Analgesic nephropathy in Hungary: the HANS study.

BACKGROUND: The diagnosis of analgesic nephropathy has improved significantly with modern imaging techniques. We reviewed a large portion of the Hungarian dialysis population to obtain additional insight into the problem. METHODS: Twenty-two participating dialysis units enrolled 1400 patients on renal replacement therapy between 1 January 1995 and 1 January 1998. Patients with no known aetiology (n = 284) were interviewed and studied with renal imaging. We assessed the presence of decreased renal mass combined with either bumpy contours, papillary calcification, or both. The subjects studied were interrogated extensively. RESULTS: Our survey suggested analgesic nephropathy in 47 of 1400 patients (3.3%), 3-fold higher than the EDTA database estimate for Hungary. The analgesics most commonly abused were phenacetin-containing mixtures. The driving symptoms were mainly headache and joint pain. Cardiovascular complications were more common than in the rest of the dialysis population, independent of smoking and lipid values (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Phenacetin should be banned. Our study results support the need for longitudinal cohort and case-control studies in Hungary.

The effect of frequent or occasional dialysis-associated hypotension on survival of patients on maintenance haemodialysis.

BACKGROUND: While frequent or occasional symptomatic intradialytic hypotension (IDH) may influence patient well-being, its effects on survival-independent of comorbidities-has not previously been investigated. In this study, therefore, our objective was to assess the effect of frequent IDH (f-IDH) or occasional IDH (o-IDH) on survival. METHODS: During a 10 month run-in period in 1998, 77 patients with f-IDH (> or =10 hypotensive events/10 months, responding only to medical intervention) and 101 patients with o-IDH (1 or 2 events/10 months) were identified among all 958 patients of a dialysis network. Eighty-five patients who had no hypotensive episodes (no-IDH) during this run-in phase served as controls. Patients were followed for a median of 27 months (range: 0.3-37) and survival of patients in the three groups was compared by log-rank test. Independent association of f-IDH and o-IDH with survival, compared with no-IDH, was assessed by a proportional hazards model that included patient demographics, laboratory data and antihypertensive medication as well as comorbidity. RESULTS: Forty-five patients (58%) with f-IDH, 47 (47%) with o-IDH and 33 (39%) with no-IDH died during the follow-up. Mortality rates (deaths/100 patient years) were 37 (log-rank P = 0.013 vs no-IDH), 26 (log-rank P = 0.375 vs no-IDH) and 21 in the three groups, respectively. This indicates significantly decreased survival in patients with f-IDH as compared to those with no-IDH. In multivariate proportional hazards regression, however, where age, sex, time spent on dialysis, presence of coronary heart disease, diabetes, Kt/V, albumin level and use of beta-blockers, calcium-channel blockers and long-acting nitrates has been adjusted for, neither f-IDH nor o-IDH was associated with survival. CONCLUSIONS: Mortality in patients with f-IDH is significantly higher than in those without such events. After adjustments for covariates, however, there is no independent effect of frequent or occasional episodes of IDH on mortality.

Comparison of dialysis and clinical characteristics of patients with frequent and occasional hemodialysis-associated hypotension.

BACKGROUND: Symptomatic dialysis hypotension (DH) continues to be a common problem. By comparing patients prone and resistant to DH, several dialysis session and patient related characteristics have been identified that confer susceptibility to DH. Less is known, however, about the comparison of patients with frequent and only occasional DH. The aim of the study was to compare clinical and dialysis-session- (complicated by hypotension) related data between those with frequent (fDH) and those with occasional dialysis hypotension (oDH). METHODS: Nine hundred and fifty-eight patients at 11 dialysis units were followed for 10 months and characteristics of patients with fDH (> or = 10 hypotensive events necessitating medical intervention) (n = 96) were compared to that of patients with oDH (1 or 2 events/10 months) (n = 130). Significant and independent predictors of fDH were obtained by multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: Significant differences between fDH vs. oDH patients were older age (64.4 vs. 56.9 years, p < 0.001), more females (66 vs. 46%, p < 0.005) in fDH. More fDH patients had diabetes (27 vs. 15%, p < 0.05) and less had glomerulonephritis (15 vs. 35%, p < 0.001) as the cause for ESRD. Coronary artery disease (68 vs. 50%, p < 0.01) and long-acting nitrate treatment (51 vs. 30%, p < 0.001) was more frequent while treatment with ACEI (33 vs. 48%, p < 0.05) or Ca-channel blockers (40 vs. 53%, p < 0.05) were less frequent in patients with fDH. Patients with fDH had higher serum phosphorus levels (1.99 vs. 1.79 mmol, p < 0.005). Dialysis session related data were similar but the hypotensive episode occurred earlier during dialysis in fDH (136 vs. 156 min, p < 0.01). In multivariate analysis, significant independent predictors of fDH were older age (OR = 1.04 [1.02-1.07]), lack of glomerulonephritis as renal diagnosis (2.63 [1.18-5.87]), high phosphorus levels (5.0 [2.45-10.0]), lack of use of Ca-channel blockers (2.09 [1.12-3.91]), and the use of nitrates (2.38 [1.24-4.55]). CONCLUSION: Features of the dialysis sessions complicated by DH seem to be similar between patients with fDH and oDH, while patient characteristics such as older age, renal diagnosis other than glomerulonephritis, higher serum phosphorus levels, use of nitrates, and lack of use of calcium channel blockers are significantly and independently associated with fDH.