The effect of fluorescein angiography on renal function: A meta-analysis and systematic review

Background@#Contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) is a complication that occurs in patients undergoing an imaging procedure with intravenous injection of contrast media, most notably iodinated dyes. Fluorescein angiography is a diagnostic procedure performed by ophthalmologists to determine abnormalities in retinal blood vessels. It uses sodium fluorescein, an organic dye, to capture and visualize these blood vessels. There have been conflicting data and practices on how to approach the procedure especially in patients with renal insufficiency.@*Objective@#To determine the risk of CIN among patients undergoing fluorescein angiography. @*Methods@#We searched PubMed, HerdIn, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar, for published articles on the topic. Other sources were searched for unpublished data or ongoing clinical trials. All research articles pertaining to fluorescein angiography and its effect on renal function with serum creatinine monitoring were included. Two independent authors separately screened records, assessed full texts, and extracted data. We used RevMan computer software to analyze data from the included studies. The primary outcome was the risk of CIN among patients undergoing fluorescein angiography based on the differences on serum creatinine levels and estimated glomerular filtration rates pre- and post-angiography, while the secondary outcome included risk factors for CIN.@*Results@#A total of 6 studies were included in the meta-analysis. Four studies had poor quality as assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. One study was deemed to have good quality. Data analysis showed that hemoglobin (p = 0.002) and albumin (p < 0.001) levels may be associated with CIN using sodium fluorescein but were not independent risk factors for CIN (multivariable logistic regression, p = 0.648 and p = 0.069, respectively); while sex, diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease were not significantly associated. As a primary outcome, only 6.8% of included patients had CIN with serum creatinine levels post-exposure showed significant differences from baseline values (mean difference 0.05; 95% CI 0.02, 0.07; I2 = 49%), but translating it to eGFR yielded non-significant differences (mean difference -0.37; 95% CI -2.33, 1.59; I2 = 0%).@*Conclusion@#Among patients undergoing fluorescein angiography, sodium fluorescein does not pose an increased risk for CIN.

Rare spontaneous development of nasal septal abscess in end-stage kidney disease

@#The spontaneous development of a nasal septal abscess in patients with chronic kidney disease is hardly described in the literature. A 58-year-old man with long-standing type 2 diabetes mellitus and a history of rectal adenocarcinoma was admitted for resection of tumor recurrence. He was initiated on hemodialysis post-operatively due to worsening kidney function. He was discharged on thrice-weekly dialysis but was readmitted two months after for progressive shortness of breath. Further examination revealed severe nasal congestion from a nasal septal abscess which prompted mouth-breathing. Incision and drainage and anterior nasal packing were done, and the patient was discharged improved on broad-spectrum oral antibiotics. This case report highlights the possibility of developing nontraumatic nasal infections in patients with chronic kidney disease due to compromised host defenses.

Arginine supplementation in patients diagnosed with drug-sensitive pulmonary tuberculosis

@#<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>OBJECTIVE:</strong> To determine the effects of arginine in the rates of sputum conversion in patients with drug-sensitive pulmonary tuberculosis.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>METHODS:</strong> Studies from PubMed, Medline, EMBASE, and Cochrane were reviewed and appropriate studies were included. Randomized controlled trials comparing arginine with placebo in adult patients with drug-sensitive pulmonary tuberculosis were included. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. A meta-analysis of the rate of sputum conversion at 8 weeks, was conducted. Post hoc analyses of sputum conversion at 4 weeks and cough reduction at 4 and 8 weeks were done.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>RESULTS:</strong> Three articles included in this study had a pooled population of 452 participants. This meta-analysis showed no significant difference in the sputum conversion at 4 and 8 weeks, with a relative risk of 0.96 (95% CI 0.77-1.20) and 1.07 (95% CI 0.96-1.19), respectively. However, the cough was significantly reduced at 4 and 8 weeks, with subtotal relative risks of 0.91 (95% CI 0.82-1.00) and 0.43 (95% CI 0.22-0.81), and total relative risk for cough reduction of 0.83 (95% CI 0.73-0.93).</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>CONCLUSION:</strong> While arginine may not significantly reduce sputum conversion rates, it may be used as an adjunct to decrease cough in patients with tuberculosis.</p>