ABSTRACT
To assess the response of unadjusted dose of erythropoietin with respect to weight in patients on dialysis. Fifty-five patients who previously had three dialysis sittings, had received erythropoietin for at least one month and were coming on regular follow up dialysis in dialysis clinic of Shifa International Hospital, Islamabad were included in this study. Erythropoietin was given subcutaneously twice a week adding to a dose of 4000 units per week. Hemoglobin level was determined at the end of study period. The over all increase in hemoglobin after the administration of erythropoietin was 1.18 +/- 0.06 g/dl. 87.3% patients responded to erythropoietin and showed a rise in their hemoglobin, while 12.7% did not respond. Unadjusted dose of erythropoietin showed increase in hemoglobin but in most of the cases failed to achieve the target hemoglobin. In order to achieve the target hemoglobin, administration of adjusted doses of rHuEPO is required
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Hemoglobins/drug effects , Kidney Failure, Chronic , Renal DialysisABSTRACT
To estimate the frequency of hepatitis C virus [HCV] infection in patients on hemodialysis at Shifa International Hospital and determine the association of various risk factors in the acquisition of hepatitis C infection. A cross-sectional analytical study. Shifa International Hospital from January 2002 to June 2003. All patients on long-term hemodialysis in Nephrology Unit of Shifa International Hospital were studied. Their medical records were reviewed for the presence of anti-HCV in all patients. Any risk factors were noted from the patient's records and from the history of those patients who were regularly attending the dialysis unit. A total of 97 patients on hemodialysis were included. Out of these, 23 [23.7%] were found to be anti-HCV positive. The mean age of HCV positive patients was 55.2 +/- 15.5 years while for the anti-HCV negative patients it was 54.9 +/- 15.1 years. There were 18 [78.3%] males in the HCV positive group while 46 [62.2%] males in the HCV negative group. The mean duration of dialysis among HCV positive patients was 2.9 +/- 2.7 years while the mean duration of dialysis in HCV negative patients was 1.51 +/- 0.86 years [p-value 0.000]. Anti-HCV positive group had significantly greater proportion of patients with a history of dialysis more than 2 years [43.5% vs 9.5%], adjusted odds ratio being 0.45 [95% CI 0.27-0.75]. No significant difference in other risk factors between the two groups was found. When years of dialysis were treated as categorical variable, significant difference between the anti-HCV positive and negative groups was found. The risk of getting HCV was found to be significantly associated with increasing years of dialysis, [adjusted p-value 0.002]. Patients on hemodialysis in our unit had 23.7% positivity of anti-HCV and history of dialysis over more than 2 years was noted to be a significant risk factor for acquisition of infection in these patients