Urinary tract infection after renal transplantation

Eighty-eight patients with cadaver and living donor kidney transplants and the incidence of urinary tract infections over a long-term follow-up period are reviewed. Urinary tract infections developed in 28 per cent of the 88 patients after renal transplantation, and 72 per cent of these infections developed within the first month of transplantation. Only 43 per cent of the infecting organisms were Escherichia coli. Forty-seven per cent of the patients with recurrent urinary tract infections had pyelonephritis or polycystic kidneys as their original renal disease. The morbidity rate in our patients with recurrent urinary tract infections was minimal.     

Urinary tract infection in pediatric renal transplantation

Urinary tract infection is a frequent complication following renal transplantation and represents a potential focus for systemic infection in the immunosuppressed transplant recipient. The incidence, etiologic factors, temporal pattern, bacteriology, and prognostic significance of urinary tract infection were determined by analysis of 85 renal allografts in 69 patients. Significant bacteriuria occurred after 49 of 85 transplants (58 per cent). The incidence of infection was not related to success or source of the allograft, but was related to patient gender. Urinary tract infections developed in 68 per cent of females, while only 43 per cent of males became infected (p < 0.05). Escherichia coli caused most first infections (30 per cent), while Pseudomonas aeruginosa and E. coli were equally responsible for recurrent infections (25 per cent each). Children with previous reconstructive urologic surgery had similar allograf success (63 per cent) and infection rates (53 per cent) as our other children (61 per cent and 58 per cent, respectively). No apparent correlation was noted between episodes of infection and graft rejection. Thorough preoperative assessment and preparation and prompt, specific treatment minimize the adverse influences of urinary tract infection.     

Urinary tract infection in patients with diabetes mellitus

Urinary tract infection occurs with increased frequency and severity in patients with diabetes mellitus. General host factors enhancing risk for urinary tract infection in diabetics include age, metabolic control, and long term complications, primarily diabetic nephropathy and cystopathy. Alterations in the innate immune system have been described and may also contribute. Treatment of asymptomatic bacteriuria in diabetic patients is not indicated. Early diagnosis and prompt intervention is recommended to limit morbidity of symptomatic infection. Clinical studies comparing management of urinary tract infection in persons with diabetes compared to those without as well as diabetic patients with good or poor glucose control will be necessary to improve care of urinary infection in persons with diabetes mellitus.     

Verapamil prevents post-transplant oliguric renal failure

Verapamil has proven effective in preventing acute renal failure in animal models if given prior to the insult and hence possibly has a role in the preservation of cadaveric renal tissue for transplantation. Twenty renal donors were randomly assigned to treatment (receiving verapamil 20 mg intravenously) and control groups. Recipients were monitored for renal failure by urine output and serum creatinines on days 1 and 7 and dialysis requirement to one week. Early urine outputs and serum creatinines (day 1) were significantly better in the treated than control group (p greater than 0.01, 0.05 respectively). We conclude therefore that verapamil may prevent post-transplant acute renal failure, but its optimal dosage and route of administration remain to be determined.     

Urinary cAMP activity in chronic renal failure

Forty-six patients with chronic renal failure and 17 healthy controls were examined to determine their urinary cyclic adenosine monophosphate (UcAMP) levels. In the study group, UcAMP levels were found to average 1542 picomoles; in the controls, 4612 pmoles (P<0.001). UcAMP activity decreased in tandem with the decline of the glomerular filtration rate. Hypertension was not found to have an additional effect on UcAMP levels, and there was no statistical difference in UcAMP levels between the normotensive and hypertensive patients (P>0.05).     

Urinary tract infection in surgical patients

Urinary tract infection continues to be a major source of morbidity for surgical patients, and treating these infections continues to be a difficult problem in clinical surgical practice. The majority of these infections are due to urinary catheters. One strategy that has been advanced to prevent the morbidity associated with these infections is the use of silver-coated urinary catheters.     

Urinary tract infection in diabetic patients

AIM: The aim of the study was to compare the epidemiological, microbiological and clinical features of diabetic patients with urinary tract infection (UTI) to those of nondiabetic ones. METHODS: A prospective study was performed on 490 consecutive patients with proven UTI. The patients were studied on the basis of a specific questionnaire and hospital records. RESULTS: Of 490 enrolled patients, 89 (18.1%) had diabetes mellitus. The mean age of diabetics and nondiabetics was respectively 64.9 +/- 13.2 (SD) and 54.4 +/- 23.3 years. Most diabetics had asymptomatic bacteriuria and had undergone bladder catheterization more frequently than the nondiabetics. The most frequent causative agents of UTI in diabetics and nondiabetics were: E. coli (respectively, 56.1 vs. 56.8%), Proteus sp. (7.9% vs. 7.2%), Pseudomonas sp. (6.7 vs. 8.2%), Enterococcus sp. (6.7 vs. 7.2%). More than 50% of the isolated Pseudomonas sp. strains in both groups were resistant to gentamicin, piperacillin and norfloxacin. Both diabetics (52.8%) and nondiabetics (42.2%) had recurrent UTI during the follow-up period; the difference in the incidences did not reach statistical significance. CONCLUSION: No significant differences in epidemiological, clinical and microbiological evaluated features of diabetics and nondiabetics were pointed out, except for the higher frequency of bladder catheterization of diabetics than nondiabetics. However, the eradication of UTI seemed to be more difficult in diabetics than in nondiabetics.     

Urinary tract infection in the renal transplant patient

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is the most common type of bacterial infection contracted by recipients of renal allografts in the post-transplantation period. Fungi and viruses can also cause UTIs, but infections caused by these organisms are less common than those caused by bacteria. Both the lower and upper urinary tract (encompassing grafted or native kidneys) can be affected. Factors that might contribute to the development of UTIs include excessive immunosuppression, and instrumentation of the urinary tract (e.g. urethral catheters and ureteric stents). Antimicrobials are the mainstays of treatment and should be accompanied by minimization of immunosuppression when possible. The use of long-term antimicrobial prophylaxis is controversial, however, as it might increase the likelihood of infective organisms becoming resistant to treatment. There are conflicting data on the associations of post-transplantation UTI with graft and patient survival.     

Complication of oliguric acute renal failure in patients treated with low-molecular weight dextran.

Acute renal failure (ARF) is a well-documented but infrequent complication in patients treated with low-molecular weight dextran (LMWD). We herein report 3 cases of oliguric ARF following the administration of dextran-40. One case developed ARF totally after 1.200 g of LMWD administration. In contrast, two cases having increased serum creatinine developed oliguria despite the acceptable therapeutic doses (totally 450 and 650 g). Contrast media was also co-administered in these patients. Plasma exchange (PE), double filtration plasmapheresis (DFPP), or continuous hemodiafiltration (CHDF) but not hemodialysis (HD) reduced circulating dextran concentrations by 35-44% during a single session. All patients completely recovered from ARF by 14-32 days after the treatment. Our cases suggested that radiocontrast could predispose to the development of LMWD-induced ARF especially in patients having pre-existing renal dysfunction. In addition, PE, DFPP and CHDF afforded a beneficial effect for removing accumulated LMWD from the circulation.     

Urinary tract infection in patients with hip fractures.

We found that 23% of 435 patients treated for a femoral neck fracture in our department also were treated for a urinary tract infection during their hospital stay. The most common pathogen was Escherichia coli, sensitive for mecillinam in 98% of the cases. The most frequently used antimicrobial agent was a broad-spectrum antibiotic, fluoroquinolon, although the most reasonable choice would have been a non broad-spectrum agent such as mecillinam. Catheterization was not a predisposing factor for urinary tract infection, but a poor medical condition and female sex were. We did not find a higher mortality rate among patients with a urinary tract infection.     

Urinary tract infection in percutaneous surgery for renal calculi

Percutaneous extraction of renal stones is associated with a risk of infection, which sometimes can be severe as a result of the intraoperative introduction of a ureteral catheter, the nephroscopy itself and the fact that a nephrostomy tube sometimes is left in place. It generally is accepted that patients with a preoperative urinary tract infection should be covered during the operation by an appropriate antibiotic. However, the need for routine prophylactic antibiotic treatment in patients with sterile urine preoperatively still is a subject of debate. We report the bacteriological results of 126 cases of percutaneous extraction of renal stones. Of the patients 107 had sterile urine preoperatively and deliberately did not receive prophylactic antibiotics so that the mechanisms of urinary tract infection after percutaneous nephrolithotomy could be studied. Of these patients 37 (35 per cent) suffered a postoperative urinary tract infection, usually owing to Escherichia coli, streptococcus or staphylococcus. The responsible organism was isolated in the bladder urine only in 22 cases, in the nephrostomy tube in 2 and in both sites in 13. Eleven patients (10 per cent) presented with a fever of 38.5C or more. All of the infected patients received appropriate antibiotic therapy and there were only 2 bacteriological failures on long-term followup (5 per cent). A total of 19 patients had a urinary tract infection preoperatively. All 19 patients received appropriate antibiotic therapy starting at least 24 hours preoperatively and continuing for a minimum of 3 weeks. Five patients (26 per cent) presented with a fewer but there were no serious septic complications. All of the patients were discharged from the hospital with sterile urine and there was only 1 long-term bacteriological failure (5 per cent). Both patients with Pseudomonas infection were cured. The risk of clinical infection following percutaneous nephrolithotomy is low despite the fact that 35 per cent of the patients have bacteriuria postoperatively, provided a careful bacteriological examination is performed preoperatively and the patients with urinary tract infection are treated appropriately. These results are in favor of short-term prophylactic antibiotics adapted to the bacterial ecology.     

Zinc in patients with chronic renal failure

In order to assess zinc status in patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) plasma and erythrocyte zinc levels were determined in 13 patients undergoing regular haemodialysis. Additional determinations of plasma copper, plasma and erythrocyte magnesium and potassium were also performed. The mean plasma zinc level was slightly less than normal, but the difference was not statistically significant. The erythrocyte zinc content, however, as well as erythrocyte magnesium and potassium levels were significantly increased (p<0.001). This increase may be partly related to haemolysis in uraemia. Plasma copper concentration in CRF patients did not differ significantly from the control level. The almost normal plasma zinc concentration, elevated erythrocyte zinc, and normocupraemia do not indicate zinc deficiency in CRF patients.     

慢性肾功能衰竭患者的高同型半胱氨酸血症

目的 研究慢性肾功能衰竭（ＣＲＦ）患者血浆同型半胱氨酸（Ｈｃｙ）水平、影响因素以及与心、脑血管疾病的关系。方法 采用荧光偏振免疫分析法测定１６０例ＣＲＦ患者血浆总同型半胱氨酸（ｔＨｃｙ）水平，以３１例冠心病患者和４５例正常人为对照。结果 以正常组血浆ｔＨｃｙｘ±２ｓ为９５％可信度上限，ＣＲＦ患者高同型半胱氨酸血症的发生率为８２．５０％，明显高于冠心病组（２２．５８％）（Ｐ＜０．０１）；血液透析（ＨＤ）组血浆ｔＨｅｙ水平［（２４．１３±１２．６８）μｍｏｌ／Ｌ，ｎ＝７３］明显高于持续性非卧床腹膜透析（ＣＡＰＤ）组［（１６．４３ ±５．５８）μｍｏｌ／Ｌ，ｎ＝１９］、冠心病组［（１１．１３±４．９７）μｍｏｌ／Ｌ，ｎ＝３１］以及正常组（７．９７±２．６５）μｍｏｌ／Ｌ，ｎ＝４５，Ｐ均＜０．０１。９２例透析治疗的ＣＲＦ患者中有明确心、脑血管病者的血浆ｔＨｃｙ水平［（２７．１２±１５．９４）μｍｏｌ／Ｌ，ｎ＝３０］明显高于无此类病史的患者［（２０．１７±８．７１）μｍｏｌ／Ｌ，ｎ＝６２］。未经透析的 ＣＲＦ患者血浆 ｔＨｃｙ水平与内生肌酐清除率呈负相关（ｒ＝－０．３７４，Ｐ＜０．０１），与患者年龄、血葡萄糖、血脂及血浆白     

Acute tubulo-interstitial nephritis from candida albicans with oliguric renal failure

A patient developed candidemia after receiving steroids and antibiotics. Subsequently, acute oliguric renal failure occurred. Renal biopsy showed multiple cortical microabscesses. These contained encapsulated ovoid Candida, budding organisms, short hyphae, and polymorphs. Adjacent tubules showed disruption of the basement membrane, infiltration by polymorphs and necrosis. There was no evidence of pelvic-calyceal obstruction by bezoar. The acute renal failure was attributed to acute candidal tubulo-interstitial nephritis, and was successfully reversed with Amphotericin.