Treatment of acute coronary syndromes in patients who have chronic kidney disease

[Daily problems involving contact with terminally ill patients with renal failure]

Practitioners and physicians working in emergency rooms are often confronted with dialysis patients or patients who have received a kidney transplant. For dialysis patients, the mode of dialysis treatment needs to be assessed and dialysis access should be secured. Furthermore, the indications for the next dialysis treatment need to be determined. Dialysis patients often present themselves because of fluid overload, hypo- or hypertensive episodes, electrolyte disturbances, fever or cardiovascular events. Patients undergoing continuous peritoneal dialysis are at an increased risk of infection of the catheter or of peritonitis. Patients with a renal transplant require continuation of their immunosuppression and the function of the transplant should be monitored. These patients often present with infections in which case the degree of immunosuppression may need to be reduced. Vaccinations as well as an increased risk for malignancies require special attention in these patients.

Underuse of Standard Care and Outcome of Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction and Chronic Renal Insufficiency

OBJECTIVES

To investigate characteristics, management and outcome of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and chronic renal insufficiency (CRI).

BACKGROUND

Patients with AMI and CRI are considered to be at high risk of complications and death. Physicians may be reluctant to prescribe life-saving medications to patients with concomitant CRI.

METHODS

We compared clinical characteristics, management and outcome of 1,683 consecutive AMI patients in three categories of renal function: (1) normal renal function (<1.5 mg/dl) (n = 1,559), (2) mild to moderate CRI (1.5-3.5 mg/dl) (n = 77), and (3) severe CRI (>3.5 mg/dl) (n = 47).

RESULTS

CRI patients were older and were more likely to have other co-morbidities such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, prior AMI, stroke, angina and heart failure. Compared with patients with normal renal function, standard therapy for AMI including thrombolysis, aspirin, angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors, beta-blockers and lipid lowering agents was underutilized in CRI patients and these patients were more likely to have in-hospital complications such as heart failure, atrial or ventricular fibrillation, cardiogenic shock, sepsis, worsening of renal function and death within 30 days [odds ratio (OR) = 3.3; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.0-4.8]. After adjustment for age and co-morbidities, the association between mild to moderate CRI and 30-days mortality declined, whereas severe CRI remained an independent determinant of mortality (OR = 4.8; 95% CI = 2.0-11.4). Adjustment for aspirin, angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors and beta-blocker therapy weakened the association between CRI and death within 30 days after AMI.

CONCLUSIONS

CRI patients are more likely to experience serious complications and death early after AMI. Underutilization of standard care, particularly beta-blocker therapy, contributes to increased mortality risk in these patients.

Care of the end-stage renal disease patient on dialysis in the ED

End-stage renal disease is a major public health problem. In the United States, more than 350,000 patients are being treated with either hemodialysis or continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis. Given the high burden of comorbidities in these patients, it is imperative that emergency physicians be aware of the complexities of caring for acute illnesses in this population. This article reviews the common medical problems that bring patients with end-stage renal disease to the emergency department, and their evaluation and management.