Zazgornik J

Secondary oxalosis in chronic renal insufficiency.

The concentration of oxalic acid was determined in the plasma of 15 patients with conservatively treated chronic renal insufficiency and 17 dialysis patients. A cumulation of oxalic acid was found in connection with uraemia. The extent to which plasma oxalic acid concentrations were raised depended on the degree of renal insufficiency and was directly related to the plasma creatinine values in all patients with or without dialysis. In the patients with chronic renal insufficiency the median plasma oxalic acid concentration was 74.4-18.5 (control group 27.0 +/- 7.4) mumol/l. In the dialysis patients the levels were even higher, at 137.5 +/- 56.0 mumol. By means of haemodialysis it was possible to lower the plasma oxalic levels by about the same amount as creatinine concentrations. The higher plasma oxalic acid concentrations seem to be an important pathogenetic factor in the formation of uraemic calcification in various organs. The therapeutic consequences are to increase the duration and frequency of dialysis and to remedy possible vitamin B6 deficiency.

Ascorbic acid aggravates secondary hyperoxalemia in patients on chronic hemodialysis.

Excerpt A deficiency in ascorbic acid is found in many patients having chronic hemodialysis treatment, and supplementation is commonly recommended. Ascorbic acid is a metabolic precursor of oxalic ...

Improvement in prognosis of patients with acute renal failure over a period of 15 years: an analysis of 710 cases in a dialysis center.

In order to evaluate the changes in causes and outcome of acute renal failure (ARF) during the years 1975-1989, 710 patients treated in our dialysis center were analyzed. We compared the etiology, the severity and catabolic state of ARF, the techniques of renal replacement therapy, which were employed and the ages and mortality rates of these patients, who received dialysis therapy during the years 1975-79 (n = 227), 1980-84 (n = 240) and 1985-89 (n = 243). The number of postoperative, posttraumatic and non-traumatic cases of ARF was approximately the same in all three 5-year periods, only the frequency of postrenal failure decreased from 7% in the years 1975-79 to 3% in the years 1985-89. The incidence of sepsis as a major cause of ARF and the most important risk factor was comparably high in the surgical and medical patients during all of the periods, but it increased in the traumatic patients from 7% in the years 1975-79 to 28% during the last 5-year period. The prevalence of respiratory failure and jaundice as additional organ failures, the severity of ARF (oligonanuric-nonoliguric) and the metabolic state were not different in the three patient groups. The magnitude of rise in serum creatinine before the start of renal replacement therapy was significant lower in the last 5-year period in comparison to the years 1975-79 (p < 0.05). Hemodialysis was the treatment in choice of 98 and 93% of the cases during the first two periods, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Bilateral Nephrectomy: the Best, but Often Overlooked, Treatment for Refractory Hypertension in Hemodialysis Patients

Bilateral nephrectomy for treatment of refractory hypertension in chronic hemodialyzed patients has been infrequently carried out. We analyzed the benefits of this operation on blood pressure, clinical state, drug treatment, and quality of life. In 10 hemodialyzed patients with refractory hypertension, systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure were measured 1 month before nephrectomy bilateral and 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after. In addition, the use of antihypertensive drugs before and after surgery was evaluated. Four patients had SBP and DBP values characteristic of malignant hypertension. In all 10 patients hypertension responded neither to reduction of plasma volume by ultrafiltration nor to multiple antihypertensive drug therapy. Hypertensive crises were associated with cerebral hemorrhage in two patients, severe encephalopathy with persistent neural dysfunction in one patient, and encephalopathy and diplopia in another. Three months after bilateral nephrectomy blood pressure decreased significantly (P < .005) and was normal in nine patients. In one noncompliant patient with intradialytic body weight increases of nearly 10%, blood pressure was still elevated. Malignant or drug-resistant hypertension with hypertensive crises is an indication for bilateral nephrectomy. The clinical state and quality of life improved in all patients in the present study and antihypertensive treatment is no longer necessary.

Incidence of acute oligoanuric renal failure in dextran 40 treated patients with acute ischemic stroke stage III or IV

Two hundred eleven patients with acute ischemic stroke, stage III or IV, received daily intravenous infusion of 500-1000 mL low-molecular dextran (dextran 40) over a period of 4 days. In 10 cases (4.7%) acute renal failure, associated with dextran infusion, could be observed; oligoanuria occurred after a mean time of 4 (3-6) days. The incidence of dextran-induced acute renal failure was significantly higher in patients with a preexisting reduction of glomerular filtration rate below 30 mL/min/1.73 m2 (p < 0.005). Five of the patients (50%) with acute renal failure died within 4-12 days after the hemodilution therapy with dextran 40; this high lethality was due to nonrenal complications.

Effect of vitamin B6 administration on elevated plasma oxalic acid levels in haemodialysed patients

Abstract. Accumulation of oxalic acid resulting in elevated plasma levels is a common finding in uraemic patients. Since vitamin B6 is an important coenzyme in oxalic acid metabolism the influence of vitamin B6 administration on plasma oxalic acid levels was investigated.

Effect of renal transplantation on uremic deafness: A Long-Term study

In order to investigate the influence of a functioning transplant on uremic hearing loss, audiometrical controls were performed on 13 patients before and after renal transplantation. During renal dialysis treatment there was a marked hearing loss for the higher frequencies between 2 000 and 8 000 Hz. Hearing capacity improved to normal after transplantation, the best audiometric results being obtained 21.4 (8-42) months after surgery. There was a significant improvement in hearing especially for middle- and high-tone frequencies. It is assumed that uremic toxins, possibly responsible for sensorineural hearing loss in patients with chronic renal failure may be sufficiently removed by a functioning transplant.

PERINATAL COMPLICATIONS AND THREE-YEAR FOLLOW UP OF INFANTS OF DIABETIC MOTHERS WITH DIABETIC NEPHROPATHY STAGE IV

The objective of the study was to evaluate differences in the perinatal complications and in the 3-year follow up of infants of diabetic mothers with and without diabetic nephropathy stage IV. We compared the fetal and maternal complications and the early postpartal development until 3 years after delivery in 10 children of nephropathic diabetic mothers and 30 children of diabetic mothers without nephropathy. The mean (± SD) birthweight of the infants of nephropathic women was 2250 ± 496 g versus 3544 ± 435 g in the women without nephoropathy (p < 0.01). Births were premature in six pregnancies (60%) of the nephrotic women but in none of the women without nephropathy (p < 0.01). Three infants (30%) of the women with nephropathy showed respiratory distress syndrome in contrast to two babies (6%) of the women without nephropathy. Pre-eclampsia or eclampsia occurred in 6 (60%) pregnant women with and in two women (6%) without diabetic nephropathy (p < 0.01). Nephrotic syndrome was observed in 7 nephrotic women (70%) in contrast to none women without nephropathy. Three years postpartum, six of the children (60%) of nephropathic women had a body weight < the 50th percentile but none of the children of the women without nephropathy did so (p < 0.01). In addition, the children of nephropathic mothers started to speak significantly later (15 ± 3 versus 12 ± 3 months postpartum, p < 0.05) and had infectious diseases more commonly (60% versus 6%, p < 0.01) than the children of women without nephropathy. It can be concluded that in pregnancies of diabetic women the birth weights of the infants are significantly smaller and the fetal as well as maternal complication-rates significantly higher than in those of women without nephropathy. Also 3 years after delivery, the body weight of the children of nephropathic diabetic women is significantly lower than that of children of diabetic women without nephropathy. Additionally, children of nephropathic women are retarded in terms of linguistic development and their resistance to infections is reduced.

Transient hyperoxaluria after ingestion of chocolate as a high risk factor for calcium oxalate calculi.

In 6 male subjects the diurnal variation of urinary oxalic acid excretion was studied after ingestion of chocolate, a food stuff rich in oxalic acid. The ingestion of chocolate caused a striking but transient increase in urinary oxalic acid excretion due to its absorption in the upper gastrointestinal tract. The peak excretion rates occurred 2-4 h after the intake of the chocolate. The peak values were 235% of the fasting excretion rate in the trial with 50 g chocolate and 289% in the trial with 100 g chocolate and reached the amounts found in cases with primary hyperoxaluria. The administration of ranitidine had no influence on oxalic acid absorption. The transient hyperoxaluria observed seems to be an important factor for the formation of calcium oxalate calculi in patients on risk for stone disorders.

Successful treatment of malaria tropica with acute renal failure and cerebral involvement by plasmapheresis and hemodialysis

SummaryA non-immune, 31-year-old woman developed an acute infection withPlasmodium falciparum after travelling to Kenia. The parasites proved resistant to chloroquine and sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine. The course of the disease was complicated by acute renal failure, hepatocellular damage, disorders of blood coagulation, thrombocytopenia, hemolysis and cerebral involvement. Despite a very high level of parasitemia (50% parasitized erythrocytes) a rapid clinical improvement was achieved by plasmapheresis and hemodialysis. Our experience shows that plasmapheresis and hemodialysis are excellent additive methods which rapidly improve clinical symptoms and may reduce morbidity and mortality in severe malaria tropica.ZusammenfassungEine nicht-immune, 31 jährige Patientin erkrankte nach einem Keniaurlab an Malaria tropica. Die Plasmodien erwiesen sich als resistent gegenüber Chloroquin und Sulfadoxin/Pyrimethamin. Der Krankheitsverlauf war gekennzeichnet durch schwere Organkomplikationen: akutes Nierenversagen, Leberfunktionseinschränkung, Gerinnungsstörung und Thrombozytopenie, Hämolyse und zerebrale Malaria. Durch den Einsatz intensivierter Therapiemaßnahmen, wie Plasmapherese und Hämodialyse konnte trotz weiterbestehender Parasitämie von 50% eine rasche klinische Besserung bis zum Wirksamwerden der Kausaltherapie mit Chinin erreicht werden. Unsere Erfahrung zeigt, daß Plasmapherese und Hämodialyse ausgezeichnete adjuvante Therapieformen zur Verbesserung der klinischen Symptomatik bei schwerer Malaria tropica sind. Durch ihren frühzeitigen Einsatz können sie zur Verminderung der Morbidität und Mortalität bei komplizierter Malaria beitragen.