Journal of nephrology
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Journal of nephrology · Dec 2016
ReviewMetformin associated lactic acidosis (MALA): clinical profiling and management.
Metformin (MF) accumulation during acute kidney injury is associated with high anion gap lactic acidosis type B (MF-associated lactic acidosis, MALA), a serious medical condition leading to high mortality. Despite dose adjustment for renal failure, diabetic patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage III-IV are at risk for rapid decline in renal function by whatever reason, so that MF toxicity might arise if the drug is not timely withdrawn. Sixteen consecutive patients were admitted to our Hospital's Emergency Department with clinical findings consistent with MALA. ⋯ The overall death rate has been 31 %, with poorer prognosis for worse acidemia, as serum pH was significantly lower in non-survivors (pH 6.96 vs 7.16, p > 0.04). Our own data and a review of the literature suggest that aged, hemodynamically frail patients, with several comorbidities and CKD, are at greater risk of MALA, despite MF dosage adjustment. Moreover, renal replacement therapy rather than simple acidosis correction by administration of alkali seems the treatment of choice, based on eventual renal recovery and overall outcome.
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Journal of nephrology · Dec 2016
Observational StudyDiabetes mellitus does not affect the incidence of acute kidney injury after cardiac surgery; a nested case-control study.
Acute kidney injury (AKI) after cardiac surgery is a common complication associated with increased mortality. However, the heterogeneity of the definitions used results in high variance of incidence rates in the literature. Data on the effect of diabetes mellitus on AKI incidence in this setting are scarce. We thus aimed to compare the incidence of AKI (defined by the AKIN, RIFLE and KDIGO criteria) in diabetic vs. non-diabetic patients undergoing cardiac surgery. ⋯ Incidence of AKI after cardiac surgery is high, but diabetes is not a risk factor for AKI. Baseline renal function in diabetics is related inversely to the incidence of AKI. Age and cardiopulmonary bypass duration are independent predictors of cardiac surgery-associated AKI.
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Journal of nephrology · Aug 2016
ReviewMembranous glomerulonephritis: histological and serological features to differentiate cancer-related and non-related forms.
Membranous nephropathy is a frequent cause of nephrotic syndrome in adults. In most patients, it appears as a primary renal disease but in about 20 % of cases membranous nephropathy is associated with systemic conditions such as systemic lupus erythematosus, infections or cancer, or with drug exposure. Reliable differentiation between primary and secondary membranous nephropathy has important implications for the patient, because of different therapeutic approaches between the different forms. ⋯ In this brief review, we discuss the usefulness of newly described autoantibodies in the differential diagnosis of secondary membranous nephropathy. Histological clues for recognizing the two pathological entities are also analysed with regard to the available scientific evidence on this issue. Our evaluation shows that more research is needed to identify the best approach to reach a correct diagnosis of primary or secondary membranous nephropathy.
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Journal of nephrology · Jun 2016
Consumption of nitrate-containing vegetables is inversely associated with hypertension in adults: a prospective investigation from the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study.
There is growing evidence of the potential properties of nitrate-rich foods against development of hypertension (HTN) and vascular disease. In this study, we investigated the association of nitrate-containing vegetables (NCVs) with risk of HTN after 3 years of follow-up. ⋯ Higher dietary nitrate intake from vegetables sources may have a protective effect against development of HTN.
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Journal of nephrology · Jun 2016
Sustained low-efficiency extended dialysis (SLED) with single-pass batch system in critically-ill patients with acute kidney injury (AKI).
Single-pass batch dialysis (SBD) is a well-established system for treatment of end-stage renal disease. However, little evidence is available on sustained low-efficiency extended dialysis (SLED) performed with SBD in patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) in the intensive care unit (ICU). ⋯ SLED-SBD was associated with a low incidence of clotting despite frequent use of saline flush, and achieved a satisfactory hemodynamic stability and reasonable metabolic and fluid control in critically-ill AKI patients.