Serum bicarbonate may independently predict acute kidney injury in critically ill patients: An observational study.

Aim: To explore whether serum bicarbonate at admission to intensive care unit (ICU) predicted development of acute kidney injury (AKI).

Methods: We studied all patients admitted to our ICU over a 2 year period (February 2010 to 2012). The ICU has a case mix of medical and surgical patients excluding cardiac surgical, trauma and neurosurgical patients.

Large vessel calcification in Takayasu arteritis.

We report the novel case of a young woman with Takayasu arteritis, with extensive large vessel disease. The case demonstrates that while mechanisms of vascular calcification are poorly understood, inflammation per se might be sufficient to mediate increased mineral stress leading to vessel calcification, even in the absence of renal impairment.