[Staging and measurement of renal function in chronic renal conditions].

Kidney failure has traditionally been categorised as mild, moderate or severe. Other poorly defined terms like uraemia and end-stage kidney disease have commonly been applied. During the last few years, an international consensus has emerged staging chronic kidney disease into 5 stages: stage 1 being glomerular filtration rate (GFR) > 90 ml/min and signs of kidney damage, stage 2 GFR 60-89 ml/min and signs of kidney damage, stage 3 being GFR 30-59 ml/min, stage 4 being GFR 15-29 ml/min, and stage 5 GFR < 15 ml/min.

Use of the osmolal gap to guide the start and duration of dialysis in methanol poisoning.

Objective: Rapid diagnosis and treatment of methanol poisoning is mandatory. Dependence on serum methanol analysis in this situation may delay diagnosis and treatment. The anion and osmolal gaps have been recommended for use as diagnostic tools, but the use of these gaps to evaluate the length of hemodialysis treatment has only been emphasized in a few reports.

Blood pressure control is hard to achieve in patients with chronic renal failure: results from a survey of renal units in Norway.

Objective: To assess the use of antihypertensive drugs and blood pressure (BP) levels in relation to current guidelines for BP control in patients with chronic renal failure (CRF).

Material And Methods: A cross-sectional survey was carried out in six renal outpatient clinics in Oslo and the surrounding area. The hospital records of all renal patients not yet in need of renal replacement therapy and with serum creatinine>or=200 micromol/l who attended consultations with nephrologists regularly (at least every third month) were reviewed.

Controlling systolic blood pressure is difficult in patients with diabetic kidney disease exhibiting moderate-to-severe reductions in renal function.

This study compared the use of antihypertensive treatment and blood pressure (BP) controls between patients with diabetic kidney disease (DK+) and patients with non-diabetic kidney disease (DK-) exhibiting moderate-to-severe chronic renal failure who did not need renal replacement therapy. A cross-sectional survey included all renal patients with s-creatinine at ?200 micromol/l attending regular control sessions at six renal units in Norway. Of the 351 patients included, 73 (20.

[Diagnosis in metabolic acidosis of unknown origin].

Background: Obtaining a precise diagnosis in patients presenting with metabolic acidosis of unknown origin is difficult. Poisoning with methanol or ethylene glycol should be suspected in cases with a combined increase of osmolal and anion gaps.

Materials And Methods: Retrospectively we have compared the methanol and ethylene glycol values in poisoned patients with their osmolal gaps.

[Methanol poisoning in Norway 2002].

Background: In Norway methanol poisoning is rare. During the last four months of 2002, smuggled spirits containing about 20% methanol was distributed and ingested.

Material And Methods: Epidemiological and clinical data concerning 33 patients admitted to hospital with methanol poisoning are presented.

Anion and osmolal gaps in the diagnosis of methanol poisoning: clinical study in 28 patients.

Objective: To evaluate anion and osmolal gaps as diagnostic tools in methanol poisoning.

Design And Setting: Clinical observational study.

Patients And Methods: In a recent methanol outbreak, the initial triage and treatment decisions in 28 patients were based mainly upon the values of the osmolal and anion gaps on admission.