Navigating the Global Economic Landscape of Dialysis: A Summary of Expert Opinions from The 4th International Congress of Chinese Nephrologists.

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) continues to be a significant global public health issue. The escalating burden of CKD is probably driven by the aging population and the rising prevalence of diabetes. CKD not only adversely impacts an individual's health and well-being, but also poses significant challenge on the economy of the society.

Is the measurement of tissue advanced glycosylation products by skin autofluorescence associated with mortality in patients treated by peritoneal dialysis?

Background: Advanced glycosylated end-products (AGEs) have been shown to cause cardiovascular disease, and tissue AGE accumulation can be measured by skin autofluorescence (SAF). AGEs are cleared by the kidney, and thus accumulate in dialysis patients. However, as the results of SAF measurements in peritoneal dialysis patients (PD) have been ambiguous, we examined the association between mortality and SAF.

Bioimpedance spectroscopy: Is a picture worth a thousand words?

Volume status can be difficult to assess in dialysis patients. Peripheral edema, elevated venous pressure, lung crackles, and hypertension are taught as signs of fluid overload, but sensitivity and specificity are poor. Bioimpedance technology has evolved from early single frequency to multifrequency machines which apply spectroscopic analysis (BIS), modeling data to physics-based mixture theory.

A case of paradoxical reaction after treatment of generalized tuberculous lymphadenopathy in a peritoneal dialysis patient.

Paradoxical reaction (also known as Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction) is a self-limited response to endotoxin released from dead bacteria after starting treatment and is characterized by constitutional symptoms such as fever, headache, dizziness and exacerbation of cutaneous lesions. We report a rare case of a 55-year-old gentleman, on peritoneal dialysis, who developed fever, dizziness and cloudy dialysate after starting anti-tuberculous treatment for disseminated tuberculous lymphadenitis. He was started on antibiotics for suspected peritoneal dialysis peritonitis and anti-tuberculosis treatment was continued.

Tackling Dialysis Burden around the World: A Global Challenge.

CKD is a global problem that causes significant burden to the healthcare system and the economy in addition to its impact on morbidity and mortality of patients. Around the world, in both developing and developed economies, the nephrologists and governments face the challenges of the need to provide a quality and cost-effective kidney replacement therapy for CKD patients when their kidneys fail. In December 2019, the 3rd International Congress of Chinese Nephrologists was held in Nanjing, China, and in the meeting, a symposium and roundtable discussion on how to deal with this CKD burden was held with opinion leaders from countries and regions around the world, including Australia, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, the UK, and the USA.

Overcoming barriers and building a strong peritoneal dialysis programme - Experience from three South Asian countries.

The development of peritoneal dialysis (PD) programmes in lower-resource countries is challenging. This article describes the learning points of establishing PD programmes in three countries in South Asia (Nepal, Sri Lanka and Pakistan). The key barriers identified were government support (financial), maintaining stable supply of PD fluids, lack of nephrologist and nurse expertise, nephrology community bias against PD, lack of nephrology trainee awareness and exposure to this modality.

Relationship between sodium removal, hydration and outcomes in peritoneal dialysis patients.

Background: Fluid overload (FO) in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients is associated with mortality. We explore if low daily sodium removal is an independent risk factor for mortality. We examined severely FO PD patients established for >1 year in expectation that PD prescription would have been optimized for solute clearance and ultrafiltration.

Persistent colonization of exit site is associated with modality failure in peritoneal dialysis.

Exit-site infections (ESIs) increase the risk of developing peritoneal dialysis (PD) peritonitis and PD technique failure. There are no clear guidelines on how to monitor exit site (ES) after ESI with or . We report on a 1-year observational study of 23 patients who developed an ESI with one of these serious pathogens.

HEROIC: a 5-year observational cohort study aimed at identifying novel factors that drive diabetic kidney disease: rationale and study protocol.

Introduction: Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is the leading cause of end-stage kidney disease worldwide and a major cause of premature mortality in diabetes mellitus (DM). While improvements in care have reduced the incidence of kidney disease among those with DM, the increasing prevalence of DM means that the number of patients worldwide with DKD is increasing. Improved understanding of the biology of DKD and identification of novel therapeutic targets may lead to new treatments.

Comparison between standard single chamber versus dual chamber low glucose degradation product peritoneal dialysis fluids.

Dual chamber (DC) peritoneal dialysis (PD) dialysates contain fewer glucose degradation products (GDPs), so potentially reducing advanced glycosylation end products (AGEs), which have been reported to increase inflammation and cardiovascular risk. We wished to determine whether use of DC dialysates resulted in demonstrable patient benefits. Biochemical profiles, body composition, muscle strength, and skin autofluorescence measurements of tissue AGEs (SAF) were compared in patients using DC and standard single chamber dialysates.

Single-dwell treatment with a low-sodium solution in hypertensive peritoneal dialysis patients.

Background: Patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD) may suffer from sodium (Na) and fluid overload, hypertension and increased cardiovascular risk. Low-Na dialysis solution, by increasing the diffusive removal of Na, might improve blood pressure (BP) management.

Methods: A glucose-compensated, low-Na PD solution (112 mmol/L Na and 2% glucose) was compared to a standard-Na solution (133 mmol/L Na and 1.

Polymerase chain reaction/electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (PCR/ESI-MS) is not suitable for rapid bacterial identification in peritoneal dialysis effluent.

Background: Peritoneal dialysis (PD)-related peritonitis is a serious complication of PD, but routine microbiological culture is slow and could not identify the organism in 15% cases. We examine the accuracy of polymerase chain reaction/electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (PCR/ESI-MS), a PCR-based method developed for the direct detection of bacteria in blood, for rapid identification of microorganisms from PD effluent.

Methods: We recruited 73 consecutive patients with PD-related peritonitis.

The impact of volume overload on technique failure in incident peritoneal dialysis patients.

Background: Technique failure in peritoneal dialysis (PD) can be due to patient- and procedure-related factors. With this analysis, we investigated the association of volume overload at the start and during the early phase of PD and technique failure.

Methods: In this observational, international cohort study with longitudinal follow-up of incident PD patients, technique failure was defined as either transfer to haemodialysis or death, and transplantation was considered as a competing risk.

Quality of life with conservative care compared with assisted peritoneal dialysis and haemodialysis.

Background: There is little information about quality of life (QoL) for patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) choosing conservative kidney management (CKM). The Frail and Elderly Patients on Dialysis (FEPOD) study demonstrated that frailty was associated with poorer QoL outcomes with little difference between dialysis modalities [assisted peritoneal dialysis (aPD) or haemodialysis (HD)]. We therefore extended the FEPOD study to include CKM patients with estimated glomerular filtration rate ≤10 mL/min/1.

Performance of Gram Stains and 3 Culture Methods in the Analysis of Peritoneal Dialysis Fluid.

Microbiological diagnosis of peritoneal dialysis (PD)-related peritonitis includes PD fluid cell count, Gram stain, and culture, as recommended by the International Society for Peritoneal Dialysis. In this retrospective study, we examined the utility of Gram stains and compared 3 culture methods.We examined a laboratory cohort (samples sent to the laboratory for any reason; = 251) and a clinical cohort (samples sent from patients felt clinically to have peritonitis; = 264).

Clinical Value of Screening Peritoneal Dialysis Patients for Bacterial Colonization or Contamination.

Introduction: The adoption of the International Society for Peritoneal Dialysis guideline of using mupirocin ointment has been limited by fear of developing mupirocin-resistant organisms. We performed a surveillance program of a large peritoneal dialysis (PD) unit.

Methods: We performed 1,175 surveillance swabs from anterior nares, PD catheter exit site, groin, and axilla, from 240 patients.

Clinical value of body composition monitor to evaluate lean and fat tissue mass in peritoneal dialysis.

Background/objectives: Bioimpedance analysis is often routinely performed in any dialysis unit to guide fluid management but can provide a reproduceable assessment of fat and muscle mass. We wished to determine the clinical significance of low muscle or high fat mass and the determinants that influence their change.

Subjects/methods: We performed retrospective analysis of 824 patients on peritoneal dialysis who underwent routine repeated bioimpedance analysis measurements using the body composition monitor (BCM).

Comparison of skin autofluorescence, a marker of tissue advanced glycation end-products in peritoneal dialysis patients using standard and biocompatible glucose containing peritoneal dialysates.

Background: Heat sterilization of peritoneal dialysis (PD) dialysates leads to the generation of advanced glycation products (AGE), which can then deposit in the skin and be measured by skin autofluorescence (SAF). Newer biocompatible dual chamber dialysates contain less AGE. We wished to determine whether the use of these newer dialysates resulted in lower SAF.

Addressing the burden of dialysis around the world: A summary of the roundtable discussion on dialysis economics at the First International Congress of Chinese Nephrologists 2015.

To address the issue of heavy dialysis burden due to the rising prevalence of end-stage renal disease around the world, a roundtable discussion on the sustainability of managing dialysis burden around the world was held in Hong Kong during the First International Congress of Chinese Nephrologists in December 2015. The roundtable discussion was attended by experts from Hong Kong, China, Canada, England, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and United States. Potential solutions to cope with the heavy burden on dialysis include the prevention and retardation of the progression of CKD; wider use of home-based dialysis therapy, particularly PD; promotion of kidney transplantation; and the use of renal palliative care service.

Comparison of Change in Peritoneal Function in Patients on Continuous Ambulatory PD vs Automated PD.

Background: Patients on automated peritoneal dialysis (APD) may have greater exposure to glucose in the PD fluid than those on continuous ambulatory PD (CAPD). If this causes long-term damage to the peritoneal membrane, it will have implications for a patient's choice of modality.

Methods: Membrane function of long-term APD or CAPD patients was followed prospectively.

Comparison of equations of resting and total energy expenditure in peritoneal dialysis patients using body composition measurements determined by multi-frequency bioimpedance.

Background & Aims: Waste products of metabolism accumulate in patients with kidney failure and it has been proposed that the amount of dialysis treatment patients require be adjusted for energy expenditure. This requires validation of methods to estimate energy expenditure in dialysis patients.

Methods: We compared values of resting energy expenditure (REE) estimated in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients using a selection of available equations with estimates derived using a novel equation recently validated in chronic kidney disease patients (CKD equation).

Encapsulating Peritoneal Sclerosis.

Encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis (EPS) is a rare but serious complication of peritoneal dialysis. In this review, we describe the clinical picture and histologic changes to the peritoneal membrane that are associated with EPS and provide an update on current diagnosis and management. We also discuss the recent studies that have suggested that the use of more biocompatible solutions containing lower concentrations of glucose degradation product that often are pH neutral in combination with a change in clinical practice (reducing glucose exposure and monitoring peritoneal membrane function) might ameliorate peritoneal degeneration, reduce the incidence of EPS, and minimize the severity of the disease.