ELMO CPAP: an innovative type of ventilatory support for COVID-19-related acute respiratory distress syndrome

OBJECTIVE

To assess whether the use of ELMO, a helmet for noninvasive ventilation created in Brazil, had a positive impact on the prognosis of patients with hypoxemic respiratory failure caused by severe COVID-19.

METHODS

This is a retrospective study of 50 critically ill COVID-19 patients. Epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory data were collected on ICU admission, as well as before, during, and after ELMO use. Patients were divided into two groups (success and failure) according to the outcome.

RESULTS

ELMO use improved oxygenation parameters such as Pao2, Fio2, and the Pao2/Fio2 ratio, and this contributed to a gradual reduction in Fio2, without an increase in CO2, as determined by arterial blood gas analysis. Patients in the success group had significantly longer survival (p < 0.001), as determined by the Kaplan-Meier analysis, less need for intubation (p < 0.001), fewer days of hospitalization, and a lower incidence of acute kidney injury in comparison with those in the failure group.

CONCLUSIONS

The significant improvement in oxygenation parameters, the longer survival, as reflected by the reduced need for intubation and by the mortality rate, and the absence of acute kidney injury suggest that the ELMO CPAP system is a promising tool for treating ARDS and similar clinical conditions.

Proteinuria and serum creatinine after 12 months of treatment for lupus nephritis as predictors of long-term renal outcome: a case-control study

BACKGROUND

Lupus nephritis (LN) is a major source of morbidity and mortality in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), with 10-25% of patients progressing to end-stage renal disease (ESRD).

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to elucidate the predictive capabilities of 24-h proteinuria (24PTU) and serum creatinine (sCr) after 12 months of treatment with respect to long-term renal outcomes in LN in a single-center cohort of LN patients.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis was performed on 214 patients diagnosed with LN followed in our center. Values of 24PTU and sCr were assessed at baseline and after 3, 6 and 12 months, and after 5 years and/or the last evaluation. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) was defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 60 mL/min/1.73 m² for 3 months or longer. End-stage renal disease (ESRD) was defined as the need for permanent dialysis. Receiver operating characteristics curves (ROC) were used to test the best cut-off value of 24PTU and sCr at 12 months who predict bad long-term renal outcomes.  RESULTS: The mean follow-up period was 11.2 ± 7.2 years. The best cut-off values for 24PTU and sCr as predictor of CKD were, respectively, 0.9 g/24 h and 0.9 mg/dL. ROC curve for 24PTU had a slightly lower performance than ROC curve for sCr as predictor for CKD (PTU AUC = 0.68; sCr AUC = 0.70), but sensitivity and specificity were better for 24PTU (24PTU: sensitivity = 63.5%, specificity = 71.2%; sCr: sensitivity = 54.8%, specificity = 75.3%). When the outcome was ESRD the best cut-off points were 0.9 g/24hs and 1.3 mg/dL for 24PTU and sCr, respectively, and the curve performance was better for 24PTU (PTU AUC = 0.72; sCr AUC = 0.61).

CONCLUSIONS

In this ethnically diverse population with LN followed for a long time (> 10 years), levels of 24PTU > 0.9/day at 12 months was a good predictor of bad long-term renal outcome. The serum creatinine > 0.9 mg/dL and > 1.3 mg/dL at 12 months were also good predictors of CKD and ESRD, respectively. Patients with 24PTU < 0.9 g/day and sCr < 1.3 mg/dL at 12 months are not likely to develop ESRD because of the high negative predictive values (NPV) (93.2% and 82%). 24PTU and sCr are relevant as components for a treat-to-target strategy for LN treatment, since their high NPV corroborates their importance as good predictors of long-term renal outcome.

Exploring the causes of the high incidence of delayed graft function after kidney transplantation in Brazil: a multicenter study

This retrospective multicenter (n = 18) cohort study evaluated the incidence, risk factors, and the impact of delayed graft function (DGF) on 1-year kidney transplant (KT) outcomes. Of 3992 deceased donor KT performed in 2014-2015, the incidence of DGF was 54%, ranging from 29.9% to 87.7% among centers. Risk factors (_{lower-bound-95%CI} OR _{upper-bound-95%CI} ) were male gender (_1.066 1.249_1.463 ), diabetic kidney disease (_1.053 1.296_1.595 ), time on dialysis (_1.005 1.007_1.009 ), retransplantation (_1.035 1.397_1.885 ), preformed anti-HLA antibodies (_1.011 1.383_1.892 ), HLA mismatches (_1.006 1.066_1.130 ), donor age (_1.011 1.017_1.023 ), donor final serum creatinine (sCr) (_1.239 1.317_1.399 ), cold ischemia time (CIT) (_1.031 1.043_1.056 ), machine perfusion (_0.401 0.542_0.733 ), and induction therapy with rabbit antithymocyte globulin (rATG) (_0.658 0.800_0.973 ). Duration of DGF > 4 days was associated with inferior renal function and DGF > 14 days with the higher incidences of acute rejection, graft loss, and death. In conclusion, the incidence and duration of DGF were high and associated with inferior graft outcomes. While late referral and poor donor maintenance account for the high overall incidence of DGF, variability in donor and recipient selection, organ preservation method, and type of induction agent may account for the wide variation observed among transplant centers.

Actinomicose em receptor de transplante renal: relato de caso e revisão da literatura

A actinomicose é uma doença rara, infecciosa, granulomatosa crônica, progressiva, e causada, na maioria dos casos, pela bactéria Gram-positiva e anaeróbia Actinomyces israelii. A doença pode assemelhar-se a outros processos infecciosos e até mesmo neoplásicos, dificultando seu diagnóstico e comprometendo o êxito terapêutico, e às vezes evoluindo para sérias complicações. Os autores relatam o caso de uma paciente de 54 anos, transplantada renal há 4 anos, apresentando uma lesão em região hipotenar na mão direita. Foi realizada investigação com exames de imagem e biópsia, tendo como diagnóstico actinomicose cutânea primária. O objetivo desse trabalho é discutir sobre uma patologia rara e de localização incomum, em uma paciente imunossuprimida, ressaltando a importância do diagnóstico precoce e preciso para o sucesso terapêutico.

The Impact of Hypothermic Pulsatile Machine Perfusion Versus Static Cold Storage: A Donor-Matched Paired Analysis in a Scenario of High Incidence of Delayed Kidney Graft Function

BACKGROUND The present study analyzed the impact of hypothermic pulsatile machine perfusion (MP) following a long period of static cold (SC) storage in the peculiar Brazilian scenario of high incidence of delayed graft function (DGF), despite good donor characteristics. MATERIAL AND METHODS A retrospective analysis, with a 1-year follow-up, of 206 recipients of donor-matched paired kidneys was performed. Of the 206 donor kidneys, 103 were maintained exclusively in static cold storage (SC group) and 103 were kept on machine perfusion after a period of SC preservation (MP group). All donors were brain dead. RESULTS Only 4.9% of the kidneys were from expanded-criteria donors. Static cold ischemia time (CIT) in the SC group was 20.8±4.1 hours vs. 15.8±6.2 hours in the MP group (P<0.001). Dynamic CIT in the MP group was 12.3±5.7 hours. MP significantly reduced DGF incidence (29.1% vs. 55.3%, P<0.001), and this effect was confirmed in multivariable analysis (OR, 1.115; 95% CI, 1.033-1.204, P=0.001). No differences were observed between the groups with regard to DGF duration, length of hospital stay, incidence of primary nonfunction and acute rejection, graft loss, death, or renal function. CONCLUSIONS In this Brazilian setting, MP following a long period of SC preservation was associated with reduced DGF incidence in comparison with SC storage without MP.

Histoplasmose intestinal em pacientes transplantados renais: relato de casos e revisão da literatura

A histoplasmose é uma micose sistêmica, que afeta principalmente pacientes imunocomprometidos, com apresentação clínica inespecífica. A forma de apresentação é focal ou disseminada, esta última muitas vezes fatal. Os autores relatam dois casos de histoplasmose intestinal em pacientes transplantados renais, com baixo índice de suspeição clínica, que foram diagnosticados através de biópsia das lesões e que apresentaram uma evolução favorável, devido ao tratamento precoce com anfotericina B lipossomal e manutenção com itraconazol. Diante de casos com manifestações clínicas variadas e atípicas, esta doença deve ser incluída na investigação diagnóstica de imunossuprimidos.

The impact of deceased donor maintenance on delayed kidney allograft function: A machine learning analysis

Background

This study evaluated the risk factors for delayed graft function (DGF) in a country where its incidence is high, detailing donor maintenance-related (DMR) variables and using machine learning (ML) methods beyond the traditional regression-based models.

Methods

A total of 443 brain dead deceased donor kidney transplants (KT) from two Brazilian centers were retrospectively analyzed and the following DMR were evaluated using predictive modeling: arterial blood gas pH, serum sodium, blood glucose, urine output, mean arterial pressure, vasopressors use, and reversed cardiac arrest.

Results

Most patients (95.7%) received kidneys from standard criteria donors. The incidence of DGF was 53%. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, DMR variables did not impact on DGF occurrence. In post-hoc analysis including only KT with cold ischemia time<21h (n = 220), urine output in 24h prior to recovery surgery (OR = 0.639, 95%CI 0.444–0.919) and serum sodium (OR = 1.030, 95%CI 1.052–1.379) were risk factors for DGF. Using elastic net regularized regression model and ML analysis (decision tree, neural network and support vector machine), urine output and other DMR variables emerged as DGF predictors: mean arterial pressure, ≥ 1 or high dose vasopressors and blood glucose.

Conclusions

Some DMR variables were associated with DGF, suggesting a potential impact of variables reflecting poor clinical and hemodynamic status on the incidence of DGF.

Potentially inappropriate medications in older kidney transplant recipients: a Brazilian prevalence study

Background Older kidney transplant recipients take a larger number of medications than younger patients, but there is currently no evidence that this affects health outcomes or that is it associated with potentia medicine-related problems. Objective To evaluate the prevalence and number of potentially inappropriate medications in older kidney transplant recipients and also the possible associated factors (sex, age, comorbidities, number of medications, etc.). Setting A renal post-transplant ambulatory outpatient clinic of a university hospital in Fortaleza, Brazil. Method PIMs were defined according to the Beers criteria, version 2015. Medications were classified following the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification System. Chi squared tests and analysis of variance were used for the analyses. Main outcome measure Prevalence of potentially inappropriate medications and medication groups with higher prevalence rates of PIMs, including associated factors. Results Among 143 kidney transplant recipients, 77.6% had at least one potentially inappropriate medication as part of their prescription regime. Medication groups that were most implicated in PIM are medicines that act on the alimentary tract and metabolism (55.9%), cardiovascular system (32.2%) and nervous system (21.7%). We detected a high prevalence (63.6%) of self-medication (use of OTC medicines without indication of a healthcare professional) among the population studied. There was a statistically significant association between the number of prescribed medications and the presence of potentially inappropriate medication in the prescription regime (P < 0.01). Conclusion Our data draw attention to the need of medicine therapy management by clinical pharmacists and clinicians in this group of patients and also assessing the real clinical impacts of these medications in the prescription regimes of elderly renal transplant patients.

Spectrum of acute kidney injury associated with cocaine use: report of three cases

BACKGROUND

The consequences of cocaine use are multisystemic, such as, for instance, renal failure, hepatotoxicity and pulmonary toxicity, with renal alterations being the focus of the present study. The use of substances that modify the base composition of cocaine (or adulterants) aiming to potentiate its effects also has an impact on these manifestations. The present study aims to report three cases with different diagnosis of acute kidney injury related to cocaine use.

CASE PRESENTATION

Case 01 - A 30-year-old female patient, who regularly used cocaine, started to have lower-limb edema, which showed a progressive and ascending evolution, affecting the face a few days later, associated with an isolated febrile episode and oligoanuria. The presence of cytoplasmic antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (C-ANCA) was verified: reactive 1:80, with renal biopsy compatible with rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis (RPGN). Case 02 - A 34-year-old female patient, with difficult-to-control hypertension and a frequent user of cocaine, showed generalized sudden edema together with diffuse and progressive pruritus associated with oliguria, fever, nausea, and vomiting. Schistocyte screening was positive, with negative direct Coombs test, and negative serologies for hepatitis B, C and HIV, as well as negative anti-double-stranded DNA, Anti-SSA and Anti-SSB. The renal biopsy was compatible with thrombotic microangiopathy, associated with moderate interstitial fibrosis and acute tubular necrosis Case 03 - A 25-year-old male patient who had been a cocaine user for 5 years had a sudden onset of generalized disabling myalgia (especially in the lower limbs) associated with recent frontotemporal headache, palpitation, dizziness, and a non-measured febrile episode; the patient had used cocaine at the night before symptom onset. CPK was 1731 U/L.The final probable diagnosis was AKI secondary to cocaine-induced rhabdomyolysis.

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion basically, 05 etiologies of acute kidney injury should always be remembered: rhabdomyolysis, thrombotic microangiopathy, vasculitis, acute interstitial nephritis and renal infarction. Emphasis should be given to rhabdomyolysis due to its higher prevalence. Considering the increasing rates of cocaine use, especially with the use of adulterating substances, these pathologies will likely be increasingly prevalent.

Prevalence of clinically validated primary causes of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in a State Capital in Northeastern Brazil

INTRODUCTION

Knowledge of validated primary causes of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) is extremely relevant in the realm of public health. The literature lacks validated studies on the primary causes of ESRD.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of the causes of ESRD in a State Capital in Northeastern Brazil.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was based on the analysis of medical records of patients on hemodialysis at five specialized centers in Fortaleza, CE, Brazil. Deaths and patients referred to other centers outside Fortaleza were excluded from the study. The data of 830 patients were initially collected, but 818 remained enrolled after the exclusion criteria were applied, the equivalent to 48% of the patents on dialysis in the city.

RESULTS

61.1% of the patients were males. Twenty-two percent of all enrolled individuals were aged 60-69 years. Patient mean age was 55.7 ± 16 years. The most common validated cause of ESRD was unknown (35.3%), followed by diabetes mellitus (26.4%), adult polycystic kidney disease (6.2%), graft failure (6.2%), obstructive uropathy (5.7%), and primary glomerulonephritis (5.3%). Before validation, primary hypertension was the most frequent cause of chronic kidney disease (22.9%), decreased to 3.8% after validation.

CONCLUSION

The data contradicted national studies reporting primary hypertension as the main cause of chronic kidney disease (CKD). A high rate of unknown causes and categorization bias were observed mainly in relation to primary hypertension as a cause of CKD, which affects the overall prevalence of causes of ESRD in patients on dialysis.

Kidney Transplantation Using Gonadal Vein for Venous Anastomosis in Patients With Iliac Vein Thrombosis or Stenosis: A Series of Cases

BACKGROUND

Kidney transplantation is the treatment of choice for patients with end-stage renal disease. The standard surgery uses the recipient's iliac vessels for vascular anastomosis. Thrombosis and/or stenosis of the iliac vein, which are possible complications of multiple vascular access points for dialysis, can be detected intraoperatively, constituting a surgical challenge. An infrequently reported option is the use of the gonadal vein.

OBJECTIVES

This study aims to evaluate the outcomes of venous anastomosis in the gonadal vein in patients with iliac vein thrombosis and/or stenosis submitted to kidney transplantation.

METHODS

We reviewed the records of five adult recipients with iliac vein thrombosis and/or stenosis detected intraoperatively during emergency kidney transplantation with deceased donor due to vascular access failure from February 2013 to December 2014. Antithrombotic prophylaxis was not performed. We evaluated the postoperative complications, length of stay, early graft echo-Doppler, and renal function during the first year postoperatively.

RESULTS

Delayed graft function occurred in three cases. Two patients developed postoperative infection requiring antibiotics. One patient required reoperation due to post-renal biopsy complications. The mean length of stay was 31.2 days and the mean serum creatinine levels at discharge, at 6 months, and at 12 months postoperatively were 1.42 mg/dL, 0.86 mg/dL, and 0.82 mg/dL, respectively. All patients had normal ultrasonography. There were no losses of graft or deaths during follow-up.

CONCLUSION

Venous anastomosis using the gonadal vein in kidney transplantation for patients with iliac vein thrombosis and/or stenosis showed good clinical and surgical results, showing this method to be a viable alternative to venous drainage in these complex patients.

Urinary Tract Infections and Surgical Site Infections due to Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae in Renal Transplant

BACKGROUND

Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) are emerging pathogens. Recent publications have shown that renal transplant recipients are a population at risk for CRE infections. Management of these infections in this population is complex, requiring frequent use of nephrotoxic antimicrobial agents. Differentiating between urinary tract infection (UTI) and surgical site infection (SSI) in renal transplant recipients is sometimes difficult. The aim of this study was to describe CRE UTIs and SSIs in renal transplant recipients and to evaluate the impact of these infections on renal graft and patient survival.

RESULTS

Between January 2010 and October 2015, a total of 428 renal transplants were performed; 25 UTIs and 9 SSIs were identified. Median time between transplantation and diagnosis of CRE infection was 26 days; 29 cases (85.29%) were considered early infections. Of the 34 CRE isolates, 100% were sensitive to amikacin and colistin. Polymyxins were the most commonly used antimicrobial agent (27 cases [79.41%]). Nephrotoxicity was found in 4 (15.38%) of 26 cases. Combination therapy was used in 19 cases (55.88%), with a cure rate of 74%; monotherapy was used in 15 cases (44.11%), with a cure rate of 86%. Among the 25 cases of UTI, the cure rate was 100%, and recurrence occurred in 4 cases (16%). Among the 9 cases of SSI, 7 (77.7%) had negative outcomes (nephrectomy or death).

CONCLUSIONS

We observed that CRE UTIs had a high therapeutic success rate, low recurrence, and low mortality. However, CRE SSIs were associated with high morbidity and mortality, with high graft loss. Polymyxins and aminoglycosides, despite the risk of nephrotoxicity, had little impact on renal graft function, and are thus a safe therapeutic alternative to treat these infections.

Pharmaceutical care in transplant patients in a university hospital: pharmaceutical interventions

A descriptive and prospective study was conducted on the pharmaceutical care in the post-transplant outpatient clinic of Hospital Universitario Walter Cantidio of Universidade Federal do Ceará (HUWC/UFC), in Fortaleza- Ceará in the period of April to October of 2011. The aim of the present study was to describe the pharmaceutical interventions performed in a Pharmaceutical Care service structured in the liver and kidney transplant outpatient clinic of an academic hospital. The Pharmaceutical interventions (PI) were classified according to Sabater et al.(2005), with significance based on Riba et al.(2000) and the Negative Outcomes associated with Medication (NOM) established at the Third Consensus of Granada. Statistical analyses were performed using the Epi Info v.3.5.1 program and hypothesis tests were done with the SigmaPlot v.10.0 program. A chi-squared (X²) test was utilized for statistical analysis of the sample. A total of 97 patients were followed, where 54 problems related to medications were identified and 139 PI performed. The main PI were in education of the patient about treatment (n=111; 80%) (p<0.05), while the significance of all interventions were appropriate, where 83.4% (n=116) of PI performed in the study period were shown to be "significant" (p<0.05). Through pharmaceutical care, the pharmacist is capable of monitoring the pharmacotherapeutic treatment and intervening when necessary, while being part of the multiprofessional team caring for the transplant patient.

Association between stress and breast cancer in women: a meta-analysis

The objective of the current meta-analysis was to verify the association between stressful life events and primary breast cancer incidence in women. A total of 618 studies from 1982-2007 were found in the PubMed, LILACS, and Cochrane Library databases. Methodological quality was evaluated according to the Downs & Black criteria. Eight studies were selected (six case-controls and two cohorts). The studies were grouped in three analyses, two of which based on the categories widowhood and divorce and the other based on self-rated intensity and frequency of stressful events. Relative risks were: widowhood 1.04 (95%CI: 0.75-1.44; p = 0.800); divorce 1.03 (95%: 0.72-1.48; p = 0.850); and intensity/frequency of stress 1.73 (95%CI: 0.98-3.05; p = 0.059). We conclude that stressful life events as a whole are not associated with risk of breast cancer in women. However, it is not possible to rule out high-intensity stress as a risk factor for breast cancer.

Treatment of steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome with cyclosporine: study of 17 cases and a literature review

BACKGROUND

Cyclosporine (CsA) has been used in steroid-resistant idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (INS) in many previous studies.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate if CsA is a therapeutic option for steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective cohort study to evaluate the effects of CsA in 17 steroid-resistant INS patients. The main laboratorial data, before and after the use of CsA, and the response to CsA were evaluated. A literature review on this subject was also done.

RESULTS

Patient age ranged from 2-43 yrs. Pre-treatment renal biopsy demonstrated focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) (64%), membranous nephropathy (MGN) (12%), mesangial glomerulonephritis (MSGN) (12%) and minimal change disease (MCD) (12%). Pre-treatment laboratory tests showed a mean 24-hr proteinuria of 4372 +/- 2686 mg/dL. Treatment with CsA was given for a minimum of 3 months and a maximum of 98 months. Mean 24-hr proteinuria declined from 3181 +/- 2277 before CsA to 915 +/- 1140 mg/24 hr after CsA (p<0.001). Remission was seen in 70.5% of patients, being 52.9% complete and 17.6% partial. The adverse effects observed were nephrotoxicity (11.7%), hypertrichosis (5.8%) and gingival hyperplasia (5.8%). Relapses were seen in eight patients (47%), with posterior remission in six patients (75%).

CONCLUSION

Data from the literature suggest that CsA is a good therapeutic option for patients with steroid-resistant INS, being effective in reducing proteinuria. The beneficial effect of CsA demonstrated in our study was limited due to its design and the small sample size.