Effect of oral granisetron in uremic pruritus.

BACKGROUND: Renal itch is a relatively common and distressing problem for patients with chronic renal failure. Granisetron, is a potent and selective inhibitor of 5-HT3 receptors. There have been some studies about the effect of ondansetron in uremic pruritus and one case report has recently described relief of renal itch with granisetron. AIMS: To evaluate the effect of Granisetron on uremic pruritus in Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD) and Hemodialysis (HD) patients. METHODS: To study the prevalence of uremic pruritus, patients on CAPD and HD were asked to complete a pruritus questionnaire. Their replies were scored based on numerical scales. Pruritus was graded, according to the total points for each patient, as mild, moderate or severe. Fourteen patients with moderate to severe pruritus were enrolled in the trial. During treatment, patients received granisetron (1 mg tablet twice a day P.O), for a period of 1 month. They were asked to score the severity of pruritus twice a day. RESULTS: Seventy seven percent of the patients responded to the treatment and at 1 st, 2 nd and 4 th week the mean values of the pruritus scores were 23, 16 and 8 points respectively. Before starting treatment the score was 31 points (P =0.03). Weekly clinical and laboratory examination showed no important side effects. CONCLUSION: Granisetron might be an effective, safe and well tolerated drug for the treatment of uremic pruritus.

Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis Patients Show High Prevalence of Carotid Artery Calcification which is Associated with a Higher Left Ventricular Mass Index

This study examined intima-media thickness and arterial plaque occurrence in the carotid and brachial arteries in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients. The study compared 25 CAPD patients with 25 normotensive age- and sex-matched controls. Intima-media thickness and presence of plaque in carotid and brachial artery were measured three times using high-resolution B-mode echocardiography. Left ventricular mass was calculated using the Penn Convection equation. Blood samples were obtained to assess levels of phosphorus, total calcium, serum albumin, C-reactive protein, and lipid profiles. Compared to the control group, CAPD patients had greater mean carotid and brachial intima-media thickness, and a higher proportion of subjects with calcified plaques. The left ventricular mass index was higher in CAPD patients with carotid artery calcified plaques compared to CAPD patients without carotid artery calcified plaques. CAPD patients with such plaque were significantly associated with diabetes mellitus, higher C-reactive protein levels and a lower 2-yr survival rate. The present study showed an high prevalence of carotid calcification in CAPD patients and those with such calcification had a greater incidence of diabetes mellitus, higher C-reactive protein levels and left ventricular mass index, and a lower survival rate.

Thrombopoietic status of Egyptian patients with ESRD on different forms of renal replacement therapies

Thrombocytopenia is a frequent problem of ESRD patients. The factors affect platelet counts are unknown completely. Thrombocytopenia was most frequent in the HCV positive hemodialysis patients. The effect of HCV anti-genaemia on thrombocytopenia was not clarified. This study included 220 patients with ESRD treated by HD [150 patient, 81 M and 69 F], Renal transplantation [50 patient, 27 M and 23 F] and CAPD [20 patient, 9 M ana 11 F] as well a 50 patient with HCV infection but without renal affection and 50 healthy control matched for age and sex with the cases. They were divided into six groups. All patients and controls were subjected to full medical history and clinical examination, CBC, kidney function tests, liver function tests, HCV antibodies and abdominal ultrasonography. Hemodialysis group is subjected to other investigations [HCV RNA by PCR as well as PTH, Kt/V and Measurement of platelet-associated immunoglobulin PAIgG [for thrombocytopenic patients] was determined by a competitive micro-RLISA method]. The results of this study showed significant presence of thrombocytopenia among patients on different RRT and the HCV positive patients who don't undergone dialysis and among the HCV negative patients with CRF on regular hemodialysis. The results showed also significant presence and higher incidence of thrombocytopenia among HCV positive patients with CRF on regular HD as compared to other groups. We also found that thrombocytopenia significantly increases with increased duration of dialysis and with cellulose type of hemodialysis membranes and Platelet counts had no significant relation with any of the drugs prescribed or with serum creatinine, urea nitrogen, iPTH, or Kt/V. HCV - positive hemodialysis patients had a higher incidences and a higher PAIgG liters than HCV-negative hemodialysis patients. The present study showed that thrombocytopenia was found in CRF patients on different renal replacement therapies especially in HD patients and more evident among those with +ve HCV antigenaemia. Even more than non uremic patients with +ve HCV antigenaemia. Follow-up of platelet count may be beneficial in HD patients for early detection and treatment of thrombocytopenia in these patients

Complicaciones de la diálisis peritoneal continua ambulatoria en niños con insuficiencia renal crónica / Complications of ambulatory continuous peritoneal dialysis in children with chronic renal failure

Introducción. La diálisis peritoneal continua ambulatoria (DPCA) constituye actualmente el tratamiento sustituto más utilizado en pediatría en pacientes con insuficiencia renal crónica terminal (IRCT) antes de recibir un trasplante renal. Material y métodos. Se revisaron los expedientes clíncos de 56 niños con IRCT en programa de DPCA en el Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez durante el período 1991-1995, que tuvieron un tiempo mínimo de diálisis de 3 meses, con el fin de determinar la frecuencia y características de las complicaciones del procedimiento. Resultados. Se instalaron 96 catéteres de Tenckhoff en los 56 pacientes; se utilizó el método estándar de DPCA, con un tiempo promedio del procedimiento de 19.4ñ13 meses. Se observaron 42 complicaciones relacionadas al catéter (infección del túnel y sitio de salida y disfunción principalmente) con una frecuencia de una complicación cada 25.6 meses de diálisis. Asimismo se presentaron 109 complicaciones clínicas, pricipalmente peritonitis: 104 episodios con frecuencia de un episodio cada 10.3 meses (1.16 episodios por paciente por año). Al terminar el estudio, 27 pacientes continuaban en programa de DPCA y en 29 se había suspendido el procedimiento: en 25 por transplante renal, en 2 por transferencia de hemodiálisis y 2 por razones socioeconómicas. Ningún paciente falleció durante el período de estudio. Conclusiones. A pesar de que los niños en programa de DPCA presentan un índice alto de complicaciones atribuidas al catéter instalado y al procedimiento en sí, sólo en un número reducido de casos se observa el fracaso del método de diálisis. Por otro lado, la introducción de los nuevos métodos de conexión-desconexión pueden permitir reducir aún más la frecuencia de las complicaciones, principalmente de tipo infeccioso

Outcome of young and elderly diabetic patients on ambulatory peritoneal dialysis: the experience of a community hospital in Puerto Rico [see comments]

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the clinical results of a group of young and elderly diabetic patients on ambulatory peritoneal dialysis at a large comprehensive tertiary care community hospital in San Juan, Puerto Rico in relation to rehabilitation characteristics, compliance, complications and survival. DESIGN: The medical records of all patients with a diagnosis of diabetes mellitus trained between June 1985 and June 1992 were reviewed. This group of patients was subdivided according to age, in young (20-50 years) and elderly (50 or over). A comparable number of nondiabetics were selected at random for each of the two age groups. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The patient were studied for age, sex, need of assistance from a partner during dialysis, causes of transfer and hospitalizations, peritonitis, rehabilitation, patients compliance and outcome including mortality. RESULTS: Young diabetics versus non-diabetics: There were 45 patients in the diabetic group (37.8 percent females) and 57 in the non-diabetic group (54.4percent female) with a total observation time of 52.52 patient-months among the diabetics and 82.17 patient-months in the non-diabetic. Mean age of the diabetic patient was 39.9 +/- 8.8 and 36.7 +/- 8.7 for the non-diabetic...