Icodextrin-associated generalized exfoliative skin rash in a CAPD patient: a case-report.

BACKGROUND: Icodextrin is a starch-derived, water soluble glucose polymer, which is used as an alternative to glucose in order to enhance dialytic fluid removal in peritoneal dialysis patients. Although the safety and efficacy of icodextrin is well-established, its use in everyday clinical practice has been associated with the appearance of skin rashes and other related skin reactions. CASE PRESENTATION: Herein, we report the rare case of a 91-year-old woman with a history of severe congestive heart failure, who initiated continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis with icodextrin-based dialysate solutions and 15 days after the initial exposure to icodextrin developed a generalized maculopapular and exfoliative skin rash extending over the back, torso and extremities. Discontinuation of icodextrin and oral therapy with low-dose methyl-prednisolone with quick dose tapering improved the skin lesions within the following days. CONCLUSIONS: This case report highlights that skin hypersensitivity is a rare icodextrin-related adverse event that should be suspected in patients manifesting skin reactions typically within a few days or weeks after the initial exposure.

Twenty-four-hour intraocular pressure monitoring in normotensive patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis.

PURPOSE: To investigate 24-hour intraocular pressure (IOP) changes caused by hemodialysis (HD). METHODS: A prospective, observational, comparative 24-hour trial was performed on consecutive subjects with normal IOP undergoing maintenance HD 3 days a week between 13:00 and 17:00 hours in an academic setting. Following a comprehensive ocular assessment, those with conditions that may influence IOP were excluded and one eye was randomly selected. Twenty-four-hour IOP monitoring was performed on HD day 1 and then on a day without HD. The IOP was measured at 10:00, 13:00, 15:00, 17:00, 22:00, 02:00, and 06:00 employing Goldmann and Perkins tonometry on habitual position. During the course of 1 year, 18 patients completed the study. RESULTS: Monitoring of IOP on HD day showed a significantly higher mean 24-hour IOP (15.4 ± 2.7 vs 14.1 ± 2.2 mm Hg; p = 0.025), higher mean peak 24-hour IOP (18.5 ± 3.5 vs 15.8 ± 2.5 mm Hg; p = 0.003), and wider 24-hour IOP fluctuation (6.2 ± 2.3 vs 4.0 ± 1.9 mm Hg; p = 0.001). When individual time points were compared, IOP was significantly higher at 17:00 on HD day, reflecting a gradual IOP elevation during HD (p = 0.021). Further, during the HD procedure (13:00-17:00), the mean IOP was significantly higher on a HD day (16.4 ± 3.0 vs 14.7 ± 2.4 mm Hg; p = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS: This prospective, before/after trial suggests that HD significantly impacts 24-hour IOP characteristics in normotensive eyes. The long-term significance of these findings requires further elucidation in normotensive patients and, predominantly, in patients with glaucoma undergoing HD.

Intraocular pressure changes during hemodialysis.

The response of intraocular pressure (IOP) to hemodialysis procedure has been a subject of research throughout many decades. Several studies that evaluated the impact of hemodialysis (HD) on IOP have reported conflicting results and have drawn varied conclusions. Some studies have described an IOP elevation during HD, a finding they attributed to the osmotic disequilibrium between serum and aqueous humor induced by the HD procedure, especially when the facility of the outflow system is already compromised. On the other hand, several studies have reported a significant IOP decrease during HD. The majority of these studies supported the notion that the increase in plasma colloid pressure induced by fluid removal during the HD session is the underlying cause of decreased IOP. Finally, recent investigations did not establish a significant change in IOP measurements during HD. They have therefore suggested that improved dialysis techniques, such as high-flux HD, or hemofiltration and better urea control, maintain better osmolar balance and prevent a marked IOP elevation. Nevertheless, specific preventive measures are still necessary in HD patients with ocular pathologies (e.g., glaucoma) whose vision may be adversely influenced by significant IOP fluctuation.