Dialysability of gadoteric acid in patients with end-stage renal disease undergoing hemodialysis.

Objective: This study was designed to evaluate the dialysability of gadoteric acid in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) requiring hemodialysis. Gadoteric acid is used for magnetic resonance imaging. It is cleared from the blood exclusively by glomerular filtration.

Prevalence of chronic renal failure stage 3 or more in HIV-infected patients in Antwerp: an observational study.

The introduction of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy has transformed HIV-infection from an inevitably lethal disease to a chronic condition with a life expectancy comparable to that of people with diabetes mellitus. In recent years it has become evident that people living with HIV/AIDS have an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease and it is expected that the prevalence of chronic kidney disease will rise accordingly. To investigate the prevalence of chronic kidney disease in patients with HIV, we conducted a retrospective observational analysis using the clinical database of a large centre (Institute of Tropical Medicine) in the urban area of Antwerp, Belgium.

Lessons Learned From 2 Patients With Multidrug-Resistant HIV-1 Infection Successfully Treated With a Darunavir-Containing Antiretroviral Treatment Regimen.

The authors describe 2 patients with life-threatening multidrug-resistant HIV-1 infection who responded very well to a treatment regimen containing darunavir and enfuvirtide. They discuss the availability of several new treatment options such as darunavir, etravirine, integrase, and CCR5 inhibitors for patients with multidrug-resistant viruses.

Re-evaluation and modification of the Stuivenberg Hospital Acute Renal Failure (SHARF) scoring system for the prognosis of acute renal failure: an independent multicentre, prospective study.

Background: A prognostic scoring system for hospital mortality in acute renal failure (Stuivenberg Hospital Acute Renal Failure, SHARF score) was developed in a single-centre study. The scoring system consists of two scores, for the time of diagnosis of acute renal failure (ARF) and for 48 h later, each originally based on four parameters (age, serum albumin, prothrombin time and heart failure). The scoring system was now tested and adapted in a prospective study.

Laparoscopic transabdominal pericardial window: new standard in the treatment of recurrent pericardial effusion complicated by cardiac tamponade.

Creation of a transabdominal transdiaphragmatic pericardial window for life-threatening recurrent pericardial effusion has proved to be a safe minimally invasive technique. By inducing adequate pericardial sac decompression while avoiding single-lung ventilation and thoracic drainage in severely ill patients, it provides anatomopathologic diagnosis and can direct further therapeutic measures. The transabdominal approach improves postoperative recovery dramatically by limiting postoperative pain and prevents sometimes invalidating intercostal neuralgia.