Maria Chiara Deagostini

Pregnancy in dialysis patients: is the evidence strong enough to lead us to change our counseling policy?

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Although successful pregnancy is rare, results attained with higher dialysis efficiency and the spread of dialysis to different cultural and religious settings are changing the panorama. In this study, we systematically review the recent literature (2000 through 2008) on pregnancy in dialysis. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS Medline on OVID was searched in November 2008, with MESH and free terms on pregnancy and chronic kidney disease or dialysis; limits were human subjects and English-language articles. Case reports were excluded to minimize publication bias. The final selection and extraction of data were performed in duplicate. RESULTS From 2840 references, 241 full-text articles were retrieved; eight fulfilled the selection criteria, and two were added from reference lists. In the 10 studies (nine of 10 monocentric), 90 pregnancies were observed in 78 patients (range of cases five to 15). The studies were heterogeneous for definition of outcomes, duration (2 to 16 yr), period (1988 through 1998 to 2000 through 2006), age (25 to 35 yr), and support and dialysis therapy. Daily dialysis was frequently used; type of treatment, membranes, and flows varied widely. Hypertension and anemia were frequent concerns for the mothers. Intrauterine deaths, hydramnios, and small-for-gestational-age or preterm infants were frequent. The possibility of a healthy offspring ranged from 50 to 100% (overall 76.25%). CONCLUSIONS Evidence on pregnancy in dialysis is heterogeneous; however, the growing number of reports worldwide and the improving results suggest that we should reconsider our counseling policy, which only rarely includes pregnancy in dialysis patients.

Pregnancy in CKD: whom should we follow and why?

BACKGROUND Chronic kidney disease (CKD) has a high prevalence in pregnancy. In a period of cost constraints, there is the need for identification of the risk pattern and for follow-up. METHODS Patients were staged according to K-DOQI guidelines. The analysis was prospective, January 2000-June 2011. Two hundred and forty-nine pregnancies were observed in 225 CKD patients; 176 singleton deliveries were recorded. The largest group encompasses stage 1 CKD patients, with normal renal function, in which 127 singleton deliveries were recorded. No hard outcomes occurred (death; dialysis); therefore, surrogate outcomes were analysed [caesarean section, prematurity, need for neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)]. Stage 1 patients were compared with normal controls (267 low-risk pregnancies followed in the same setting) and with patients with CKD stages 2-4 (49 singleton deliveries); two referral patterns were also analysed (known diagnoses; new diagnoses). RESULTS The risk for adverse pregnancy rises significantly in stage 1 CKD, when compared with controls: odds ratios were caesarean section 2.73 (1.72-4.33); preterm delivery 8.50 (4.11-17.57); NICU 16.10 (4.42-58.66). The risks rise in later stages. There is a high prevalence of new CKD diagnosis (overall: 38.6%; stage 1: 43.3%); no significant outcome difference was found across the referral patterns. Hypertension and proteinuria are confirmed as independent risk factors. CONCLUSIONS CKD is a risk factor in pregnancy; all patients should be followed within dedicated programmes from stage 1. There is need for dedicated interventions and educational programmes for maximizing the diagnostic and therapeutic potentials in early CKD stages.

Kidney biopsy in pregnancy: evidence for counselling? A systematic narrative review

Kidney diseases, which have a prevalence of 3% in women of childbearing age, are increasingly encountered in pregnancy. Glomerulonephritis may develop or flare up in pregnancy, and a differential diagnosis with pre‐eclampsia may be impossible on clinical grounds. Use of kidney biopsy is controversial, but a systematic review has not been carried out to date.

Pregnancy in chronic kidney disease: need for a common language.

INTRODUCTION Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a growing health care problem, affecting 3% of women of childbearing age. AIM This study attempted to systematically review the literature for 2000-2009 on pregnancy in CKD, as a guide for counseling. METHODS Data sources included a Medline search for 2000-2009, employing MESH and free terms on pregnancy and CKD, limited to humans and English-language publications. Only studies observing at least 25 pregnancies were considered. The bibliographic search, abstract screening and data extraction were performed in duplicate. Out of over 3,000 references and 276 full texts, 23 studies fulfilled the selection criteria; 3 were added from references. RESULTS The 26 studies reported on over 2,000 pregnancies. Five main categories were identified: CKD (399 pregnancies, excluding 2 population studies), lupus nephropathy (431 pregnancies), diabetic nephropathy (386 pregnancies), hematuria (310 pregnancies), kidney donors (586 pregnancies) and other. Definitions of diseases, outcomes and stratifications were nonhomogeneous, thus impairing meta-analytic pooling and quantification of the risks. Within these limits, 3 major qualitative determinants of outcome were confirmed as relevant in all subsets: CKD stage, hypertension and proteinuria. Their combination may multiply the interrelated major risks (for the mother: preeclampsia, renal function impairment and proteinuria; for the offspring: small babies, prematurity, death). Specifically, mothers with lupus nephritis have a relevant risk of death (1.15%), and share with diabetic nephropathy, the risk for perinatal death (up to 23% in lupus, 10% in diabetes). Malformations were not increased, except for urinary tract malformation in reflux nephropathy. CONCLUSIONS There is a strong need to unify definitions and stratifications to allow quantitative evidence-based counseling for pregnant patients with CKD.

Association of Low-Protein Supplemented Diets with Fetal Growth in Pregnant Women with CKD

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Women affected by CKD increasingly choose to get pregnant. Experience with low-protein diets is limited. The aim of this study was to review results obtained from pregnant women with CKD on supplemented vegan-vegetarian low-protein diets. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS This was a single-arm, open intervention study between 2000-2012 of a low-protein diet in pregnant patients with stages 3-5 CKD or severe proteinuria (>1 g/d in the first trimester or nephrotic at any time). Stages 3-5 CKD patients who were not on low-protein diets for clinical, psychologic, or logistic reasons served as controls. The setting was the Obstetrics-Nephrology Unit dedicated to kidney diseases in pregnancy. The treated group included 24 pregnancies--21 singleton deliveries, 1 twin pregnancy, 1 abortion, and 1 miscarriage. Additionally, there were 21 controls (16 singleton deliveries, 5 miscarriages). The diet was a vegan-vegetarian low-protein diet (0.6-0.8 g/kg per day) with keto-acid supplementation and 1-3 protein-unrestricted meals allowed per week. RESULTS Treated patients and controls were comparable at baseline for median age (35 versus 34 years), referral week (7 versus 8), eGFR (59 versus 54 ml/min), and hypertension (43.5% versus 33.3%); median proteinuria was higher in patients on the low-protein diet (1.96 [0.1-6.3] versus 0.3 [0.1-2.0] g/d; P<0.001). No significant differences were observed in singletons with regard to gestational week (34 versus 36) or Caesarean sections (76.2% versus 50%). Kidney function at delivery was not different, but proteinuria was higher in the diet group. Incidence of small for gestational age babies was significantly lower in the diet group (3/21) versus controls (7/16; chi-squared test; P=0.05). Throughout follow-up (6 months to 10 years), hospitalization rates and prevalence of children below the third percentile were similar in both groups. CONCLUSION Vegan-vegetarian supplemented low-protein diets in pregnant women with stages 3-5 CKD may reduce the likelihood of small for gestational age babies without detrimental effects on kidney function or proteinuria in the mother.

Positron emission tomography: a precious tool in the challenge of the infected cysts in ADPKD

A 68-year-old woman, affected by autosomal dominant polycystic liver and kidney disease (ADPKD), seeks nephrological attention for persistent low-grade fever, with vague abdominal discomfort. She reports a recent gastroenteritis episode, followed by a lower urinary tract infection (Escherichia coli), treated by amoxicillin clavulanate on the basis of the antibiogram. Afterwards, she developed a severe cutaneous allergy, which she linked to amoxicillin clavulanate. On account of the persistence of a low-grade fever, she self-prescribed different antibiotics, without complete clinical remission. At referral, the patient is pale and normotensive with diffuse abdominal tenderness. Her main blood tests are as follows: WBC 9330/mm3, serum creatinine 0.9 mg/dL, GFR 65 mL/min, C-reactive protein 2.38 mg/dL (normal <0.8), ESR 21 mm/h, Hb 10.3 g/dL, serum albumin 2.9 g/dL and 6–8 WBC per high power field at urinalysis. Renal ultrasounds reveal enlarged liver and kidneys with large cysts (maximum 6 cm bilaterally). A complicated cyst, containing dense fluid material (caused by infection or bleeding), is located in the left kidney.

Quiz page. Severe hypocalcemia caused by intravascular calcium phosphate precipitation after sodium phosphate-containing bowel preparation.

BACKGROUND: Previous published studies have shown significant variations in colonoscopy performance, even when medical factors are taken into account. This study aimed to examine the role of nonmedical factors (ie, embodied in health care system design) as possible contributors to variations in colonoscopy performance. METHODS: Patient data from a multicenter observational study conducted between 2000 and 2002 in 21 centers in 11 western countries were used. Variability was captured through 2 performance outcomes (diagnostic yield and colonoscopy withdrawal time), jointly studied as dependent variables, using a multilevel 2-equation system. RESULTS: Results showed that open-access systems and high-volume colonoscopy centers were independently associated with a higher likelihood of detecting significant lesions and longer withdrawal durations. Fee for service (FFS) payment was associated with shorter withdrawal durations, and so had an indirect negative impact on the diagnostic yield. Teaching centers exhibited lower detection rates and longer withdrawal times. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that gatekeeping colonoscopy is likely to miss patients with significant lesions and that developing specialized colonoscopy units is important to improve performance. Results also suggest that FFS may result in a lower quality of care in colonoscopy practice and highlight the fact that longer withdrawal times do not necessarily indicate higher quality in teaching centers.

Acute renal failure, severe sodium and potassium imbalance and sudden tetraplegia

Eating disorders with severe electrolyte abnormalities are serious diseases often encountered in the clinical practice [1]. Their association with chronic kidney disease has been defined as a prescription for disaster, thus underlining the mutual interactions between salt-losing interstitial nephropathies, most commonly encountered in this setting, and the combination of malnutrition and diuretic abuse [2]. There are several life-threatening complications of electrolyte imbalance, including cardiac arrhythmia and involvement of the peripheral and central nervous systems [1–5]. The presence of renal failure and of contracted vascular volume may enhance the risks and render the correction of the complex electrolyte alterations particularly difficult. Furthermore, the differential diagnosis of the complications may be difficult and the clinical nephrologist should be aware of the main features of the life-threatening neurological diseases, as exemplified by the present case [6–9].