Bioimpedance spectroscopy method to determine hypervolemia in maintenance hemodialysis patients.

BACKGROUND: Hypervolemia is a major risk factor for hypertension leading to cardiovascular diseases and also a frequent problem in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients. Fluid overload (FO) can be determined by bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS) which is a new, practical, and non-invasive method. We tried to determine FO by BIS in MHD patients and find out the relationship between FO and clinical features. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We studied 100 MHD patients aged between 20 and 85 years and undergoing hemodialysis three times weekly for minimum one year. By using BIS, we estimated FO and extracellular water (ECW). The patients who exhibited a FO/ECW ratio >15% were considered as FO. RESULTS: Twenty-nine (29.0%) patients had a FO/ECW ratio >15%. In the overhydrated group, the mean pre-hemodialysis systolic blood pressure was 153.3 ± 20.0 mmHg and the mean diastolic blood pressure was 89.1 ± 8.5 mmHg. These were significantly higher than in the non-overhydrated group (113.5 ± 14.5 and 71.0 ± 8.8, p <0.001). FO was significantly correlated with systolic and diastolic blood pressures (r =0.63, p <0.001 and r =0.59, p <0.001). The patients were divided into two groups, i.e. those with cardiothoracic index (CTI) of  >0.5 and those with CTI of ≤0.5. The median FO/ECW ratio was 0.11 L in the former group and 0.08 L in the latter group with a significant difference (p =0.006). CONCLUSIONS: Hypervolemia is associated with high blood pressure and left ventricular hypertrophy that should be treated effectively to prevent cardiovascular diseases in MHD patients. BIS is useful to assess hydration status in MHD patients. Hippokratia 2015; 19 (4): 324-331.

The assessment of long-term clinic and laboratory data of living related kidney donors.

Living-donor kidney transplantations are more common in Turkey. The present study, therefore, investigated the structural changes in the remaining kidney and their impacts on the outcomes of 71 donors who underwent nephrectomy. Among 123 screened living-donor transplantations performed between 2001 and 2008, information was available on 71. The study group included 37 female and 34 male donors with ages ranging between 20 and 68 years (mean, 45 ± 9 years). The donors had a median follow-up of 7.2 years. We investigated renal function and creatinine clearance as well as the presence of proteinuria and/or hypertension before versus after nephrectomy. Healthy individuals referred to our blood center were included as the control group. A comparison of pre- versus post-nephrectomy with control group data did not show any significant correlations between serum creatinine levels, creatinine clearances, and the presence of proteinuria relative to post-donation years. In contrast, we identified an increased prevalence of hypertension: Stage 1 in 4 patients before versus 22 subjects after nephrectomy. A key finding of this study was the slight increase in the number of hypertensive donors. Hypertension is, therefore, the most critical parameter to monitor donors in countries with a high proportion of living donors.

Glomerulonephritis associating parvovirus B19 infection.

We report a previously healthy, immunocompetent 17-year-old male patient, who developed acute glomerulonephritis during the course of Parvovirus B19 infection and this acute glomerulonephritis did not resolve spontaneously. His renal biopsy showed mild mesangial proliferation and focal segmental sclerosis. Parvovirus B19 DNA was detected in renal tissue by polymerase chain reaction.

Immediate postimplant hemodialysis through a new "self-sealing" heparin-bonded polycarbonate/urethane graft.

BACKGROUND: Immediate accessibility of a newly implanted dialysis graft is desirable to avoid temporary catheters. The most commonly used dialysis graft, expanded polytetrafluorethylene (ePTFE), does not allow early access. This report presents the first clinical data regarding the immediate puncturability of a newly introduced "self-sealing" polycarbonate urethane graft (PUG). METHODS: Patients implanted with a PUG due to the need for immediate vascular access through their new grafts were followed prospectively for early and late complications. RESULTS: Five patients who were implanted with a PUG were dialyzed through their grafts within hours after surgery. Dialysis was continued three times per week in each patient, without a puncture-related problem. CONCLUSION: The availability of a self-sealing graft allowing immediate vascular access on the same day of the implant was achieved with the PUG system. Decreasing the need for temporary catheters may initiate some of the complications associated with hemodialysis.

Exotic arteriovenous fistulas for hemodialysis.

The rate of patients with exhausted upper extremity arteriovenous fistula (AVF) sites who have lost all chances for a conventional upper extremity AVF has been increasing in line with the general increase in the hemodialysis patient population. In this prospective study, we report the early and late follow-up results of "exotic" AVFs in which central veins are used for the outflow. Patients having no chance for an upper extremity AVF based on previous catheterization, surgical AVF history, detailed physical examination, and radiological assessment, were included in the study. Between June 1999 and January 2003, 27 central AVFs were created with a 6 mm synthetic vascular graft in 26 patients. The inflow artery was the proximal axillary artery in all except one. All but one operation was done by the same surgeon. The outflow vein was the internal jugular vein in 16 and infraclavicular axillary vein in 11 cases. One-year primary and secondary graft patency rates were 33.33 +/- 10.49 and 57.06 +/- 11.29, respectively. The early complications were facial edema and hemiparesis, both of which resolved spontaneously. The only late complication, pseudoaneursym, was treated by a graft interposition. In selected patients who have no suitable upper extremity vessels for an AVF, the central veins may be used with an acceptable success rate. Another advantage of this procedure is the avoidance of undesired femoral interventions; sometimes it may be the only opportunity and lifesaving for the patient.

Femoral vein transposition versus femoral loop grafts for hemodialysis: a prospective evaluation.

In this first clinical trial femoral vein transposition (FVT) was prospectively compared with its "graft" counterpart. Patients requiring vascular access due to occluded central veins were divided into two groups: group I (n = 17) underwent femoral loop grafts and group II (n = 15), FVT. Complications were recorded prospectively and patency rates were compared by the Kaplan Meier method with statistical comparisons by Mann Whitney U and chi-square tests as appropriate. Between 1999 and 2003 30 patients underwent 32 operations. Mean follow-up was 8.9 months in group I and 6.8 months in group II (P >.05). Three group I patients developed a steal, requiring closure of the fistula in one. Five group II patients developed a steal, requiring closure of the fistula in one. The incidence of steal was similar in both groups (P >.05). The infection rates were similar: 35.3% and 26.7% in group I versus group II (P >.05), respectively. Among the six infections in group I, four patients required excision of the graft due to infection, whereas only one arteriovenous fistula (AVF) was closed in group II for infection. The 1-year primary patency rate in group I was 37.5% versus 86.7% in group II (P <.05). In conclusion, Femoral AVF grafts have been condemned because of the unacceptable high rate of septic complications. FVT obviates the need for a graft and has fewer infectious problems and better patency rates.

Ureteropelvic obstruction due to urinary calculi in transplanted kidney.

In chronic renal failure patients many factors may predispose to stone formation following renal transplantation. Urinary calculi occur in transplanted cases in 0.3 to 6.3%. ESWL, percutaneous nephrolithotomy or open surgical treatment is usually necessary to treat these patients. In this study we present a patient transplanted from a living donor at our centre. Stone formation developed 3 months after the operation and ureteropelvic obstruction was corrected by open surgical intervention.