Sodium Thiosulfate Treatment for Calciphylaxis: Is There an Optimal Duration of Therapy?

Calciphylaxis is a rare and serious disorder characterized by vascular calcification and occlusion of the microvessels in the dermis, subcutaneous adipose tissue, visceral organs, and musculature. Studies have suggested that the major risk factors for developing calciphylaxis are chronic kidney disease and secondary hyperparathyroidism. Its diagnosis is clinical, and the treatment includes a multidisciplinary approach, although there are no clinical protocols based on randomized clinical trials.

Phosphate binder in dialysis: a cross-sectional study of patients' adherence and pill burden.

Introduction: Phosphate (P) binders are among the most common medications prescribed to control P levels in patients with chronic kidney disease on dialysis. There is still a paucity of data on adherence to P binders with no comparison between dialysis modalities.

Methods: We accessed factors associated with P binder adherence among patients on dialysis in an academic hospital.

Short and long-term effects of kidney donation on mineral and bone metabolism.

Background: Living kidney donors (LKD) experience an abrupt decline in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) resulting in abnormalities of mineral and bone metabolism (MBD), and this may have implications for skeletal health. We prospectively studied acute and long term MBD adaptation of LKD from two kidney transplant centers (São Paulo, Brazil and Miami, USA).

Methods: Renal function and MBD parameters longitudinally after kidney donation (baseline - D0, day 1, 14, 180 and 360 post-operatively) were measured in 74 patients (40 y, 73% female, 54% Brazilian).

Parathyroidectomy reduces the costs of medication in patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism.

Introduction: Subtotal Parathyroidectomy (S-PTx) and total Parathyroidectomy with immediate Autograft (PTx-AG) are well-established techniques for the treatment of refractory Secondary Hyperparathyroidism (SHPT), with comparable improvements in patients' quality of life and survival. However, the long-term costs after these operations may impact the choice of surgical technique. The objective of the study is to analyze the impact of surgical treatment on medication costs and whether there is any difference between medication use after each procedure, considering impacts on the health system.

PTH may predict early mortality in incident patients on hemodialysis: results from a large cohort.

Purpose: Parathyroid hormone (PTH) is merit as a risk factor for mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease in prevalent hemodialysis patients in a U shape. Most studies, however, do not focus on incident patients and those who died within the first 90 days of therapy. We evaluated PTH as a risk factor for mortality in a large cohort population in Brazil.