Saudi journal of kidney diseases and transplantation : an official publication of the Saudi Center for Organ Transplantation, Saudi Arabia
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Saudi J Kidney Dis Transpl · Nov 2012
Clinical TrialThe effects of calcitriol on albuminuria in patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus.
The renin-angiotensin system has a major role in the development of diabetic nephropathy (DN). It is reported that vitamin D analogues are able to suppress renin excretion. Thus, this study was conducted to determine whether there is any correlation between albuminuria as a marker of DN with vitamin D levels in diabetic patients. ⋯ Therapy with calcitriol had a beneficial effect on the albumin excretion rate, although this change was not significant (P = 0.22). However, the effects of calcitriol on reduction of diastolic blood pressure (P = 0.004), glycosylated hemoglobin (P = 0.014) and levels of total cholesterol (P = 0.019), low-density lipoprotein (0.04) and high-density lipoprotein (P = 0.001) was significant. Our study suggests that vitamin D deficiency has a negative effect on albuminuria in diabetic patients, and its replacement may be associated with a beneficial effect on the risk factors of DN, such as hyperlipidemia and hypertension.
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Saudi J Kidney Dis Transpl · Nov 2012
Comparative StudyKnowledge and attitudes of health care professionals toward organ donation and transplantation.
To identify and assess the level of knowledge and attitudes of health care professionals (HCP) in Qatar toward organ donation and transplantation, this cross-sectional study was carried out from October 2007 to February 2008 in the Accident and Emergency Departments and Intensive Care Units of the hospitals of the Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC). A representative sample of 585 HCP working in the hospitals of the HMC was approached and 418 staff gave consent to participate in the study (71.5%). 36.8% were physicians, 48.6% nurses and 14.6% Emergency Medical Service (EMS) technicians. Of the surveyed HCP, 40.7% were males and 59.3% were females. ⋯ The attitude of the physicians (24.0%) and nurses (20.2%) to donate a kidney to a family member was very poor compared with the attitude of the technicians (44.3%). Although the HCP support organ donation (83%), more than half of the physicians (51.3%), nurses (61.6%) and technicians (54.1%) wanted to be buried with all their organs intact. The findings, although they give cause for hope, suggest that there is much work yet to be done before organ donation and transplantation can become fully accepted by the medical community in Qatar.
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Saudi J Kidney Dis Transpl · Sep 2012
Predictive value of cardiac troponin T and I in hemodialysis patients.
Cardiac troponin T (cTnT) and I (cTnI) levels are considered as important diagnostic tools in acute coronary events. They could be of predictive value in hemodialysis (HD) patients. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of increased cTnI and cTnT in HD patients and their prognostic relevance to all-cause mortality. ⋯ Diabetes mellitus was also an independent predictor of mortality. There is a high prevalence of positive cTnT and cTnI in asymptomatic HD patients, with a greater number of patients having an increased cTnT. Elevated troponin T, but not cTnI, seems to be associated with poor prognosis.