Consensus recommendations on fasting during Ramadan for patients with kidney disease: review of available evidence and a call for action (RaK Initiative).

Ramadan fasting (RF) involves abstaining from food and drink during daylight hours; it is obligatory for all healthy Muslims from the age of puberty. Although sick individuals are exempt from fasting, many will fast anyway. This article explores the impact of RF on individuals with kidney diseases through a comprehensive review of existing literature and consensus recommendations.

Peritoneal dialysis in the Arabian Gulf countries: Challenges and opportunities.

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is a regional organisation, consisting of six Arab countries that share common objectives and cultural identities, with a total population of 57.3 million. The prevalence of patients requiring dialysis in GCC countries is increasing, with a current mean prevalence of 551 per million population.

Transhepatic double lumen hemodialysis catheter in exhausted vascular access: Feasibility, functionality, and outcome among hemodialysis patients.

Introduction: Permanent arteriovenous fistula and graft are considered the best options for hemodialysis in end-stage renal disease patients. Temporary access using the internal jugular or femoral veins is the feasible option in acute cases of dialysis and if permanent access is unavailable. Occasionally, however, these access sites are unusable after consecutive blockage of the upper and lower extremities veins.

Mineral bone disorder and its management among hemodialysis patients in the Gulf Cooperation Council: Initial findings from the dialysis outcomes and practice patterns study (2012-2015).

The prospective cohort Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (DOPPS) initiated data collection in national samples of hemodialysis (HD) units (total of 41 study sites) in all six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates) in late 2012. Here, we report initial results regarding mineral bone disorders (MBDs) and its management in the GCC countries. Forty-one randomly selected HD facilities, treating >23 HD patients each, were sampled and represent care for >95% of GCC HD patients.

Gulf Cooperation Council-dialysis outcomes and practice patterns study: An overview of anemia management trends at the regional and country specific levels in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.

The Gulf Cooperation Council-Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (GCC-DOPPS) marks the joining of the six Gulf region countries including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates to the main DOPPS study in 2012. The current review is a descriptive reporting on results related to the management of anemia from these countries. Our data demonstrate consistent anemia management patterns across the GCC countries allowing the achievement of international treatment levels.

Hemodialysis delivery, dialysis dose achievement, and vascular access types in hemodialysis patients from the Gulf Cooperation Council countries enrolled in the dialysis outcomes and practice patterns study phase 5 (2012-2015).

The prospective observational Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (DOPPS) was initiated in late 2012 in national samples of hemodialysis (HD) units (n = 41 study sites) in all six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates). For many years, guidelines have recommended single pool Kt/V ≥1.2 as the minimum adequate dose for chronic HD patients.

Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular comorbidities in hemodialysis patients from the Gulf Cooperation Council countries enrolled in the dialysis outcome and practice pattern study phase 5 (2012-2015).

To determine the prevalence of cardiovascular comorbidities and their active risk factors in the selected hemodialysis centers in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, the Dialysis Outcome and Practice Pattern Study (DOPPS) was performed on 40 dialysis centers in the six GCC countries from June 2012 to May 2015. There were 21 dialysis centers from Saudi Arabia, nine from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), four from Kuwait, four from Oman, two from Qatar, and one from Bahrain. There were 922 patients participating in the study; 419 patients from Saudi Arabia, 144 from the UAE, 164 from Kuwait, 89 from Oman, 58 from Qatar, and 25 from Bahrain.

Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis in Saudi Arabia.

Objective: To analyze the clinical patterns, etiologies, treatment, and outcome of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) in 2 major cities of Saudi Arabia, Jeddah and Al-Baha.

Methods: One hundred and eleven patients diagnosed as CVST were identified from the medical records at King Abdulaziz Medical City, Jeddah, and King Fahad Hospital, Al-Baha, Saudi Arabia, from January 1990 through November 2010. We retrospectively analyzed the data, compared it with local and international studies, and reviewed the literature.

Peritoneal dialysis for chronic kidney disease patients: a single-center experience in Saudi Arabia.

To evaluate the peritoneal dialysis (PD) program in our hospital, we retrospectively studied all patients dialyzed with this modality over the last 5 years. A total of 56 patients having end-stage renal disease (ESRD), with mean age ± SD of 49 ± 20 years (range 16-92 years), were dialyzed with PD: 38 (68%) patients with continuous ambulatory PD and 18 (32%) patients with automated PD. Twenty-six (46%) patients were females.

Insomnia in chronic renal patients on dialysis in Saudi Arabia.

Background: Studies have shown that insomnia is a common sleep disorder among patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). This study aimed to assess the prevalence of insomnia in Saudi patients with ESRD who are on maintenance dialysis.

Methods: This was an observational cross-sectional study carried out over a period of five months in two hemodialysis centers in Saudi Arabia.

Factors associated with decision-making about end-of-life care by hemodialysis patients.

The current cross sectional study is based on a questionnaire database on patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) to determine their preferences about end-of-life care and differences of certainty regarding the application of cardiopulmonary resuscitation and life sustaining measures in case of cardiac arrest. The study was performed on 100 patients on hemodialysis for at least 2 years and not on the transplant list in two tertiary hospitals in Saudi Arabia; King Fahad National Guard in Riyadh and King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Jeddah in March 2007. More than two thirds of the surveyed patients were willing to make decisive decisions.

Restless legs syndrome in patients on dialysis.

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is an extremely distressing problem experienced by patients on dialysis; the prevalence appears to be greater than in the general population, with a wide variation from 6.6% to 80%. The diagnosis of RLS is a clinical one, and its definition has been clarified and standardized by internationally recognized diagnostic criteria, published in 1995 by the International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group (IRLSSG).

Advance care planning preferences among dialysis patients and factors influencing their decisions.

To determine the resuscitation preferences of hemodialysis (HD) Saudi patients, we con-ducted a cross-sectional, observational descriptive questionnaire study in two major tertiary hospitals in Saudi Arabia from March to December 2007. We enrolled all the patients on HD for two years or more, and excluded the patients who were transplant candidates, confused, or demented. The questionnaire was com-posed of 4 sections.

Nurses' Knowledge and Practice in Hemodialysis Units: Comparison between Nurses in Units with High and Low Prevalence of Hepatitis C Virus Infection.

Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infection constitutes a major health issue in many hemodialysis (HD) units all over the world, including Saudi Arabia. Despite the isolation policy practiced in many dialysis units, the prevalence is still high. Current literature does not support isolation policy and actually points to the role of health care providers in transmitting the disease.

Kidney transplant from sickle cell trait donor to sickle cell trait recipient.

There have been concerns about using kidneys from potential donors with sickle cell trait because kidneys from these donors may not concentrate urine properly. We report a case of living-related renal transplant, in which both the recipient and the donor had sickle cell trait, and the postoperative course for both was uneventful.

Multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis in a patient presenting with bilateral gluteal abscesses and right leg swelling with end-stage renal disease.

This is a 40-year-old woman with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). She received empirical treatment for presumed TB of the right knee joint. The arthritis and the constitutional symptoms resolved despite the patient's poor compliance.

Reversible Encephalopathy and Delirium in Patients with Chronic Renal Failure who had Received Ciprofloxacin.

We describe four patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) who developed significant neurotoxicity after receiving short-term ciprofloxacin. Three of them had developed encephalopathy with myoclonic jerks and one patient had delirium. All patients had advanced chronic renal failure (mean estimated creatinine clearance 16 +/- 6 ml/minute), although they were not yet on renal replacement therapy.

Isolated neuropathy of the recurrent motor branch of the median nerve.

Unlike carpal tunnel syndrome, isolated neuropathy of the recurrent motor branch of the median nerve is a rare condition as a cause of thenar muscle wasting. A focused neurophysiological approach is mandatory to reach the proper diagnosis and start specific treatment early enough to prevent possible irreversible hand function disabilities. This is a description of 16-year-old female patient who presented with isolated thenar muscle wasting for 3 years.

Pattern of admission to hospitals during muslim pilgrimage (Hajj).

Objective: The pattern of medical conditions necessitating admission differs according to the weather condition in that particular year. Previous studies had been conducted during the hot weather, none over the last 10 years, were carried out during, the milder weather we are experiencing. The aim of this study is to establish the pattern of admission during this mild weather and to elucidate the possible risk factors.