Hemodialysis Access Choice: Impact of Health Literacy.

Background: Hemodialysis patients need to make decisions about vascular access and diet that they may not fully understand. In this study, we hypothesized that patients with low health literacy are likely to choose a central venous catheter (CVC) and have higher serum potassium (K), serum phosphate (P), and inter-dialysis weight gains (IDWG).

Objective: Primarily, the study sought to describe the health literacy of patients treated with hemodialysis in a Canadian tertiary care center.

The association of urinary sodium excretion and the need for renal replacement therapy in advanced chronic kidney disease: a cohort study.

Background: Restriction of dietary sodium is routinely recommended for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Whether or not sodium intake is associated with the progression of CKD and mortality remains controversial. We evaluated the association of urinary sodium excretion (as a surrogate for sodium intake) on the need for renal replacement therapy and mortality in patients with advanced CKD.

Inadvertent transmission of polycystic kidney disease in kidney transplantation.

Background: Although organ donors are rigorously tested, occasionally an unidentified donor disease can be transmitted to the recipient. These conditions include malignancies, infections, and, rarely, congenital diseases.

Case Report: We report a case of an inadvertent transmission of polycystic kidney disease from a 40-year-old trauma victim to both kidney recipients.