Early hospital readmission was less likely for hemodialysis patients from facilities with longer median length of stay in the DOPPS study.

The length of hospital stay is considered to influence hospital readmission in general. The Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (DOPPS), an international prospective observational study undertaken to establish a relationship between facility practices and dialysis outcomes, started in 1996. Results suggest that the duration of hospital stay is significantly correlated with the probability of early readmission in dialysis patients. Thus, early hospital readmission was observed to be less likely for hemodialysis patients from facilities with longer median length of stay. The lengths of hospital stay for hemodialysis patients differed in the three continents studied. Although socioeconomic pressures may drive the lengths of hospital stay, the duration of hospitalization should be determined keeping in mind the safety of clinical course for each disease. In this forum, a 47-year-old female hemodialysis patient with severe secondary hyperparathyroidism, who had been treated with hemodialysis for 21 years, was hospitalized with severe clinical symptoms. Although the clinical symptoms disappeared 10 days after total parathyroidectomy with autotransplantation, severe hypocalcemia persisted despite large amounts of intravenous calcium gluconate. This patient was hospitalized for a long duration owing to the large calcium deficit in her body. Had the length of her hospital stay been shortened, either she could have needed rehospitalization or her condition could have worsened.

Long-term prognosis of parathyroid function for chronic dialysis patients after minimally invasive radioguided parathyroidectomy (MIRP).

BACKGROUND: Minimally invasive radioguided parathyroidectomy (MIRP) for primary hyperparathyroidism for one gland, located by scanning with technetium 99m-labelled sestamibi (MIBI), has been performed. Total parathyroidectomy with autotransplantation or percutaneous ethanol injection therapy (PEIT) for severe secondary hyperparathyroidism (2HPT) has also been performed. METHODS: The present study examined the possibility of maintaining parathyroid function within a target range [intact parathyroid hormone (i-PTH)

[Vitamin D and its analogs in the treatment of hypoparathyroidism].

Hypoparathyroidism patients devided two groups. One group is low PTH group and the other is pseudo hypoparathyroidism group. Hypoparathyroidism in these patients has been managed by 1,25- (OH)(2)D(3) or 1alpha-OHD(3). However inappropriately high doses active vitamin D usually lead to marked hypercalciuria. It is important to control serum Ca level (absolute hypo within normal values) without hypercalciuria.

Prognosis of parathyroid function after minimally invasive radioguided parathyroidectomy (MIRP) and percutaneous ethanol injection therapy (PEIT) for primary hyperparathyroidism.

During parathyroidectomy (PTx) for primary hyperparathyroidism (PHP), we surgically explored the contralateral parathyroid glands as well as those whose localization was clarified by ultrasonography and parathyroid scintigraphy. Although it is important to explore the contralateral side and other glands, we frequently treat only the gland whose localization is confirmed. Recently, we have performed minimally invasive radioguided parathyroidectomy (MIRP) that resects only one gland observed on the imaging under technetium 99m-labeled sestamibi (MIBI) scanning guidance after obtaining prior informed consent. In this surgery, even if recurrence is observed contralaterally, it is possible to apply a similar procedure to the contralateral side again. We examined six PHP patients who underwent MIRP and two PHP patients treated with percutaneous ethanol injection therapy (PEIT). The follow-up period was 2 years. PEIT was selected as a treatment method for two patients based on the patients' characteristics. When only one gland is treated, the efficacy of PEIT was considered to be similar to that of MIRP.