Risk Factors for Urinary Tract Infections in Renal Allograft Recipients: Experience of a Tertiary Care Center in Hyderabad, South India

Diagnosing and Managing Urinary Tract Infections in Kidney Transplant Recipients

In the article, the authors review antibiotic treatment options for both acute uncomplicated UTI and complicated UTI. In addition, they review alternative regimens which are needed in the setting of drug-resistant pathogens including vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus, -extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacterales (ESBL-E), carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales, and carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas, which are encountered with more frequency.

Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections in Renal Transplant Recipients: Risk Factors and Outcomes in Low-resource Settings

Recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs) after kidney transplantation are a common problem adversely affecting graft outcomes. This retrospective study aimed to report the frequency and risk factors of recurrent UTI and their impact on graft and patient outcomes in kidney transplant recipients at the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation, Karachi, Pakistan, in January-December 2015. Five-year graft and patient survival rates were compared among different groups using Kaplan-Meier analysis. Of the 251 recipients, 67 developed one episode of UTI. Of these 67, 29 had 76 episodes of recurrent UTI. Out of the 76 episodes of recurrent UTI, Escherichia coli was the most common pathogen in 32 cases. Organisms causing recurrent UTI showed resistance to carbapenem in 19 cases versus 2 in the non-recurrent UTI group (P = 0.006). The estimated glomerular filtration rate at 1 year was 57.8 ± 16.23 mL/min/1.73 m2 in the recurrent UTI group vs. 61.9 ± 15.7 mL/min/1.73 m2 in the non-recurrent UTI group (P = 0.001). Graft survival in the recurrent UTI group at 5 years was significantly lower (76%) than in the non-recurrent UTI (95%) and no UTI groups (93%) (log-rank P = 0.006), with no significant effect on patient survival in these groups (P = 0.429). The presence of double-J stent (P = 0.036) and cytomegalovirus infections (P = 0.013) independently predicted recurrent UTI. Recurrent UTIs are common in low-resource settings and adversely affect graft outcomes. Appropriate prophylaxis and treatment are important to reduce recurrent UTI to improve graft outcomes.

Diabetes Mellitus as a Predictive Factor for Urinary Tract Infection for Patients Treated with Kidney Transplantation

Background and Objectives: We aimed to investigate the rate of incidence and risk factors of post-transplant urinary tract infection (UTI) in patients receiving kidney transplantation (KT) at our institution. Materials and Methods: A retrospective cohort study was carried out on patients who underwent KT for end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) from January 2008 to December 2021 at Gifu University Hospital. UTI was defined as the existence of bacterial and/or fungal infection in urine with ≥105 colony-forming units/mL, with or without urinary and/or systemic symptoms of UTI. Patients were divided into two groups: those with UTI after KT (UTI group) and those without UTI (non-UTI group). The primary endpoint of this study was the relationship between covariates and UTI after KT. Results: Two hundred and forty patients with ESKD received KT at Gifu University Hospital. Thirty-four participants developed UTI after surgery, and the most common pathogen was Escherichia coli. At the end of the follow-up, graft loss was observed in six patients (2.5%), independent of UTI episodes. In the multivariate analysis, diabetes mellitus (DM) was statistically associated with post-transplant UTI in kidney transplant recipients. Conclusions: Preoperative serum glucose control in patients with DM may have a crucial role in preventing UTI and preserving renal function after KT.

Urinary Tract Infections in the First 6 Months after Renal Transplantation

Purpose

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are common in the first 6 months after renal transplantation, and there are only limited data about UTIs after transplantation in Saudi Arabia in general.

Methods

A retrospective study from January 2017 to May 2020 with 6-month follow-up.

Results

279 renal transplant recipients were included. Mean age was 43.4 ± 16.0 years, and114 (40.9%) were women. Urinary stents were inserted routinely during transplantation and were removed 35.3 ± 28 days postoperatively. Ninety-seven patients (35%) developed urinary tract infections (UTIs) in the first six months after renal transplantation. Of those who developed the first episode of UTI, the recurrence rates were 57%, 27%, and 14% for having one, two, or three recurrences, respectively. Late urinary stent removals, defined as more than 21 days postoperatively, tended to have more UTIs (OR: 1.43, P: 0.259, CI: 0.76–2.66). Age >40, female gender, history of neurogenic bladder, and transplantation abroad were statistically significant factors associated with UTIs and recurrence. Diabetes, level of immunosuppression, deceased donor renal transplantation, pretransplant residual urine volume, or history of vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) was not associated with a higher incidence of UTIs. UTIs were asymptomatic in 60% but complicated with bacteremia in 6% of the cases. Multidrug resistant organisms (MDROs) were the causative organisms in 42% of cases, and in-hospital treatment was required in about 50% of cases. Norfloxacin + Bactrim DD (160/800 mg) every other day was not associated with the lower risk of developing UTIs compared to the standard prophylaxis daily Bactrim SS (80/400 mg).

Conclusion

UTIs and recurrence are common in the first 6 months after renal transplantation. Age >40, female gender, neurogenic bladder, and transplantation abroad are associated with the increased risk of UTIs and recurrence. MDROs are common causative organisms, and hospitalization is frequently required. Dual prophylactic antibiotics did not seem to be advantageous over the standard daily Bactrim.

Perspectives on ability to work from patients' receiving dialysis and caregivers: analysis of data from the global SONG initiative

BACKGROUND

Patients receiving dialysis have low employment rates, which compounds poorer health and socioeconomic outcomes. Reasons for under- and unemployment remain underexplored. We aimed to describe the perspectives of patients receiving hemodialysis (HD) or peritoneal dialysis (PD) and their caregivers on ability to work.

METHODS

Data was derived from adult patients' and caregivers' responses from 26 focus groups, two international Delphi surveys and two consensus workshops conducted through the Standardized Outcomes in Nephrology (SONG-HD) and SONG-PD programs. Our secondary thematic analysis identified concepts around ability to work.

RESULTS

Five hundred four patients and 146 caregivers from 86 countries were included. We identified five themes: financial pressures and instability (with subthemes of rationing the budget with increased expenditure, losing financial independence and threatened job security); struggling to meet expectations (burdened by sociocultural norms and striving to protect independence); contending with upheaval of roles and responsibilities (forced to establish a new routine to accommodate work, symptoms disrupting work, prioritizing work and other duties, and adjusting to altered capacity to work); enabling flexibility and control (employment driving decisions about dialysis modality and schedule, workplace providing occupational safety and adaptability, requiring organizational support and planning for a future career); and finding purpose and value (accepting and redefining identity, pride and fulfillment, and protecting mental well-being).

CONCLUSIONS

Employment enabled patients to maintain their identity, independence, financial security and mental health. Symptom burden, workplace inflexibility and juggling roles are major challenges. Interventions addressing motivation, workplace flexibility and safety, and establishing goals and routines could support patients' capacities to work, thereby improving overall well-being and productivity.

Five compelling UTI questions after kidney transplant

PURPOSE

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is the most common bacterial infection among infectious complications in kidney transplant recipients (KTR). After transplantation, infections can result from surgical complications, donor-derived infections, pre-existing recipient infections, and nosocomial infections. Post-transplant infection is still a major cause of morbidity, mortality, graft dysfunction and rejection. In this paper, we aimed to review a few compelling questions in kidney transplantation (KTX).

METHODS

To identify relevant clinical questions regarding KTX and UTI a meeting was conducted among physicians involved in the KT program in our hospital. After discussion, several clinically relevant questions related to UTI after KTX. The 5 first rated in importance were judged generalizable to other clinical settings and selected for the purposes of this review.

RESULTS

Nearly half of the patients present in the first three months of transplant with UTI. The most common uropathogens in post-transplant UTIs are Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Enterococcus faecalis. Risk factors for UTI include female sex, advanced age, recurrent UTI before transplant, prolonged urethral catheterization, delayed graft function, and cadaveric kidney transplant.

CONCLUSION

The incidence of post-transplant UTI is similar in both developed and developing countries. E.coli is the most common pathogen in most of studies. Cadaveric donor and post-dialysis transplantation are defined as independent risk factors for post-transplant UTI. Further studies are still required to identify risk factors after kidney transplantation and UTI's importance for graft function and patient outcome.

Patient-reported advantages and disadvantages of peritoneal dialysis: results from the PDOPPS

BACKGROUND

Patient-reported measures are increasingly recognized as important predictors of clinical outcomes in peritoneal dialysis (PD). We sought to understand associations between patient-reported perceptions of the advantages and disadvantages of PD and clinical outcomes.

METHODS

In this cohort study, 2760 PD patients in the Peritoneal Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (PDOPPS) completed a questionnaire on their PD experience, between 2014 and 2017. In this questionnaire, PDOPPS patients rated 17 aspects of their PD experience on a 5-category ordinal scale, with responses scored from - 2 (major disadvantage) to + 2 (major advantage). An advantage/disadvantage score (ADS) was computed for each patient by averaging their response scores. The ADS, along with each of these 17 aspects, were used as exposures. Outcomes included mortality, transition to hemodialysis (HD), patient-reported quality of life (QOL), and depression. Cox regression was used to estimate associations between ADS and mortality, transition to HD, and a composite of the two. Logistic regression with generalized estimating equations was used to estimate cross-sectional associations of ADS with QOL and depression.

RESULTS

While 7% of PD patients had an ADS < 0 (negative perception of PD), 59% had an ADS between 0 and < 1 (positive perception), and 34% had an ADS ≥1 (very positive perception). Minimal association was observed between mortality and the ADS. Compared with a very positive perception, patients with a negative perception had a higher transition rate to HD (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.67; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.21, 2.30). Among individual items, "space taken up by PD supplies" was commonly rated as a disadvantage and had the strongest association with transition to HD (HR = 1.28; 95% CI 1.07, 1.53). Lower ADS was strongly associated with worse QOL rating and greater depressive symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

Although patients reported a generally favorable perception of PD, patient-reported disadvantages were associated with transition to HD, lower QOL, and depression. Strategies addressing these disadvantages, in particular reducing solution storage space, may improve patient outcomes and the experience of PD.

Spectrum of Infections in Living Donor Kidney Transplant Recipients: An Experience From a Tertiary Center in Nepal

BACKGROUND

Kidney transplant recipients are always at risk of infections because they are on lifelong immunosuppressive medications. The spectrum of infections in this special population is not the same as in the general population. Post-transplant infections are extensively studied in the developed world. Publications about post-transplant infections from Nepal are scarce. This study was carried out to study the spectrum of infections, the trends in treatment, and the incidence of tuberculosis in kidney transplant recipients.

METHODS

This is a retrospective analysis of the patient data in Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal. Follow-up data from the first 100 kidney transplant recipients was recorded in a Microsoft Excel worksheet and descriptive analysis was done.

RESULTS

In the first 100 transplants done until 21 September 2011, 92 patients' data were recorded and 8 patients' data were missing. The mean follow-up period was 61.03 months. The population was 76.09% male (n = 70) and 23.91% female (n = 22). A total of 641 episodes of infections were recorded. Urinary tract infections were the most common type of infection. Escherichia coli was the most common organism isolated (36% of all cultures). There were 17 (2.65%) episodes of viral and 42 (6.6%) episodes of fungal infections. Tuberculosis was diagnosed in 6 (6.5%) patients.

CONCLUSION

Urinary tract infection is the most common type of infection in post-kidney transplant patients. Quinolones were the most common agents used to treat urinary tract infections. The incidence of tuberculosis in kidney transplant recipients is 6.5% in 5 years' follow-up.