Infectious complications associated with buttonhole cannulation of native arteriovenous fistulas: a 22-year follow-up.

Background: Buttonhole (BH) cannulation of native arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) appears to be associated with an increased infectious risk. We previously reported a dramatic increase in the incidence of infectious events (IE) after shift to the BH technique in an in-center hemodialysis unit, which was largely reduced after staff (re)education regarding strict respect of the procedure. We assessed the evolution over the following 12-year period in our center.

Impact of thrice-weekly cotrimoxazole prophylaxis on creatinine and potassium plasma levels in kidney transplant recipients.

Introduction: Cotrimoxazole (CTX) 800/160 mg daily or thrice-weekly is recommended as prophylaxis of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia in kidney transplant recipients. Cotrimoxazole 800/160 daily elevates plasma creatinine and potassium levels but whether the thrice-weekly regimen does so is unknown.

Methods: Medical records of 225 kidney transplant recipients at Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc were analyzed retrospectively.

Estimating health related quality of life effects in vitiligo. Mapping EQ-5D-5 L utilities from vitiligo specific scales: VNS, VitiQoL and re-pigmentation measures using data from the HI-Light trial.

Background: Vitiligo is reported to affect 2% of the world's population and has a significant impact on health related quality of life (HRQoL). The relationship between HRQoL and clinical outcomes used in vitiligo require further examination. Mapping condition specific measures of HRQoL: vitiligo specific quality of life instrument (VitiQoL), vitiligo noticeability scale (VNS) and vitiligo re-pigmentation scores (RPS) to the EQ-5D have not yet been reported.

Promoter Variant, Water Transport, and Outcomes in Peritoneal Dialysis.

Background: Variability in ultrafiltration influences prescriptions and outcomes in patients with kidney failure who are treated with peritoneal dialysis. Variants in , the gene that encodes the archetypal water channel aquaporin-1, may contribute to that variability.

Methods: We gathered clinical and genetic data from 1851 patients treated with peritoneal dialysis in seven cohorts to determine whether variants were associated with peritoneal ultrafiltration and with a risk of the composite of death or technique failure (i.

Podocyte Antigen Staining to Identify Distinct Phenotypes and Outcomes in Membranous Nephropathy: A Retrospective Multicenter Cohort Study.

Rationale & Objective: Membranous nephropathy (MN) is characterized by the deposition of immune complexes along glomerular basement membranes. M-Type phospholipase A receptor (PLAR), thrombospondin type 1 domain-containing 7A (THSD7A), exostosin 1 and 2 (EXT1/2), and neural epidermal growth factor-like 1 protein (NELL-1) have been identified as established or potential podocyte antigens in MN. We investigated the association of podocyte antigen staining with MN clinical phenotype and outcomes.

Non-invasive Quantification of Fat Deposits in Skeletal Muscle Predicts Cardiovascular Outcome in Kidney Failure.

Fat accumulation in skeletal muscle was recently established as a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the general population, but its relevance for patients with kidney failure is unknown. Here we examined the potential association between muscle radiation attenuation (MRA), a non-invasive indicator of fat deposits in muscle, and cardiovascular events in patients with kidney failure treated with peritoneal dialysis (PD) and investigated dynamic changes and determinants of MRA in this population. We retrospectively assessed MRA on computed tomography images collected yearly in 101 incident patients with kidney failure starting PD between January 2006 and December 2015.

Superior vena cava stenosis in haemodialysis patients with a tunnelled cuffed catheter: prevalence and risk factors.

Background: Although superior vena cava (SVC) stenosis may be a life-threatening complication of haemodialysis (HD) catheters, its prevalence and risk factors in HD patients are unknown. Our aim was to assess the prevalence and risk factors for SVC stenosis in HD patients with a tunnelled cuffed catheter (TCC) and to describe its clinical presentation.

Methods: In this single-centre, retrospective cohort study, all in-centre chronic HD patients carrying a TCC (1 January 2008-31 December 2012) were included (n = 117 patients, 214 TCC, 80 911 catheter-days).

A Large Intraperitoneal Residual Volume Hampers Adequate Volumetric Assessment of Osmotic Conductance to Glucose.

Background: In end-stage renal disease patients treated with peritoneal dialysis (PD), the osmotic conductance to glucose (OCG) represents the intrinsic ability of the membrane to transport water in response to a crystalloid osmotic gradient. A progressive loss of OCG in long-term PD patients indicates the development of fibrosis in the peritoneal interstitium, and helps identify patients at risk for encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis. The double mini-peritoneal equilibration test (PET) has been proposed as a simple method to assess OCG using the difference in initial ultrafiltration rates generated by 2 successive dwells using 1.

Direct Mapping of the QLQ-C30 to EQ-5D Preferences: A Comparison of Regression Methods.

Background: Several mapping or cross-walking algorithms for deriving utilities from the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire for Cancer (EORTC QLQ-C30) scores have been published in recent years. However, the large majority used ordinary least squares (OLS) regression, which proved to be not very accurate because of the specifics of the quality-of-life measures.

Objective: Our objective was to compare regression methods that have been used to map EuroQol 5 Dimensions 3 Levels (EQ-5D-3L) utility values from the general EORTC QLQ-C30 using OLS as a benchmark while fixing the number of explanatory variables and to explore an alternative three-part model.

Enteric hyperoxaluria in chronic pancreatitis.

Chronic pancreatitis may lead to steatorrhea, enteric hyperoxaluria, and kidney damage. However, the prevalence and determinants of hyperoxaluria in chronic pancreatitis patients as well as its association with renal function decline have not been investigated.We performed an observational study.

Comprehensive cost analysis of sentinel node biopsy in solid head and neck tumors using a time-driven activity-based costing approach.

Head and neck cancer (HNC) is predominantly a locoregional disease. Sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy offers a minimally invasive means of accurately staging the neck. Value in healthcare is determined by both outcomes and the costs associated with achieving them.

Pneumonia and influenza, and respiratory and circulatory hospital admissions in Belgium: a retrospective database study.

Background: Influenza infections can lead to viral pneumonia, upper respiratory tract infection or facilitate co-infection by other pathogens. Influenza is associated with the exacerbation of chronic conditions like diabetes and cardiovascular disease and consequently, these result in acute hospitalizations. This study estimated the number, proportions and costs from a payer perspective of hospital admissions related to severe acute respiratory infections.

Interstitial Fibrosis Restricts Osmotic Water Transport in Encapsulating Peritoneal Sclerosis.

Encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis (EPS) is a rare but severe complication of peritoneal dialysis (PD) characterized by extensive fibrosis of the peritoneum. Changes in peritoneal water transport may precede EPS, but the mechanisms and potential predictive value of that transport defect are unknown. Among 234 patients with ESRD who initiated PD at our institution over a 20-year period, 7 subsequently developed EPS.

Simulation and comparison of progression-free survival among patients with non-squamous non-small-cell lung cancer receiving sequential therapy.

Objectives: In recent years, the treatment landscape in advanced non-squamous non-small-cell lung cancer (nsNSCLC) has changed. New therapies (e.g.

Mapping algorithms from QLQ-C30 to EQ-5D utilities: no firm ground to stand on yet.

Aim: Over the last years several mapping or cross-walking algorithms for deriving utilities from QLQ-C30 scores have been published. However their external predictive accuracy has not yet been systematically compared.

Methods: We tested the external validity of previously published mapping algorithms to transform the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30 questionnaire responses to EQ-5D derived Utilities.

Cost comparison of open approach, transoral laser microsurgery and transoral robotic surgery for partial and total laryngectomies.

Activity-based costing is used to give a better insight into the actual cost structure of open, transoral laser microsurgery (TLM) and transoral robotic surgery (TORS) supraglottic and total laryngectomies. Cost data were obtained from hospital administration, personnel and vendor structured interviews. A process map identified 17 activities, to which the detailed cost data are related.

A systematic review of the predictive value of (18)FDG-PET in esophageal and esophagogastric junction cancer after neoadjuvant chemoradiation on the survival outcome stratification.

Purpose: We studied the predictive value of [(18) F]fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography ((18)FDG-PET) for assessing disease-free (DFS) and overall survival (OS) in esophageal and esophagogastric junction cancer.

Materials And Methods: A literature search (PUBMED/MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane) was performed to identify full papers with (18)FDG-PET and survival data, using indexing terms and free text words. Studies with >10 patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer, presenting sequential or at least one post-adjuvant treatment (18)FDG-PET data and Kaplan-Meier survival curves with >6 months median follow-up period were included.

An assessment of the external validity of mapping QLQ-C30 to EQ-5D preferences.

Background: Although cancer-specific Health-related Quality-of-Life measures are commonly included in randomized clinical trials or other prospective non-randomized clinical studies, it is rare that preference-based instruments are used, which allow the calculation of a Utility weight suitable for estimating Quality-adjusted Life-Years gained.

Objective: To test the external validity of a previously published mapping algorithm to transform the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire responses into EQ-5D-derived utilities by predicting EQ-5D utilities from QLQ-C30 scores.

Study Design And Methods: Comparative retrospective data analysis of four multicentre, prospective clinical trials in Breast, Multiple Myeloma, Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma and Non-Small-Cell Lung cancer patients with, respectively, 219, 172, 132 and 172 patients.

Economic impact of nonpersistence with antidepressant treatment in the adult population of Quebec: a comparative cost-effectiveness approach.

Background: Although for the great majority of indications, practice guidelines recommend that antidepressants (ADs) be used for at least 6 months, premature discontinuation is very frequent in a "real-life" setting. Previous studies have assessed the economic impact of such nonpersistence, but differences across antidepressant products remain inadequately explored.

Objective: To compare treatment persistence and incremental cost/persistence ratios (ICPRs) across individual new ADs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and atypical ADs) as well as the associated direct health-care costs in the adult population covered by the public drug program of Quebec.

Infectious complications following conversion to buttonhole cannulation of native arteriovenous fistulas: a quality improvement report.

Background: Constant-site or buttonhole cannulation of native arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) has gained in popularity compared with rope-ladder cannulation. However, cannulating nonhealed skin might increase the risk of (AVF-related) infectious events, as suggested by small reports.

Study Design: Quality improvement report.

A one-year economic evaluation of six alternative strategies in the management of uninvestigated upper gastrointestinal symptoms in Canadian primary care.

Background: The cost-effectiveness of initial strategies in managing Canadian patients with uninvestigated upper gastrointestinalsymptoms remains controversial.

Objective: To assess the cost-effectiveness of six management approaches to uninvestigated upper gastrointestinal symptoms in the Canadian setting.

Methods: The present study analyzed data from four randomized trials assessing homogeneous and complementary populations of Canadian patients with uninvestigated upper gastrointestinal symptoms with comparable outcomes.

Comparing the quality of care across Belgian hospitals from medical basic datasets: the case of thromboembolism prophylaxis after major orthopaedic surgery.

Rationale, Aims And Objectives: In the current context, the assessment of the quality of care in daily clinical practice becomes essential. The aim of this study was to use medical basic datasets associated with information on pharmacological treatments to assess the quality of care of a prophylaxis treatment after major orthopaedic surgery and to compare hospitals' clinical practices.

Methods: The study was performed in 20 Belgian hospitals.

Mapping the QLQ-C30 quality of life cancer questionnaire to EQ-5D patient preferences.

Background: Although cancer-specific Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) are commonly included in randomized clinical trials or other prospective non-randomized clinical studies, it is rare that preference-based instruments are used that allow the calculation of a utility weight suitable for estimating quality-adjusted life-years gained.

Objective: To develop a mapping algorithm to transform the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire responses into EQ-5D derived utilities.

Study Design: Retrospective data analysis of a multicentre, multicountry prospective clinical trial in breast cancer patients.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of FDG PET-CT in the management of pulmonary metastases from malignant melanoma.

Objectives: Most guidelines consider FDG PET-CT to detect occult extra-pulmonary disease prior to lung metastasectomy. A cost-effectiveness analysis, using a Markov model over a 10 year period, was performed to compare two different surveillance programs, either PET-CT or whole-body CT, in patients with suspected pulmonary metastasised melanoma.

Methods: Data from published studies provided probabilities for the model.