (p=0.96), solvents (p=0.44), metal (p=0.33), dust (p=0.25), farming (p=0.90), gardening (p=0.93), or sunlight (p=0.55). Conclusions We found a higher incidence of AAV in ISLHD compared to SESLHD with high levels of exposure to silica and solvents in both regions based on self-reported questionnaires. Prospective systematic collection of data, such as a registry of AAV, is warranted to further explore the relationship between environmental exposures and AAV. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Background Renal replacement therapy (RRT) places a burden on patients, and geographical relocation for easier access to healthcare facilities is a necessity for some. Incidence and factors associated with relocation has not been comprehensively examined at a national level. We aimed to determine proportion, incidence, characteristics of RRT patients who relocate and relocation rate by remoteness of residence and dialysis modality. Methods Retrospective cohort analysis using Australian and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant Registry to examine RRT patients in Australia from January 2005 to December 2015. Relocation incidence was calculated for remoteness of residence and RRT modality as rate per 100 patient years. Factors associated with relocation were examined using competing risk regression models with death as a competing event. Results Of 24,676 incident patients on RRT, 5888 (23.9%) relocated with a median time of 1.6 years [IQR 0.7–3.4] years. Relocation incidence was 7.9 per 100 patient years and increased from major cities to very remote regions (7.2 to 48.8 per 100 patient years respectively, p p = 0.034) and very remote regions (SHR 3.51 95% 3.05, 4.04 p p = 0.002) while transplant patients were less likely to relocate compared to haemodialysis patients (HR 0.37, 95%CI 0.34, 0.39, p Conclusions Relocation in patients receiving RRT is associated with remoteness of residence, RRT modality and ethnicity. Reasons for relocation and its impact on patient wellbeing and outcome should be further explored.

BackgroundHistorically, long-term survival rates in locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have been disappointingly low, and treatment toxicities have been significant.AimsTo assess survival outcomes, treatment toxicities, patterns of disease recurrence and prognostic variables for patients with locally advanced NSCLC treated with concurrent chemoradiation.MethodsPatients who completed treatment with chemotherapy and simultaneous chest irradiation for locally advanced NSCLC at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (Sydney, Australia) in the period January 1994 to July 2009 were identified. We retrospectively reviewed the patients' medical records to obtain patient demographic data, clinical data, information on tumour characteristics and treatment administered, and outcome data such as survival, treatment toxicities and tumour recurrence patterns.ResultsOur patient cohort consisted largely of urban-dwelling male smokers with good baseline performance status. As of December 2012, 93/105 patients had died. Median overall and progression-free survival was 20 months and 11 months respectively. The 5-year survival rate was 17%. Eight patients had survived longer than 8 years, and 13 patients enjoyed progression-free survival longer than 3 years. Locoregional tumour recurrence occurred most frequently, followed by brain and bone metastases. Adverse effects from chemoradiation included varying degrees of gastrointestinal, pulmonary and haematological toxicity. Three deaths occurred from radiation-induced pneumonitis. Weight loss at presentation was statistically significantly associated with worse overall survival in univariate analyses (P = 0.01).ConclusionsOur survival results are consistent with the recent international literature and indicate that a proportion of patients with locally advanced NSCLC can enjoy prolonged survival following treatment with concurrent chemoradiation.

Background Medication non-adherence is common among renal dialysis patients. High degrees of non-adherence in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) can lead to failure to detect a true treatment effect. Cardio-protective pharmacological interventions have shown no consistent benefit in RCTs involving dialysis patients. Whether non-adherence contributes to this lack of efficacy is unknown. We aimed to investigate how medication adherence and drug discontinuation were assessed, reported and addressed in RCTs, evaluating cardiovascular or mortality outcomes in dialysis patients. Methods Electronic database searches were performed in MEDLINE, EMBASE & Cochrane CENTRAL for RCTs published between 2005–2015, evaluating self-administered medications, in adult dialysis patients, which reported clinical cardiovascular or mortality endpoints, as primary or secondary outcomes. Study characteristics, outcomes, methods of measuring and reporting adherence, and data on study drug discontinuation were analyzed. Results Of the 642 RCTs in dialysis patients, 22 trials (12 placebo controlled), which included 19,322 patients, were eligible. The trialed pharmacological interventions included anti-hypertensives, phosphate binders, lipid-lowering therapy, cardio-vascular medications, homocysteine lowering therapy, fish oil and calcimimetics. Medication adherence was reported in five trials with a mean of 81% (range: 65–92%) in the intervention arm and 84.5% (range: 82–87%) in the control arm. All the trials that reported adherence yielded negative study outcomes for the intervention. Study-drug discontinuation was reported in 21 trials (mean 33.2%; 95% CI, 22.0 to 44.5, in intervention and 28.8%; 95% CI, 16.8 to 40.8, in control). Trials with more than 20% study drug discontinuation, more often yielded negative study outcomes (p = 0.018). Non-adherence was included as a contributor to drug discontinuation in some studies, but the causes of discontinuation were not reported consistently between studies, and non-adherence was listed under different categories, thereby potentiating the misclassification of adherence. Conclusions Reporting of medication adherence and study-drug discontinuation in RCTs investigating cardiovascular or mortality endpoints in dialysis patients are inconsistent, making it difficult to compare studies and evaluate their impact on outcomes. Recommendations for consistent reporting of non-adherence and causes of drug discontinuation in RCTs will therefore help to assess their impact on clinical outcomes. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12882-017-0449-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.