Publications by authors named "W Morale"
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and, in particular, chronic haemodialysis (HD) patients have a high risk of developing sleep disorders and executive dysfunction. Sleep disorders have a prevalence of 75 % in the haemodialysed population and several causes are behind their occurrence: sympatho-vagal imbalances, low melatonin production, vitamin D deficiency, altered cerebral haemodynamics and haemodialysis-induced vascular stress. Executive dysfunction affects about 55 % of haemodialysis patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPhosphorus is a macroelement found in the body, mostly in the bones as crystals of hydroxyapatite. Higher levels are found in patients affected by chronic kidney disease (CKD). Since the early stage of CKD phosphorous excretion is impaired, but the increase of PTH and FGF23 maintains its level in the normal range.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: International guidelines issued recommendations for vascular access (VA) care for hemodialysis, but there are no registry data regarding this topic in Italy.
Methods: A survey consisting of 17 items was sent to all Italian dialysis wards, via the Italian Society of Nephrology (SIN) website, from April to June 2021. The items were defined, discussed and approved by experts in vascular access management within the Italian Society of Nephrology.
Article Synopsis
- Patients on chronic haemodialysis have a much higher risk (8-10 times) of strokes and cognitive issues, potentially leading to vascular dementia (VaD) due to high vascular stress.
- The study aimed to assess executive functions in these patients using the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB), which showed that over half (55%) of the 103 patients tested scored below normal.
- Key risk factors such as anemia, hypertension, and coronary artery disease were linked to cognitive deficits, indicating severe impairments in functions like cognitive flexibility and inhibitory control, suggesting a risk of vascular dementia among HD patients.
Background: Since in Italy there are no official data on vascular access (VA) for hemodialysis the Vascular Access Project Group (VAPG) of the Italian Society of Nephrology (SIN) designed a national survey.
Methods: A 35-question survey was designed and sent it to the Italian facilities through the SIN website. The basic questions were the prevalence, the location, and the surveillance of VA, the bedside use of ultrasound, the use of fluoroscopy for central venous catheter (CVC) placement, and of buttonhole technique, the role of nephrologist in the access creation.