Prevalence of hypertension in patients on peritoneal dialysis: results of an Italian multicentre study.

Background: The tenet that peritoneal dialysis is capable of either normalizing or improving blood pressure control in uraemic patients is based on outdated or monocentric experiences. Therefore, we assessed the prevalence of hypertension and the efficacy of antihypertensive therapy in a large, multicentric cohort of patients on peritoneal dialysis.

Methods: Twenty seven out of the 50 centres belonging to the Italian Co-operative Peritoneal Dialysis Study Group took part in the study.

Myths and reality concerning hypertension in peritoneal dialysis patients: results of a multicenter study.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the prevalence of hypertension, the average blood pressure level, the 24 h blood pressure profile, and the efficacy of antihypertensive therapy for a large population of peritoneal dialysis patients.DESIGN: A cross-sectional, observational multicenter study. METHODS: From 504 peritoneal dialysis patients (18% of the Italian peritoneal dialysis population) involved in a multicenter observational study, we selected 414 who had undergone successful ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (i.

Impulsivity in self-mutilative behavior: psychometric and biological findings.

This paper examines impulsivity as a central factor in moderate/superficial self-mutilation such as skin-cutting and burning. A sample of 165 subjects were divided into four groups, namely self-mutilators, patients with any modes of impulsive behavior other than self-mutilation, patients without any impulsive behavior, and normal probands. All were administered the 10th version of the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory, and the Inventory for the Assessment of Factors of Aggressiveness.

Prevalence of hyperlipidemia in a cohort of CAPD patients. Italian Cooperative Peritoneal Dialysis Study Group (ICPDSG).

An association between hyperlipidemia and cardiovascular disease is well described in the literature. We conducted an observational study in order to evaluate the lipid profile, the prevalence of hyperlipidemia and its relationship with age, sex, duration of CAPD, peritoneal glucose load (PGL), serum albumin (ALB), serum glucose (GLU), and BMI in a large cohort of uremics undergoing long-term treatment with CAPD. 457 nondiabetic patients (245 males, 212 females; mean age 63.

Insertion of a straight peritoneal catheter in an arcuate subcutaneous tunnel by a tunneler: long-term experience.

Objective: This study describes the results of the insertion of a straight Tenckhoff peritoneal catheter (PC) in an arcuate, caudally concave tunnel using a tunneler designed by the authors. It has a semicircular shape and a bending radius of 4.5 cm.

Renal involvement in acro-renal-ocular syndrome: interstitial nephritis, unlikely pyelonephritis.

We describe a case, seemingly sporadic, in which ocular and acral malformations were associated with an interstitial nephropathy; we made a diagnosis of acro-renal-ocular syndrome. There was no stasis, reflux, or urinary tract infection in our patient. We believe that interstitial nephritis in acro-renal-ocular syndrome may not always be pyelonephritis, as previously reported.

Peritoneal clearances in hypertensive CAPD patients after oral administration of clonidine, enalapril, and nifedipine.

The authors investigated whether the reduction of arterial pressure, induced by the oral administration of clonidine (CLO), enalapril (EN), and nifedipine (NIF), has any effect on peritoneal transport rates. The study was performed in nine hypertensive patients undergoing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). The patients were submitted to administration of CLO, EN, and NIF, each in randomized succession for two weeks, after withdrawal of any hypotensive therapy for eight days (washout period).

Varieties of Pathological Self-mutilation.

Pathological self-mutilation appears as a non-specific symptom as well as a specific syndrome. Since psychotic persons may commit horrifying acts, such as enucleation of an eye or amputation of a body part, identification of high risk patients is crucial. Stereotypical self-mutilation, such as head banging and biting off of fingertips, is associated with mental retardation and with the syndromes of Lesch-Nyhan, deLange, and Tourette.

Female habitual self-mutilators.

Data are presented on 240 female habitual self-mutilators. The typical subject is a 28-year-old Caucasian who first deliberately harmed herself at age 14. Skin cutting is her usual practice, but she has used other methods such as skin burning and self-hitting, and she has injured herself on at least 50 occasions.

Self-mutilation and eating disorders.

Patients with eating disorders are at high risk for self-mutilation (e.g., skin cutting and burning), and vice versa.

The plight of chronic self-mutilators.

Self-mutilation is a more common behavior than generally realized; its prevalence may be 750 per 100,000. From the responses of 250 subjects to a Self-Harm Behavior Survey we have learned that self-mutilation typically begins in early adolescence and may assume a chronic course characterized by severe psychosocial morbidity. Some chronic self-mutilators already are heavy and generally dissatisfied users of mental health services.