Every-other-week darbepoetin alfa in the correction and maintenance of haemoglobin levels in elderly patients with chronic kidney disease: post hoc subanalysis of data from two clinical trials.

Background: Anaemia is a common complication of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and is associated with increased rates of mortality and diminished quality of life in patients with CKD. Although extended dosing with darbepoetin alfa, an erythropoiesis-stimulating agent (ESA), has been shown to be effective in maintaining haemoglobin (Hb) levels in CKD patients, little information is published on the use of darbepoetin alfa in the correction and maintenance of Hb levels in elderly CKD patients naive to ESA therapy.

Objective: This post hoc subanalysis of data from two clinical trials was conducted to investigate the efficacy and safety profile of de novo every-other-week (q2w) darbepoetin alfa in elderly patients with CKD-associated anaemia (not on dialysis), as compared with that of a younger (aged <65 years) patient cohort.

Severe hyperparathyroidism despite paricalcitol therapy: one-year follow-up.

Paricalcitol [Zemplar: Abbott Laboratories, Abbott Park, IL, U.S.A.

Contrast-induced translocational hyponatremia and hyperkalemia in advanced kidney disease.

Background: In patients with advanced kidney disease, administration of effective osmolar agents may lead to hyponatremia, hyperkalemia, metabolic acidosis, and intravascular expansion. To our knowledge, osmolar effects of contrast agents in patients with advanced kidney disease have not been previously elucidated.

Methods: This retrospective case series includes 5 patients with advanced kidney disease who underwent diagnostic and/or therapeutic cardiac catheterization and developed hyponatremia.

Decreased erythropoietin requirements in maintenance hemodialysis patients with statin therapy.

Inflammatory cytokines induce erythropoietin (EPO) resistance, anorexia, and suppression of hepatic albumin synthesis. Increased levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) have been associated with relative EPO resistance in dialysis patients. More recently, studies have shown that statin therapy decreases CRP.

Slow-flow venous pressure for detection of arteriovenous graft malfunction.

Background: Early detection with elective intervention of malfunctioning arteriovenous (AV) grafts improves access viability. Herein, we evaluated outlet venous pressure (OP), normalized by mean arterial blood pressure (MABP), at varying blood flow (Qb) rates in the detection of venous outlet stenosis.

Methods: This single-center, observational study included stable dialysis patients with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) AV grafts.

Epidemiology and outcome of infective endocarditis in hemodialysis patients.

Background: Survival in patients with infective endocarditis (IE) ranges from 4 to 50% depending on the type of organism, the type of valve involvement and the type of treatment.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of data in hemodialysis (HD) patients at our center from 1990 to 2000. Demographics, risk factors, and outcome data were extracted in the subgroup of patients with first-episode IE diagnosed primarily by echocardiography.

Tunneled Catheter-Associated Atrial Thrombi: Successful Treatment with Chronic Anticoagulation.

Tunneled dialysis catheter-associated right atrial thrombus (RAT) is a rarely reported complication. We reviewed hospital records of 10 patients from a teaching hospital dialysis unit, in whom RAT was diagnosed by trans-esophageal echocardiography (TEE). Patients were treated with chronic anticoagulation (heparin followed by warfarin) and followed over time.