Pathogenesis and management of vascular calcification in CKD and dialysis patients.

Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have a predisposition to develop vascular calcification due to dysregulated homeostatic mechanisms, which lead to an imbalance in the circulatory promoters and inhibitors of vascular calcification, leading to a net calcification stress. These factors promote ectopic calcification and induce vascular smooth muscle cells to undergo osteogenic differentiation and actively calcify the vascular media. The article summarizes clinically relevant pathogenic mechanisms of vascular calcification in patients with CKD and in dialysis patients and summarizes novel therapeutic interventions.

A Survey Study of Self-Rated Patients' Knowledge About AKI in a Post-Discharge AKI Clinic.

Background: Survivors of acute kidney injury (AKI) are at risk of adverse outcomes. Post-discharge nephrology care may improve patients' AKI knowledge and prevent post-AKI complications.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine patients' awareness about their AKI diagnosis and self-rated knowledge and severity of AKI before and after their first post-discharge AKI Clinic encounter.

The Role of Sodium Bicarbonate in the Management of Some Toxic Ingestions.

Adverse reactions to commonly prescribed medications and to substances of abuse may result in severe toxicity associated with increased morbidity and mortality. According to the Center for Disease Control, in 2013, at least 2113 human fatalities attributed to poisonings occurred in the United States of America. In this article, we review the data regarding the impact of systemic sodium bicarbonate administration in the management of certain poisonings including sodium channel blocker toxicities, salicylate overdose, and ingestion of some toxic alcohols and in various pharmacological toxicities.

The Role of Renal Replacement Therapy in the Management of Pharmacologic Poisonings.

Pharmacologic toxicities are common and range from mild to life-threatening. The aim of this study is to review and update the data on the role of renal replacement therapy (RRT) in the management of various pharmacologic poisonings. We aim to provide a focused review on the role of RRT in the management of pharmacological toxicities.

Postoperative hyperkalemia.

Hyperkalemia occurs frequently in hospitalized patients and is of particular concern for those who have undergone surgery, with postoperative care provided by clinicians of many disciplines. This review describes the normal physiology and how multiple perioperative factors can disrupt potassium homeostasis and lead to severe elevations in plasma potassium concentration. The pathophysiologic basis of diverse causes of hyperkalemia was used to broadly classify etiologies into those with altered potassium distribution (e.

Life-threatening hyperkalemia in a patient with normal renal function.

With media focus on benefits from reducing sodium intake, there is increased popularity of salt substitutes, typically potassium chloride. While viewed by the public as a healthy alternative to standard table salt, less appreciated is the severe risk with certain comorbidities and medications. We report the case of an elderly female with chronically high salt substitute intake, normal renal function, diabetes, hypertension treated with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor and beta blockade, who developed life-threatening hyperkalemia after a minimally invasive outpatient procedure.

Bilateral renal infarction: an uncommon presentation of fibromuscular dysplasia.

While fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) is an established cause of secondary hypertension, its association with renal infarction is less well recognized. We report a middle-aged man who presented with complaints of loin pain and severe hypertension. Computed tomography angiography of the abdomen revealed bilateral renal infarction with multiple short-segment arterial dissection compatible with FMD in the absence of systemic vasculitis and other risk factors for thromboembolic events.