Use of fludrocortisone for intradialytic hypotension

Intradialytic hypotension during dialysis adversely affects a patient's prognosis and increases mortality. We report a case in which intradialytic hypotension that persisted after the administration of midodrine was relieved after the use of fludrocortisone. Administration of 0.2 mg of fludrocortisone occurred 30 minutes before dialysis. We compared 45 sessions of dialysis without fludrocortisone administration and 45 sessions of dialysis with fludrocortisone administration in one patient. The number of times in which systolic blood pressure became lower than 80 mmHg and the number of early terminations of dialysis due to a decrease in systolic blood pressure were higher in the sessions without fludrocortisone administration than in the sessions with fludrocortisone administration (P < 0.05). Fludrocortisone may be helpful for the treatment of intradialytic hypotension that does not respond to midodrine administration.

The application of adrenal cortical hormone in the treatment of cerebral salt wasting syndrome / 中国医师进修杂志

Cerebral salt wasting syndrome (CSWS) is a common cause of refractory hyponatremia. Early diagnosis and treatment of CSWS can greatly improve the patient′s condition and improve the prognosis. Clinically by supplying sodium hydrate, most patients can resume normal serum sodium level, and get remission. But a few patients with low serum sodium, high urine sodium and low blood volume can not improve and even worse. Fludrocortisone and adrenal cortical hormone can rapidly and effectively reduce the urinary sodium level and urine volume, correct hyponatremia and low blood volume and improve the prognosis in such patients.

Acidose tubular renal tipo IV no pronto atendimento / Renal tubular acidosis type IV in emergency medical services

No Hospital de Base de São José do Rio Preto, uma paciente com diabetes melito tipo 2, apresentando quadro de acidose metabólica, foi tratada na emergência da clínica médica. Foi seguido inicialmente protocolo de cetoacidose diabética. Após um dia sem melhora clínica, com a hipótese diagnóstica de acidose tubular renal tipo IV, confirmada pela acidose metabólica hipercalêmica e hiperclorêmica, foi optado por introduzir fludrocortisona no tratamento. Devido à melhora clínica e laboratorial fechou-se o diagnóstico e a paciente encontra-se em acompanhamento no ambulatório.

At the Hospital de Base hospital in São José do Rio Preto, a type II diabetic patient presenting metabolic acidosis was treated at the internal medicine ER. Initially the diabetic ketoacidosis treatment protocol was followed. Due to no improvement after one day of treatment, the diagnostic hypothesis of renal tubular acidosis type IV was confirmed by the hyperkalemic and hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis. We treated the patient with fludrocortisone. Due to clinical recovery and improvement of laboratory results, the patient was discharged and is now an outpatient in our institution.

Teste rápido da fludrocortisona na identificação da sensibilidade ao sal / Quick test of fludrocortisone in the identification of salt sensitivity

Introdução: A sensibilidade ao sal possui implicações clínicas e prognósticas, porém seu diagnóstico não é habitualmente feito na prática clínica, tendo em vista que o teste de referência é longo e de difícil execução, envolvendo ciclos de dietas hipossódica e hipersódica. O objetivo principal do presente estudo foi avaliar a acurácia do teste da fludrocortisona, quando comparado ao teste de referência. O objetivo secundário foi estudar o teste de referência, avaliando em quanto tempo é possível ser realizado o diagnóstico. Métodos: Foi realizado estudo randomizado e crossover com homens e mulheres hipertensos, sem outras comorbidades, de 40 a 65 anos de idade. Após quatro semanas de washout os pacientes foram randomizados para iniciar pelo teste dos ciclos de dietas ou pelo teste da fludrocortisona. O primeiro consistiu na administração de 7 dias de dieta hipossódica (40 mEq/dia) seguidos por 7 dias de dieta hipersódica (200 mEq/dia), sendo considerados sensíveis os indivíduos com variação da pressão arterial média (PAM) superior a 5 mmHg. O segundo consistiu na administração de 0,4 mg / dia do acetato de fludrocortisona por 7 dias, durante ingestão alimentar habitual, sendo avaliada a variação da PAS ou PAM no quarto e sétimo dias do medicamento. O ponto de corte para esta variação foi estudado pela curva ROC, não sendo assumido arbitrariamente. A acurácia do teste foi medida pela área sob a curva ROC. Em relação ao objetivo secundário, foi estudado o comportamento diário da pressão arterial ao longo dos ciclos de dieta, através da MRPA. Resultados: Foram estudados trinta voluntários hipertensos (53,7 ± 7,6 anos; 72 ± 10,6 Kg; 26% negros, 10% pardos e amarelos), sendo 53% classificados como sensíveis pelo teste de referência. No quarto dia de fludrocortisona, as áreas sob a curva ROC (ASROC) foram de 0,761 ± 0,06 (p < 0,001) para a PAS, de 0,646 ± 0,072 (p < 0,05) para a PAM e de 0,554 ± 0,075 (p=0,469) para a Pressão arterial diastólica (PAD). No sétimo...

Introduction: The salt sensitivity has clinical and prognostic implications; however, its diagnosis is not done in clinical practice, having in mind that the reference test is long and difficult to perform, involving cycles of hyposodic and high salt diets. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of fludrocortisone test, when compared to the reference test. The secondary objective was to study the reference test, evaluating the necessary time for diagnosis to be carried out. Methods: It was perfomed a randomized and crossover study was conducted, with hypertensives, with no other comorbidities, 40-65 years old. After four weeks of washout patients were randomized to start, the test cycles diets, or the test of fludrocortisone. The first consisted of the administration of 7 days of low sodium diet (40 mEq / day) followed by seven days of high salt diet (200 mEq / day), being considered sensitive individuals when mean arterial pressure variation (MAP) was greater than 5 mmHg. The second consisted in administration of 0.4 mg / day of fludrocortisone acetate for 7 days, during usual dietary intake, being assessed the variation of the systolic (SBP) or MAP in the fourth and seventh days of drug administration. The cutoff point for this variation was studied by the ROC curve, not being taken arbitrarily. The test accuracy was measured by area under the ROC curve. Regarding the secondary objective, the daily blood pressure behavior pattern along the diet cycles was studied, through HBPM. Results: Thirty hypertensives were studied (53.7 ± 7.6 years; 72 ± 10.6 kg; 26% black, 10% brown and 14% asian), with 53% classified as sensitive by the reference test. On the fourth day of fludrocortisone, the areas under the ROC curve (ASROC) were of 0.761 ± 0.06 (p < 0.001) for SBP, of 0.646 ± 0.072 (p < 0.05) for the MAP and of 0.554 ± 0.075 (p = 0.469) for diastolic blood pressure (DBP). On the seventh day of fludrocortisone, the ASROC was...

Management of a 25-day-old Male Presenting with a First Episode of Acute Pyelonephritis, and Persistent Hyperkalemia with Normal Serum Aldosterone

Hyperkalemia is often detected in young infants, particularly in association with acute pyelonephritis or a urinary tract anomaly. Cases of hyperkalemia in this population may also be due to transient pseudohypoaldosteronism, or immaturity of renal tubules in handling potassium excretion. Symptoms of hyperkalemia are non-specific, but are predominantly related to skeletal or cardiac muscle dysfunction, and can be fatal. Therefore, treatment has to be initiated immediately. Administration of fludrocortisone for hyperkalemia is appropriate in cases with hypoaldosteronism, but is challenging in young infants with hyperkalemia due to renal tubular immaturity, without pseudohypoaldosteronism. We report the case of a 25-day-old male presenting with persistent hyperkalemia with normal serum aldosterone, who was admitted with a first episode of pyelonephritis and unilateral high-grade vesicoureteral reflux. The patient was treated successfully with fludrocortisone.

Cerebral Salt Wasting Treated with Fludrocortisone in a 17-Year-Old Boy

Cerebral salt wasting is characterized by inappropriate natriuresis and volume contraction with associated cerebral pathology. It is distinct from the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion, which is characterized by inappropriate retention of free water. We report a patient with a porencephalic cyst who developed cerebral salt wasting. His initial treatment was supplementation of water and salt, which did not improve natriuresis or volume contraction. Fludrocortisone administration effectively managed the cerebral salt wasting.

Hiponatremia prolongada após traumatismo cerebral, tratada com fludrocortisona / Prolonged hyponatremia after brain trauma treated with fludrocortisone

A hiponatremia é uma freqüente complicação do traumatismo craniano e surge, usualmente, nos primeiros dez dias depois do trauma e tem evolução limitada a poucos dias. Os autores apresentam um paciente que desenvolveu hiponatremia no nono dia após um acidente de motocicleta, a qual se prolongou por mais de vinte dias. Essa demorada hiponatremia pôde ocorrer porque o paciente foi tratado, inicialmente, com furosemida, como se tivesse a síndrome inapropriada da secreção do hormônio antidiurético, e com glicocorticóide, como se tivesse insuficiência glandular supra-renal. Contudo, o paciente teve síndrome cerebral perdedora de sal, que pode ocorrer após lesões do sistema nervoso central. Foi tratado com fludrocortisona (0,3 mg/dia) com reposição de sódio e de líquidos. Houve gradual desaparecimento da hiponatremia, e seu perfil físico e neural apresentou progressiva melhora. A fludrocortisona é um mineralocorticosteróide, e seu uso em pacientes com síndrome cerebral perdedora de sal é indicado pela ocorrência de secreção inapropriada do peptídeo natriurético cerebral, que inibe a secreção da aldosterona e, assim, provoca a perda renal de sódio.

Hyponatremia is a frequent complication following cranial traumatism and usually appears in the first ten days after the trauma, usually limited to a few days. The authors report a patient that developed hyponatremia on the 9th day after a motorcycle accident and it lasted twenty more days. The long period of hyponatremia could be explained by the treatment with furosemide, initially given with the assumption that he had inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone syndrome, toghether with glucocorticoid, as if he had adrenal insufficiency. However, the patient had cerebral salt-wasting syndrome, which can happen after lesions of the central nervous system. Then, he was correctly treated with fludrocortisone (0.3 mg/day) and sodium plus fluid replacement. He gradually recovered from the hyponatremia and his physical and neural profile showed progressive improvement. Fludrocortisone is a mineralocorticosteroid and its use in a patient with cerebral salt-wasting syndrome is justified by its counter effect against the oversecretion of brain natriuretic peptide, which inhibits the aldosterone secretion, eventually leading to renal loss of sodium.