Predictors of CKD and rate of decline in eGFR in the elderly: A case-cohort study.

We wanted to examine the predictors of annual estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) decline during a five-year follow-up in elderly individuals with pre-existing chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage 3 or greater (defined as baseline eGFR of less than 60 ml/min per 1.73 m2 or a urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio > 30 mg/g), and to examine the difference in risk factors when compared to a co-hort without CKD. Our research team identified 599 patients who were 65 years of age or older with and without CKD stage 3 or greater at baseline. Data regarding various predictors such as age, sex, race, proteinuria, medication use, contrast exposure, acute kidney injury episodes, coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, dyslipidemia, gout etc. were obtained. Semi-partial correlations were used to determine the fac-tors providing the largest unique contribution to the overall variability in eGFR. Semi-partial correlations identified age, proteinuria, and intravenous contrast ex-posure as the most significant predictors of eGFR decline in this population. Overall, patients in the pre-existing CKD cohort were more likely to be older, Af-rican American and with co-morbidities like diabetes, hypertension, etc. In this group, the unadjusted rate of decline in eGFR varied from 0.5% to 8.3% per year. This study identifies important risk factors for eGFR decline in the population aged > 65 years. It also concludes that each episode of acute kidney injury, wheth-er related to contrast or other nephrotoxins, increases the risk for CKD progression and eGFR decline in the elderly.

A quality improvement project: Strategies to reduce intradialytic hypotension in hemodialysis patients.

Intradialytic hypotension is defined as a decrease in systolic blood pressure by ≥ 20 mm Hg or a decrease in mean arterial pressure by 10 mm Hg, and is associated with symptoms that include abdominal discomfort, yawning, sighing, nausea, vomiting, muscle cramps, restlessness, dizziness or fainting, and anxiety. The incidence of a symptomatic reduction in blood pressure during (or immediately following) dialysis ranges from 15-50% of dialysis sessions. It is a major cause for morbidity in elderly hemodialysis patients and those with cardiovascular compromise. It impairs patient well-being, limits ultrafiltration, and increases the risk for coronary and cerebral ischemic events as well as vascular access thrombosis. Several studies have shown a poorer survival in dialysis patients who experience frequent hypotensive episodes on dialysis as opposed to those who do not. In our outpatient dialysis unit, we identified that 9% of our dialysis patients experienced a decrease in their systolic blood pressure to below 80 during dialysis. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to study the factors associated with intradialytic hypotension in these patients and institute appropriate measures to mitigate this issue. Another aim was to educate the dialysis staff on how to manage these patients. Patients were selected using data from weekly rounding reports and orders were written for interventions including ultrafiltration profiling, cool (36 degrees C) dialysate, weight-based ultrafiltration, etc. Outcomes were studied over a period of 3 months. We found that up to 40% of patients experienced an improvement in their blood pressure profile over the period of the study, suggesting that simple changes to dialysis prescription can result in a significant reduction in the incidence of intradialytic hypotension.