Calcific Uremic Arteriolopathy (CUA) Among Malaysian Dialysis Patients: Clinical Characteristics, Treatment, and Outcomes.

Background Calcific uremic arteriolopathy (CUA) is a rare but debilitating disease affecting patients with kidney disease. Reported risk factors of CUA in the literature include female sex, obesity, diabetes mellitus, and vitamin K antagonists' (VKAs) usage. CUA prevalence in Malaysia is unknown and has not been reported before.

Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Autoantibody-Negative Pauci-Immune Crescentic Glomerulonephritis in a Patient with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Renal involvement in systemic lupus erythematosus is usually exhibited as lupus nephritis, which is a form of immune complex-mediated glomerulonephritis and one of the most severe organ manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus. The pathogenesis involved glomerular immune complex deposition, which leads to glomerular inflammation and typically shows a "full-house" pattern on immunofluorescence microscopy. Other forms of glomerulonephritis are rarely observed in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Cost utility analysis of end stage renal disease treatment in Ministry of Health dialysis centres, Malaysia: Hemodialysis versus continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.

Objectives: In Malaysia, there is exponential growth of patients on dialysis. Dialysis treatment consumes a considerable portion of healthcare expenditure. Comparative assessment of their cost effectiveness can assist in providing a rational basis for preference of dialysis modalities.

Health related quality of life of dialysis patients in Malaysia: Haemodialysis versus continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.

Background: Health related quality of life (HRQOL) is an important predictor of clinical outcomes for End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) patients and to establish quality adjusted life years (QALYs) for economic evaluation studies. This study aims to measure the health utilities and to identify socio-demographic and clinical factors associated with HRQOL for haemodialysis (HD) and continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) in Malaysia.

Methods: A total of 141 patients (77 HD and 64 CAPD) from 1 federal and four state hospitals participated in this cross-sectional study.

Pharmacokinetics of piperacillin in critically ill patients receiving continuous venovenous haemofiltration: A randomised controlled trial of continuous infusion versus intermittent bolus administration.

Here we describe the pharmacokinetics of piperacillin administered by continuous infusion (CI) versus intermittent bolus (IB) dosing in critically ill patients receiving continuous venovenous haemofiltration (CVVH) and compare the frequency of pharmacodynamic/pharmacokinetic (PK/PD) target attainment with each dosing strategy. This was a prospective pharmacokinetic trial in 16 critically ill patients with severe sepsis or septic shock undergoing CVVH and randomised to receive either CI or IB administration of a standard daily dose of piperacillin/tazobactam (11.25g/day on Day 1 followed by 9g/day).

Pharmacokinetics of meropenem in critically ill patients receiving continuous venovenous haemofiltration: a randomised controlled trial of continuous infusion versus intermittent bolus administration.

The objective of this study was to describe the pharmacokinetics of meropenem, administered by continuous infusion (CI) or intermittent bolus (IB), in critically ill patients receiving continuous venovenous haemofiltration (CVVH) and to evaluate the frequency of pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic target attainment with each dosing strategy. This was a prospective, randomised controlled trial in critically ill patients receiving CVVH and administered meropenem by CI or IB. Serial meropenem concentrations in plasma and ultrafiltrate were measured after administration of a standard total daily dose (4 g/day on Day 1, followed by 3g/day thereafter) on two occasions during antibiotic therapy.

A national survey of renal replacement therapy prescribing practice for acute kidney injury in Malaysian intensive care units.

Objectives: To describe renal replacement therapy (RRT) prescribing practices in Malaysian intensive care units (ICU), and compare this with previously published data from other regions.

Method: A survey was sent to physicians responsible for prescribing RRT in major ICU throughout Malaysia. The questionnaire sought information on the physicians' background, and detailed information regarding RRT settings.