Could incremental haemodialysis be a new standard of care? A suggestion from a long-term observational study.

The term incremental haemodialysis (HD) means that both dialysis dose and frequency can be low at dialysis inception but should be progressively increased, to compensate for any subsequent reduction in residual kidney function. Policy of the Matera Dialysis Center is to attempt an incremental start of HD without a strict low-protein diet in all patients choosing HD and with urine output (UO) >500 ml/day. The present study aimed at analyzing the results of this policy over the last 20 years.

The lacking equation that estimates the protein catabolic rate in patients on once-weekly haemodialysis.

Background: The normalized protein catabolic rate (PCRn) is one of the key indices derived from the urea kinetic model (UKM) in haemodialysis (HD) patients. Ideally, it should be assessed using the double pool UKM (KDOQI clinical practice guidelines, AIKD, 2015), as the web-based software Solute-Solver (SS) does (Daugirdas et al., AJKD, 2009).

The effects of preemptive therapy using a very low threshold of pp65 antigenemia to prevent cytomegalovirus disease in kidney transplant recipients: a single-center experience.

Background: Preemptive therapy is a valid option for cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease prevention in kidney transplant recipients. However, there are controversies regarding the appropriate threshold value to be reached before starting antiviral drugs. The aim of this study was to evaluate the benefit of a low threshold of the CMV pp65 antigenemia test as a guide to initiate the therapy.

Loss of renal function is associated with deterioration of health-related quality of life in kidney transplant patients.

Objective: The evaluation of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is becoming an important measure of the outcomes of kidney transplantation. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether deterioration of renal function was associated with a worse HRQOL in kidney transplant patients (KTP) compared with patients experiencing chronic native kidney insufficiency.

Patients And Methods: HRQOL was assessed in 128 stable KTP and 102 chronic kidney disease patients (CKDP) using the SF-36 health survey.