[Baseline characteristics and indicators of support for new dialysis patients in 2011]. / Caractéristiques initiales et indicateurs de prise en charge des nouveaux malades dialysés en 2011.

This chapter provides a set of indicators on incident patients starting renal replacement therapy (RRT) in France between the 1st of January 2011 and the 31(st) of December 2011. Even if End-Stage Renal Disease can be found in all classes of ages, elders provide the majority of new patients (median age at RRT start: 71 years old). Those patients present a high rate of disabilities especially diabetes (41% of the new patients) and cardiovascular disabilities (>50% of the new patients) that increase with age. Considering treatment and follow-up, the first treatment remains center's hemodialysis and we do not notice any progression of self-dialysis. RRT started in emergency in 33% of the patients. This finding contrasts with the fact that 56% of patients started hemodialysis on a catheter. This, together with the major interregion variability, suggests that different strategies of management exist. Finally, the hemoglobin level at RRT start seems to be an interesting indicator of good management and follow-up since 13% of patients presenting an underprovided follow-up have a hemoglobin level under 10g/dL, whereas only 2.5% of patients with an appropriate follow-up presented such a condition.

[Clinical characteristics and indicators of care of dialysis patients]. / Caractéristiques cliniques et indicateurs de prise en charge des patients en dialyse.

This chapter provides a set of indicators on patients treated by dialysis at December the 31th 2011. Even if ESRD is found in all classes of age, elders account for the great majority of the patients undergoing dialysis (median age: 70.4 years). These patients present a high rate of comorbidity especially diabetes (37% of patients) and cardiovascular comorbidities (59% of patients) that increases with the patient's age. Considering indicators of care, the main dialysis technique was hemodialysis (93.3% of patients). Even if an important inter-region variability remains considering the choices of treatment, more than 50% of the patients are undergoing hemodialysis in a hospital-based in-center unit, and we noticed an increase in hemodialysis in a medical satellite unit with time whereas the rate of self-care hemodialysis decreases. The rate of peritoneal dialysis remains stable. When comparing guidelines to real-life treatments, 77.5% of patients receive adequate dose of treatment (12H/week, KT/V>1.2), the rate of patients with a hemoglobin blood-level lower than 10 g/dl and without erythropoietin treatment is 1.3%, which confirmed a good management of anemia. On the contrary, 34% of patients have a BMI lower than 23 kg/m(2) and only 23% have an albumin blood-level over 40 g/l, which underlines that nutritional management of ESRD patients can be improved.

Prevalence of present and past hepatitis G virus infection in a French haemodialysis centre.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies, detecting GB virus-C (GBV-C) or hepatitis G virus (HGV) RNA by using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), have shown that haemodialysis (HD) patients had a high risk of being infected and viraemic with this virus. A past GBV-C/HGV contact can now be detected by testing for antibodies directed against the GBV-C/HGV envelope protein E2 (anti-E2). METHODS: In order to evaluate GBV-C/HGV contact, 120 patients undergoing chronic HD were tested for GBV-C/HGV RNA by RT-PCR and anti-E2 antibodies by ELISA. GBV-C/HGV viraemic patients were followed prospectively for 18 months, and retrospectively when sera were stored. The total follow-up was between 18 and 78 months. RESULTS: GBV-C/HGV RNA was detected in 17 patients (14%), and 18 patients (15%) had a significant level of anti-E2 antibodies. No positive anti-E2 specimens were also positive for GBV-C/HGV RNA and vice versa. A total of 35 patients (29%) were contaminated with GBV-C/HGV. Sixteen of the 17 viraemic patients had a persistent viraemia (follow-up 18-78 months) and one cleared the virus during the study period. A past or present GBV-C/HGV contact was statistically correlated with the duration of HD and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, but was independent of age, hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level. CONCLUSIONS: Twenty-nine per cent of patients who underwent HD in our centre have been infected by GBV-C/HGV, 49% were still viraemic and 51% have developed anti-E2 antibodies, indicating a past contact with GBV-C/HGV. Our results demonstrate that the prevalence of GBV-C/HGV contact in HD was underestimated when only RT-PCR was used. Therefore GBV-C/HGV contact is probably much more frequent in HD than previous studies would suggest and is at this time not correlated with hepatotoxicity. Anti-HCV antibodies blood screening since 1990 and recent changes in managing HD patients have probably reduced GBV-C/HGV contact in the same way.

[Prevalence of HIV infection in dialysis patients: results of a national multicenter study]. / Prévalence de l'infection à VIH chez les patients dialysés: résultats d'une enquête multicentrique nationale.

In order to determine the prevalence of HIV infection in french patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) on maintenance dialysis therapy, questionnaire forms were mailed out in february 1997 to the heads of the 260 dialysis facilities. We documented number of patients on maintenance dialysis therapy (hemo and peritoneal dialysis) and for HIV infected dialysis patients: age, gender, cause and duration of ESRD, known duration of HIV infection, risk factors for HIV infection, HBV and/or HCV infection, presence of clinical acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), total CD4 count and treatment with antiretroviral agents. Questionnaire forms were returned from 98% of the dialysis facilities. As of february 1997 some 22,707 patients with ESRD were treated by renal replacement therapy, 19,947 by hemodialysis (HD) and 2760 by peritoneal dialysis (PD). 82 patients with ESRD and HIV infection were reported corresponding to 0.36% prevalence rate of all patients undergoing dialysis at the time specified. The 82 study subjects with ESRD and HIV infection received hemodialysis (79 patients) or peritoneal dialysis (3 patients) in 42 facilities. Forty seven patients were treated in Paris and suburbs and 9 in our own center. All 82 patients comprised 63% men and 47% women which included patients coming from Africa (37%), Caribbean and Oceania (28%), Europe (35%) of a mean age of 41.8 years. Modes of transmission were homobisexuals 15%, heterosexuals 31%, intravenous drug abusers 17%, blood transfusion 17% and unknown 20%. The mean duration of HIV infection was 96 months (range 12-168 months) and the mean duration of ESRD was 58 months (range 1-235 months). HIV associated nephropathy was established in 31%. AIDS was diagnosed in 25 patients. Seventy one percent of the patients were receiving an antiretroviral drug (tritherapy in 25% of cases). In conclusion HIV prevalence rate among French dialysis patients is low and focused in Paris and oversea. Sexual transmission is the most important HIV contamination but blood transfusion transmission remains greater than in general HIV population. Survival has improved compared with the survival rate reported in the 1980s.

[Acute interstitial nephritis and streptococcal infection]. / Néphrite interstitielle aiguë et infection streptococcique.

Two patients with acute renal failure and streptococcal erysipela are reported. In both cases, renal biopsy showed acute interstitial nephritis with a predominantly mononuclear infiltrate. Beta lactam antibiotic without steroid therapy was followed by complete recovery of renal function. It seems likely that some cases of AIN related to infection are erroneously attributed to antibiotic hypersensitivity.