Cataract among Patients with Renal Transplantation in a Tertiary Care Centre: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study.

Introduction: Intensive immunosuppressant therapy after renal transplantation has found to cause systemic and ocular side effects among them is cataracts. Studies on a similar topic have still remained explored in our setting. The aim of the study was to find out the prevalence of cataract among patients with renal transplantation in a tertiary care centre. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among patients of renal transplantation at tertiary care centres from 1 May 2021 to 31 October 2021. The data was collected after the ethical approval from Institutional Review Committee [Reference number: 397(6-11) e2077/078]. Study proforma recorded the number of patients with cataracts, duration of steroid use, mean age and other comorbidities. A convenience sampling method was used. Point estimate and 95% Confidence Interval were calculated. Results: Out of 31 renal transplant patients, 10 (32.26%) (15.80-48.72, 95% Confidence Interval) had cataract. Conclusions: The prevalence of cataract among renal transplantation patients was found to be lower than similar studies done in similar settings. Keywords: cataract; prevalence; renal transplantation; steroid.

Ocular Findings among the Patients of Renal Transplantation.

INTRODUCTION: Renal diseases are on rise globally due to increased incidence of non-communicable diseases as well as primary-kidney diseases and frequent use of nephrotoxic drugs. Only definite treatment of End-Stage-RenalDisease (ESRD) is renal transplantation. Immuno-suppressive-drugs are prescribed lifelong after renal transplantation especially steroids which can lead to various sight-threatening complications. METHODS: This cross sectional, observational study included 62 eyes of 31 patients who had undergone renal transplantation, at least 3 months prior were referred from Nephrology Department. Comprehensive eye evaluation was done at B. P. Koirala Lions Centre for Ophthalmic Studies (BPKLCOS), Department of Ophthalmology, Institute of Medicine. RESULTS: The average age of participants was 37 ±10.57 years with 77.4 % (n=24) male. Mean duration of renal transplant was 5.10 ± 3.61 years. Fifty-eight percent (n=18) had hypertensive kidney disease. Diabetes Kidney disease, recurrent UTI, CKD of unknown causes and combined case of diabetes plus hypertension were seen in 6.4% (n=2) each. Sixty percent of the patients had some kind of ocular involvement. Twenty-nine percent (n=18) had subnormal visual acuity of ≤ 6/9. Cataract was seen in 29% (n=18) of eyes followed by pinguecula (17.7%, n=11) and hypertensive-retinopathy (17.7%, n=11). Glaucoma and Diabetic-retinopathy were seen only in 6.4% (n= 4) of each eyes. There was no association seen between ocular findings with cause of renal transplant, duration of transplant and renal function status in bivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Some form of ocular abnormality is commonly seen in patients of renal transplantation who are on immunosuppressive drugs. However, incidence of sight threatening complications are rare.

Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Level among Renal Transplant Recipients: A Case Report from Nepal.

Globally, SARS-CoV-2 has caused significant public health burden, mainly in patients with underlying comorbidities including both communicable and noncommunicable diseases. Solid organ transplant recipients under immunesupressive medication are also amongst the high risk group. There is only sparse data on immunity against SARS-CoV-2 infection among renal transplant recipients. In this case report, we present the level of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody of three kidney transplant recipients after vaccination against COVID-19 virus. All three cases had received two doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine AZD1222 (ChAdOx1). Serological analysis showed protective level of circulating antibodies in the blood of all three cases. Although two out of three patients in the study acquired COVID-19 infection after immunization, they recovered with mild clinical course. Hence, we conclude that despite immune-suppressed status of transplant recipients, COVID-19 vaccination could protect them against severe illness.

Prevalence, Clinical Presentation, and Outcome of Tuberculosis in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Nepal.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB) is a serious public health threat in low- and middle-income countries like Nepal. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients are at higher risk of developing new infection as well as reactivation of TB. We aimed to determine the prevalence, clinical presentations, and outcome of TB in patients with CKD in Nepal. METHODS: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was performed at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH), a tertiary level referral centre in Kathmandu, Nepal. We included patients older than 16 years with the diagnosis of CKD stage 3, 4, 5, and 5D (CKD 5 on maintenance dialysis); renal transplant recipients and patients living with HIV/AIDS were excluded. Tuberculosis was diagnosed based on clinical, radiological, and laboratory findings. Prior written informed consent was obtained. Approval was obtained from the Institutional Review Board of the Institute of Medicine. Data entry and statistical analysis were performed using SPSS v21. RESULTS: A total of 401 patients with CKD were included in the study (mean age, 50.92 ± 17.98 years; 64.8% male). The prevalence of TB in CKD patients was found to be 13.7% (55), out of which 49 were newly diagnosed cases. The most common clinical presentations of TB in CKD were anorexia (85.7%), fever (83.7%), weight loss (51%), and cough (49%). Thirty-eight patients (69.1%) had extrapulmonary TB (EPTB), 12 (21.8%) had pulmonary TB, 3 (5.5%) had disseminated TB, and 2 (3.6%) had miliary TB. Only 4.1% of cases were sputum smear positive. Pleural effusion (34.2%) was the most common EPTB. At 2 months of starting antitubercular therapy, 29 patients out of the 49 newly diagnosed cases of TB (59.2%) had responded to therapy. Mortality at 2 months was 28.6% (14 died amongst 49 patients). Four out of 49 patients (8.2%) did not improve, and 2 (4%) patients were lost to follow-up. CONCLUSION: Prevalence and mortality of TB were higher in patients with CKD. Special attention must be given to these people for timely diagnosis and treatment as the presentation is different and diagnosis can be missed.

Health related quality of life among haemodialysis and kidney transplant recipients from Nepal: a cross sectional study using WHOQOL-BREF.

BACKGROUND: Very less is known about health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among patients with kidney diseases in Nepal. This study examined HRQOL among haemodialysis and kidney transplant recipients in Nepal. METHODS: The Nepali version of World Health Organization Quality of Life Instruments -(WHOQOL-BREF) questionnaire was administered using face to face interviews among end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients, from two large national referral centers in Nepal. The differences in socio-demographic characteristics among ESRD patients were examined using the Chi-square test. The group differences in quality of life (QOL) were examined using the Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal-Wallis tests. RESULTS: Of the 161 participants, 92 (57.1%) were renal transplant recipients and 69 (42.9%) patients were on maintenance haemodialysis. Hypertension (70.9%) was the most common co-morbidity among ESRD patients. Haemodialysis patients scored significantly lower than the transplant recipients in all four domains as well as in overall perception of quality of life and general health. Ethnicity (p = 0.020), socio-economic status (p < 0.001), educational status (p < 0.001) and employment status (p = 0.009) were significantly associated with the overall QOL in ESRD patients. Across patient groups, educational status (p = 0.012) was positively associated with QOL in dialysis patients, while urban residence (p = 0.023), higher socio-economic status (p < 0.001), higher educational status (p = 0.004) and diabetes status (p = 0.010) were significantly associated with better QOL in transplant recipients. CONCLUSION: The overall QOL of the renal transplant recipients was higher than that of the patients on maintenance haemodialysis; this was true in all four domains of the WHOQOL-BREF. ESRD patients with low HRQOL could benefit from targeted risk modification intervention.

Preparedness for Coronavirus Disease in Hospitals of Nepal: A Nationwide Survey.

INTRODUCTION: Coronavirus disease pandemic has affected large number of people globally and has continued to spread. Preparedness of individual nations and the hospitals is important to effectively deal with the surge of cases. We aimed to obtain nation wide data from Nepal, about hospital preparedness for COVID-19. METHODS: Online questionnaire was prepared in accordance with the Center for Disease Control recommendations to assess preparedness of hospitals for COVID-19. The questionnaire was circulated to the over 800 doctors across the nation, who are the life members of six medical societies. RESULTS: We obtained 131 completed responses from all seven provinces. Majority of respondents had anaesthesiology as the primary specialty. Only 52 (39.7%) participants mentioned that their hospital had policy to receive suspected or proven cases with COVID-19. Presence of isolation ward was mentioned by 83 (63.4%) respondents, with only 9 (6.9%)mentioning the presence of airborne isolation. Supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) was inadequate as per 124 (94.7%) respondents. Critical care services for COVID-19 patients were possible only in hospitals of 42 (32.1%)respondents. RT-polymerase chain reaction could be performed only in the hospital of 6 (4.6%) respondents. CONCLUSIONS: It is apparent that most of the hospitals are not well prepared for management of patients with COVID-19. Resource allocation and policy making should be aimed to enhance national preparedness for the pandemic.

Status of vitamin D and parameters of calcium homeostasis in renal transplant recipients in Nepal: a cross sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Vitamin D, apart from being an important part of the "calcium-vitamin D-parathyroid hormone" endocrine axis, has diverse range of "non-calcemic" biological actions. A high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency has been observed in renal transplant recipients (RTRs) worldwide. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of hypovitaminosis D in Nepalese RTRs and interrelations between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH) D] and other biochemical parameters. METHODS: A total of 80 adult RTRs visiting a university hospital were enrolled in this cross sectional study. Serum 25(OH) D and intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) were measured using Enhanced Chemiluminiscent Immunoassay. The RTR population was categorized into recent transplant recipients (≤1 year) and long term recipients (> 1 year). The vitamin D status was defined as per NKF/KDOQI guidelines. SPSS version 20.0 was used to analyze the data. Appropriate statistical tests were applied to compare variables between groups and establish correlation. P < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. RESULTS: The mean age of the recipients was 38.11 ± 11.47 years (68 males, 85.0%). Chronic glomerulonephritis was the leading cause of CKD. The two RTR groups (recent and long term) didn't differ in demographic and biochemical characteristics. 83.75% of the recipients had PTH levels above the upper limit of the recommended range for their stage of CKD. 57.5% had hypocalcemia and none of the recipients had hypercalcemia. The median serum 25(OH) D was 24.15 ng/ml (8.00-51.50 ng/ml). Only 27.5% had sufficient vitamin D status whereas 53.8% were vitamin D insufficient and 18.8% were vitamin D deficient, the distribution almost comparable in the 2 transplant group. The serum 25(OH) D was not significantly affected by the time post-transplant, gender and sunlight avoidance. There was a significant negative correlation between serum 25(OH) D and iPTH (Pearson's r = - 0.35, P = 0.001), but not so with the graft function. CONCLUSION: There is a high prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency in RTRs. The deficiency status is not corrected despite of nutritional improvement and normalization of GFR post-transplantation and likely exacerbates secondary hyperparathyroidism. Vitamin D supplementation coupled with sensible sun exposure could be important strategies in optimization of the vitamin D status in this population.

Assessment of quality of life in patients undergoing hemodialysis using WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire: a multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: Assessment of quality of life (QOL) of patients with end-stage renal disease has become increasingly important, both in order to evaluate the influence of the disease on patients and the type of renal replacement therapy they require. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to assess QOL in patients undergoing hemodialysis and evaluated the effects of various sociodemographic factors affecting QOL of such patients in Nepal. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 150 patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing hemodialysis at two major centers in Nepal. Demographic data including age, sex, ethnicity, educational status, marital status, employment, income, duration of illness, and duration on hemodialysis were collected. QOL was assessed using the World Health Organization Quality of life (WHOQOL-BREF) questionnaire. Four domains (physical, psychological, social, and environmental) and two items (overall perception of QOL and health) of the WHOQOL-BREF were the primary end points of this study. Bivariate relationship between sociodemographic factors and QOL scores were analyzed using independent samples t-test and one-way analysis of variance. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to determine independent predictors of QOL. RESULTS: Following QOL scores were recorded: environmental domain (53.17±15.59), psychological domain (51.23±18.61), social domain (49.86±21.64), and physical domain (45.93±16.90). Older age was associated with a better QOL score in the social domain (p=0.005), and employed patients scored better in the environmental domain (p=0.019). Unemployed patients and those of the Terai/Madhesi ethnic group had significantly low scores in overall perception of health (p<0.05) as compared to other groups. Low income status and increased duration on hemodialysis were found to be the only independent negative predictors of QOL in patients with hemodialysis (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Patients with chronic kidney disease on dialysis had overall low QOL scores in all four domains. Age, ethnicity, employment status, income, and duration on hemodialysis affected one or more domains of QOL in such patients. Low income status and increased duration on hemodialysis were the only independent negative predictors of QOL of patients on maintenance hemodialysis.