American journal of kidney diseases : the official journal of the National Kidney Foundation
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Multicenter Study
Impact of near-death experiences on dialysis patients: a multicenter collaborative study.
People who have come close to death may report an unusual experience known as a near-death experience (NDE). This study aims to investigate NDEs and their aftereffects in dialysis patients. ⋯ NDE is not uncommon in the dialysis population and is associated with positive aftereffects. Nephrology care providers should be aware of the occurrence and aftereffects of NDEs. The high occurrence of life-threatening events, availability of medical records, and accessibility and cooperativeness of patients make the dialysis population very suitable for NDE research.
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Vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency are very common in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The effect of ergocalciferol administration on serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and plasma intact parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels in these patients is not known. ⋯ Results show that ergocalciferol administration has a favorable effect on PTH levels if therapy results in an increase in 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels; this effect is more evident in patients with CKD stage 3.