Assessment of renal function in geriatric palliative care patients - comparison of creatinine-based estimation equations

The mediating effect of sleep quality and fatigue between depression and renal function in nondialysis chronic kidney disease: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Depressive symptoms, fatigue, and poor sleep quality are associated with renal function deterioration in patients with nondialysis chronic kidney disease (CKD-ND). This study was designed to examine whether fatigue and sleep quality are mediators of the association between depression and renal function.

METHODS

This study adopted a cross-sectional study design. Patients with CKD-ND aged 20 years or older were recruited by purposive sampling at a medical center in Central Taiwan from December 2020 to July 2021. Data were collected using the Emotional and Social Support Scale, Fatigue Scale, Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Medical records were reviewed to obtain the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) for the next month. The relationships among variables were analyzed using structural equation modeling to assess the goodness-of-fit of the model. Then, the bootstrapping method was used to analyze the mediated effect.

RESULTS

Two hundred forty-two participants (mean age 70.5 years and 53% males) were included in the analysis. About 39% of the participants met the criteria for depressive symptoms in BDI-II, and 91% reported having sleep disturbances. Participants' degree of fatigue was not high (20.4 ± 13.3). The average eGFR was 25.45 mL/min/1.73 m ² (± 13.36). The results showed that fatigue, sleep quality, and eGFR were significantly correlated with depression. The total effect size was - 0.8304 (95% confidence interval [CI], - 0.9602 to - 0.7006), and the indirect effect size was - 0.1738 (95% CI, - 0.2812 to - 0.0651), which was a statistically significant difference, indicating that the model has a mediating effect. According to mediation analysis, fatigue and sleep quality had a significant indirect effect on the relationship between depression and renal function (95% CI, - 0.0587 to - 0.0039).

CONCLUSIONS

The findings suggest that fatigue and poor sleep quality may mediate the association between depression and renal function.

Development and validation of the nomogram based on INR and eGFR for estimation of mortality in patients with acute-on-chronic hepatitis B liver failure

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

Acute-on-chronic hepatitis B liver failure (ACHBLF) is a critical clinical syndrome with a high short-term mortality evolved from chronic hepatitis B (CHB)-related liver disease. Prediction of mortality risk and early intervention can improve the prognosis of patients. This study aimed to develop and validate the nomogram for short-time mortality estimation in ACHBLF patients defined according to Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver (APASL).

METHODS

A study of 105 ACHBLF patients with 90-day follow up was performed to develop the nomogram. Patients were randomly assigned to derivation cohort (n = 75) and validation cohort (n = 35) according to 7:3. Concordance index (C-index), calibration curve and decision curve analysis (DCA) were used to evaluate the nomogram. We also compared the nomogram with APASL ACLF research consortium (AARC) score, model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score, MELD with serum sodium (MELD-Na) score and albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) score. The nomogram was validated using an external cohort including 40 patients.

RESULTS

The 28-day and 90-day mortality of 105 patients were respectively 49.52% and 55.24%. Albumin (ALB), international normalized ratio (INR) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) were independent predictors for 28-day mortality; INR and eGFR were independent predictors for 90-day mortality. C-index of Nomogram-1 for 28-day mortality and Nomogram-2 for 90-day mortality were respectively 0.82 and 0.81. Calibration curve and Hosmer-Lemeshow test (Nomogram-1, 0.323; Nomogram-2, 0.231) showed optimal agreement between observed and predicted death. Areas under receiver operator characteristic curve(AUROC) of Nomogram-1(0.772) and Nomogram-2(0.771) were larger compared with AARC, MELD, MELD-Na and ALBI score. The results were well estimated in the external validation cohort.

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlighted the predictive value of eGFR, and the nomogram based on INR and eGFR could effectively estimate individualized risk for short-term mortality of ACHBLF patients defined according to APASL.

Use of renal risk drugs in a nation-wide Polish older adult population: an analysis of PolSenior database

BACKGROUND

Numerous medications should be avoided, or require dose adjustment in subjects with impaired kidney function. We aimed to assess the prevalence of potentially inappropriate use of renal risk drugs in a nation-wide, community-dwelling Polish older adult population.

METHODS

We analysed regular intake of 38 medications that should be avoided, requiring dose modification, increase the risk of pre-renal kidney injury, or may cause potassium retention in subjects with moderately to severely impaired renal function in the PolSenior data base (N = 4514, mean age 76 ± 11 yrs). Kidney function was assessed with short Modification of Diet in Renal Disease formula estimated glomerular filtration rate (sMDRD) and Cockcroft-Gault creatinine clearance (CC).

RESULTS

There were 855 (19%) individuals with sMDRD < 60 ml/min/1.73m2, and 1734 (38%) with CC <  60 ml/min. Among drugs that should be avoided, spironolactone (20.4% of patients as classified by sMDRD and 17.5% by CC), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (13.4 and 11.3%), hydrochlorothiazide (11.1 and 11.0%), and metformin (6.9 and 8.2%) were most frequently used. The most frequently used drugs requiring dose modification were piracetam (13.9% by sMDRD, and 11.9% by CC), digoxin (8.3 and 8.8%), and gliclazide (6.8 and 5.9%). Classification of a drug use as 'appropriate' or 'inappropriate' was discordant depending on the method of kidney function assessment (sMDRD or CC) in up to 30%. Subgroups with sMDRD < 60 ml/min/1.73m2 and with CC <  60 ml/min were taking ≥2 drugs increasing the risk of pre-renal kidney injury more frequently than individuals with better kidney function (46.6 vs. 23.1 and 33.0% vs. 24.4%, respectively). There were 24.7% of individuals with sMDRD < 60 ml/min/1.73m2 and 18.0% with CC <  60 ml/min taking 2 or more drugs increasing serum potassium level. The proportion of subjects with hyperkalaemia increased with the number of such drugs.

CONCLUSIONS

Use of drugs that should be avoided or require dose adjustment due to renal impairment, and potentially inappropriate drug combinations is a common problem in older adults in Poland. Assessment of kidney function with sMDRD may result in overlooking of requirements for dose adjustment formulated based on creatinine clearance.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Not applicable.

Effects of body habitus on contrast-induced acute kidney injury after percutaneous coronary intervention

Background

Limiting the contrast volume to creatinine clearance (V/CrCl) ratio is crucial for preventing contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). However, the incidence of CI-AKI and the distribution of V/CrCl ratios may vary according to patient body habitus.

Objective

We aimed to identify the clinical factors predicting CI-AKI in patients with different body mass indexes (BMIs).

Methods

We evaluated 8782 consecutive patients undergoing PCI and who were registered in a large Japanese database. CI-AKI was defined as an absolute serum creatinine increase of 0.3 mg/dL or a relative increase of 50%. The effect of the V/CrCl ratio relative to CI-AKI incidence was evaluated within the low- (≤25 kg/m²) and high- (>25 kg/m²) BMI groups, with a V/CrCl ratio > 3 considered to be a risk factor for CI-AKI.

Results

A V/CrCl ratio > 3 was predictive of CI-AKI, regardless of BMI (low-BMI group: odds ratio [OR], 1.77 [1.42–2.21]; P < 0.001; high-BMI group: OR, 1.67 [1.22–2.29]; P = 0.001). The relationship between BMI and CI-AKI followed a reverse J-curve relationship, although baseline renal dysfunction (creatinine clearance <60 mL/min, 46.9% vs. 21.5%) and V/CrCl ratio > 3 (37.3% vs. 20.4%) were predominant in the low-BMI group. Indeed, low BMI was a significant predictor of a V/CrCl ratio > 3 (OR per unit decrease in BMI, 1.08 [1.05–1.10]; P < 0.001).

Conclusions

A V/CrCl ratio > 3 was strongly associated with the occurrence of CI-AKI. Importantly, we also identified a tendency for physicians to use higher V/CrCl ratios in lean patients. Thus, recognizing this trend may provide a therapeutic target for reducing the incidence of CI-AKI.