Saudi journal of kidney diseases and transplantation : an official publication of the Saudi Center for Organ Transplantation, Saudi Arabia
-
Saudi J Kidney Dis Transpl · May 2009
Comparative StudyComparison of 24-hour urinary protein and protein-to-creatinine ratio in the assessment of proteinuria.
To determine the correlation between protein-to-creatinine ratio (PCR) and 24-hour urinary protein (UP), we measured proteinuria in 68 patients attending the nephrology clinic at Jordan University Hospital by 24-hour urine protein excretion and protein-to-creatinine ratio. The cutoff values for spot urine protein-to-creatinine ratio in predicting 24-hour protein "threshold" excretion of 0.5, 1.0 and 3.5 g/day were determined using receiver operating characteristic curves. A very good correlation (r= 0.832, P< 0.0001) was found between spot urine protein-to-creatinine ratio and 24-hour urine protein excretion. ⋯ The spot urine protein-to-creatinine ratios of 0.72 (sensitivity 0.97; specificity 1.0), 1.2 (0.97; 0.89) and 3.23 (1.0; 0.86) mg/mg reliably predicted 24-hour urine total protein equivalent "thresholds" of 0.5, 1.0 and 3.5 g/day, respectively. We conclude that the protein-to-creatinine ratio in spot urine specimens is an accurate, convenient, and reliable method to estimate the protein excretion in urine. However, the protein-to-creatinine ratio will likely be within clinically acceptable limits only when proteinuria is at reasonably low levels.
-
Saudi J Kidney Dis Transpl · May 2009
Concomitant macro and microvascular complications in diabetic nephropathy.
To determine the prevalence of concomitant microvascular and macrovascular complications of diabetic nephropathy we retrospectively reviewed the medical records of all 1,952 type 2 diabetic patients followed-up at Security Forces Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from January 1989 to December 2004. There were 626 (32.1%) patients (294 (47%) were males) who developed diabetic nephropathy. Their mean age was 66.9 +/- 11.4 years, mean duration of diabetes was 15.4 +/- 7.5 years, mean age at the onset of nephropathy was 61.5 +/- 12.4 years, and mean duration of nephropathy was 3.9 +/- 3.8 years. ⋯ Relative risks of developing complications were significant after the onset of nephropathy; ACS (1.41), MI (1.49), stroke (1.48), diabetic foot (1.6), amputation (1.58) and death (1.93). We conclude that complications of diabetes are aggressive and progressive including high prevalence of diabetic nephropathy. Careful monitoring and proper institution of management protocols should be implemented to identify diabetic patients at high risk for complications and mitigate progression into ESRD.
-
Changing educational assessment program represent a challenge to any organization. This change usually aims to achieve reliable and valid tests and assessment program that make a shift from individual assessment method to an integral program intertwined with the educational curriculum. ⋯ Various elements should be considered when re-designing assessment program such as curriculum objectives, educational activities, standard settings, and program evaluation. Assessment programs should be part of the educational activities rather than being a separate objective on its own, linked to students' high quality learning.