Therapeutic drug monitoring of antidepressants in haemodialysis patients

Polypharmacy and Mental Health Issues in the Senior Hemodialysis Patient

Hemodialysis (HD) is the most common method of chronic kidney failure (CKF) treatment, with 65% of European patients with CKF receiving HD in 2018. Regular two to three HD sessions weekly severely lower their quality of life, resulting in a higher incidence of depression and anxiety, which is present in one third to one half of these patients. Additionally, the age of patients receiving HD is increasing with better treatment and care, resulting in more cognitive impairment being uncovered. Lastly, patients with other mental health issues can also develop CKF during their life with need for kidney replacement therapy (KRT). All these conditions need to receive adequate care, which often means prescribing psychotropic medications. Importantly, many of these drugs are eliminated through the kidneys, which results in altered pharmacokinetics when patients receive KRT. This narrative review will focus on common issues and medications of CKF patients, their comorbidities, mental health issues, use of psychotropic medications and their altered pharmacokinetics when used in HD, polypharmacy, and drug interactions, as well as deprescribing algorithms developed for these patients.

Pharmacokinetics of antidepressants in patients undergoing hemodialysis: a narrative literature review

We conducted a narrative literature review on studies that specifically addressed the pharmacokinetics of antidepressants in patients on hemodialysis. The search included the MEDLINE, LILACS, and Web of Knowledge databases and combined Medical Subject Headings and free-text search terms for chronic kidney disease, end-stage renal disease, renal replacement therapy, depression, and antidepressants; it was limited to studies conducted in humans, with no language or time constraints. The search yielded 212 studies. After screening titles and abstracts, 32 studies were read in full and 11 ultimately met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. Most of the studies showed no difference in the pharmacokinetics of antidepressant drugs between patients with normal renal function and patients undergoing hemodialysis. However, studies with fluvoxamine and amitriptyline showed that variations in albumin levels might affect serum concentrations of these agents. The included studies have several limitations, and there are many obstacles to the adequate treatment of depression in patients undergoing hemodialysis. Further studies on this topic are needed to support proper treatment of these patients, improving their quality of life and reducing mortality.

Extracorporeal treatment for tricyclic antidepressant poisoning: recommendations from the EXTRIP Workgroup

The Extracorporeal Treatments In Poisoning (EXTRIP) workgroup was formed to provide recommendations on the use of extracorporeal treatments (ECTR) in poisoning. Here, the workgroup presents its results for tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs). After an extensive literature search, using a predefined methodology, the subgroup responsible for this poison reviewed the articles, extracted the data, summarized findings, and proposed structured voting statements following a predetermined format. A two-round modified Delphi method was chosen to reach a consensus on voting statements and RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method to quantify disagreement. Blinded votes were compiled, returned, and discussed in person at a meeting. A second vote determined the final recommendations. Seventy-seven articles met inclusion criteria. Only case reports, case series, and one poor-quality observational study were identified yielding a very low quality of evidence for all recommendations. Data on 108 patients, including 12 fatalities, were abstracted. The workgroup concluded that TCAs are not dialyzable and made the following recommendation: ECTR is not recommended in severe TCA poisoning (1D). The workgroup considers that poisoned patients with TCAs are not likely to have a clinical benefit from extracorporeal removal and recommends it NOT to be used in TCA poisoning.