Acute renal failure with the combined use of rosuvastatin and fenofibrate

Among the lipid-lowering drugs, the statins and fibrates are the most commonly used agents. Either class of drug is considered relatively safe. Though a variety of albeit uncommon adverse side effects have been observed with both classes, most of these therapeutic complications can be managed without discontinuation of the offending drug. Sometimes, especially in patients with extremely high cholesterol and/or triglyceride levels, a combination regimen is deemed necessary. However, the combined use of lipid-lowering drugs increases the incidence and severity of adverse events. In this article, we report an unusual case of acute renal failure (ARF) in a patient who had been prescribed both a statin (rosuvastatin) and a fibrate (fenofibrate).     

Pheochromocytoma presenting with rhabdomyolysis and acute renal failure: a case report

Rhabdomyolysis ranges from an asymptomatic illness with elevated creatine kinase levels to a life-threatening condition associated with extreme elevations in creatine kinase, electrolyte imbalances, acute renal failure, and disseminated intravascular coagulation. The most common causes are crush injury, overexertion, alcohol abuse, certain medicines, and toxic substances. A number of electrolyte abnormalities and endocrinopathies, including hypothyroidism, thyrotoxicosis, diabetic ketoacidosis, nonketotic hyperosmolar state, and hyperaldosteronism, cause rhabdomyolysis. Rhabdomyolysis and acute renal failure are unusual manifestations of pheochromocytoma. There are a few case reports with pheochromocytoma presenting rhabdomyolysis and acute renal failure. Herein, we report a case with pheochromocytoma crisis presenting with rhabdomyolysis and acute renal failure.     

急性肝功能衰竭患者肝移植术后急性肾功能衰竭的病因分析及综合治疗

目的 分析急性肝功能衰竭(acute liver failure,ALF)患者肝移植术后肾功能衰竭的原因,评价以持续肾脏替代治疗(continuous renal replacement therapy,CRRT)为基础的综合疗法的疗效.方法 回顾性分析2001年1月至2006年6月在我院施行的412例肝移植资料,根据UNOS肝功能分级标准筛选出54例ALF患者(UNOS1和2A),其中17例移植术后出现急性肾功能衰竭(acute renal failure,ARF).在CRRT治疗基础上,进行抗排斥、抗感染、营养支持等治疗,并对患者围手术期情况、术后并发症、死亡原因及随访结果进行了分析.结果 CRRT治疗过程中无并发症发生.无ARF组围手术期死亡率为5.4%,术后并发症发生率为35.1%,1、3年生存率分别为89.2%和81.1%.ARF组围手术期死亡率为58.8%,术后并发症发生率为100%,1、3年生存率分别为41.2%和41.2%.结论 肝移植效果主要取决于肝外器官功能和术前肝功能状态.ALF患者围手术期死亡率较高,其中术前血肌酐高术后出现ARF率高,死亡率更高.以CRRT为基础的综合疗法能有效治疗ARF患者.     

Acute renal failure in Central Anatolia.

BACKGROUND: The aetiological spectrum of acute renal failure (ARF) has changed in developed countries. It was the purpose of the study to evaluate whether similar changes have occurred in this part of the world as well. METHODS: In a prospective study a total of 439 patients with ARF were evaluated. They had been admitted to one hospital during two successive periods, i.e. 1983-1990 and 1991-1997. RESULTS: Of 439 patients with ARF, 116 were admitted in 1983-1990 (first period) and 323 in 1991-1997 (second period). The age of presentation increased from 49.8+/-6.2 years in the first period to 58.8+/-16.4 years in the second. Medical causes were present in 259 cases (59%), surgical causes in 110 cases (25%), and obstetric causes in 70 cases (16%). The frequency of surgical cases decreased from 28.4% in the first period to 23.8% in the second period. The respective figures for obstetric cases were 18.9% and 14.8%. Mortality did not change with time (33.6% in the first and 31.0% in the second period); the overall mortality was 31.7%. The mortality was higher for surgical (45.5%) than for obstetric (27.8%) and medical ARF (24.3%). CONCLUSION: In the mid-1970s, the most common causes of ARF in Turkey were obstetric complications and septic abortion. The aetiological spectrum of ARF has changed and today medical causes predominate. ARF resulting from septic abortion has become rare, possibly because of liberalization of abortion in 1983 in Turkey.     

Acute renal failure in the surgical setting

Acute renal failure (ARF) is an unwelcome complication of major surgical procedures that contributes to surgical morbidity and mortality. Acute renal failure associated with surgery may account for 18-47% of all cases of hospital-acquired ARF. The overall incidence of ARF in surgical patients has been estimated at 1.2%, although is higher in at-risk groups. Mortality of patients with ARF remains disturbingly high, ranging from 25% to 90%, despite advances in dialysis and intensive care support. Appreciation of at-risk surgical populations coupled with intensive perioperative care has the capacity to reduce the incidence of ARF and by implication mortality. Developments in understanding the pathophysiology of ARF may eventually result in newer therapeutic strategies to either prevent or accelerate recovery from ARF. At present the best form of treatment is prevention. In this review the epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, treatment and possible prevention of ARF will be discussed.     

Acute renal failure during pregnancy--an unusual cause.

Post-infectious glomerulonephritis as a cause of acute glomerulardisease and renal failure during pregnancy has been rarely reported.We report a patient with acute glomerulonephritis during thesecond trimester of an otherwise uncomplicated pregnancy, whopresented with acute renal failure (ARF), the diagnosis of whichwas confirmed by renal biopsy.

Acute renal failure and hyperkalaemia associated with cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors.

BACKGROUND: The renal effects of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors have been incompletely elucidated, and acute renal failure (ARF) due to COX-2 inhibitors has been reported. METHODS: In order to determine the causes of ARF and hyperkalaemia in five patients during COX-2 inhibitor therapy, we carefully analysed case studies of consecutive in-patients or out-patients referred to our Renal Division over a 6-month period for ARF and hyperkalaemia who had recently received COX-2 inhibitors. RESULTS: ARF developed 2-3 weeks after COX-2 inhibitor therapy in five patients. The ARF was consistent with pre-renal azotaemia from renal hypoperfusion. Four patients were receiving the loop diuretic, furosemide. Four patients developed hyperkalaemia and decreased serum bicarbonate despite diuretic therapy, and one patient had changes in plasma renin activity and aldosterone levels consistent with reversible hyporeninaemic hypoaldosteronism. Renal failure was reversible after discontinuation of diuretics and COX-2 inhibitors. CONCLUSIONS: COX-2 inhibitors may cause reversible ARF and hyperkalaemia in patients with oedematous conditions treated with low sodium diets and loop diuretics.     

Levofloxacin and rhabdomyolysis in a renal transplant patient.

Rhabdomyolysis can lead to fatal hyperkalaemia, acute renalfailure and compartment syndromes in renal transplant patients.The most common cause for rhabdomyolysis in these patients isa drug interaction between statins and ciclosporin A [1]. Statinsare known to be myotoxic [2], and their serum levels can beelevated with the concomitant use of ciclosporin A, as the metabolismof both drugs is dependent     

Acute renal failure after the use of angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors in patients without renal artery stenosis.

During a 4-year period, acute renal failure was observed in 27 patients (mean age 65 years) treated by various angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ACE) inhibitors for hypertension, heart failure, or a combination of both. None had significant renal artery stenosis on angiography. Overt volume depletion was present in 21 and hypotension in 12 cases. All patients received diuretic therapy and/or a low-salt diet. Other facilitating factors included cardiac failure, pre-existing chronic renal insufficiency, combined therapy with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and diabetes mellitus. Twenty-two patients had two or more of these factors at presentation. A renal biopsy performed in 10 cases showed severe arteriosclerosis of small renal arteries in eight and acute tubular necrosis in five instances. Therapy comprised volume expansion, and withdrawal of diuretics and, except in two patients, of ACE inhibitors. Twenty-one patients recovered normal renal function, two died, and permanent renal damage remained in four. These results suggest that sodium depletion has a critical role in inducing acute renal failure, whose outcome is not always benign. A combination of diuretics and ACE inhibitors should be prescribed with caution, especially in older patients with small as well as with large renal vessel disease.     

Acute renal failure in patients with pre-existing renal dysfunction following coronary artery bypass grafting

BACKGROUND: Pre-existing renal dysfunction predisposes to acute renal failure (ARF) in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. We assessed the incidence and impact of the development of ARF in this patient population in our unit. METHODS: One-hundred and six patients had a preoperative serum creatinine of >or=0.13 mmol/L and underwent coronary artery bypass grafting in the year 2000. The incidence of ARF (as defined by a >or=50% rise in postoperative serum creatinine), hospitalization days, dialysis requirement, in-hospital and 1-year mortality, and potential risk factors for ARF were recorded. RESULTS: Of the patients recorded, 43/104 (41.35%) developed ARF following coronary artery bypass grafting. Patients with ARF stayed in hospital longer (P < 0.02). Ten out of forty-three patients required some form of dialysis and the in-hospital mortality of the renal failure group was 23% compared to 3.1% in the other group (P < 0.002). One year postoperatively, the group with renal failure had significantly worse survival (71.8% vs 98%P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: For patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting, pre-existing renal dysfunction predisposes to the development of ARF, this is associated with prolonged hospitalization and increased mortality.     

Acute renal failure in Eastern India

The present study included 426 patients with acute renal failureage range 7 months to 85 years, during 8-year period (1984–1992).Medical, surgical and obstetric causes were responsible forARF in 68.3, 17.8, and 14% of cases respectively. The main aetiologicalfactors encountered were volume depletion secondary to gastrointestinalfluid loss (35.2%), acute glomerulonephritis (10.3%), nephrotoxin(8.6%), falciparum malaria (4.2%), obstructive uropathy (13%),post-abortal (10.5%), and miscellaneous factors (1.4%) of patients.The overall mortality was 19.2%. Thus our observation revealedthat diarrhoeal diseases (35.2%), obstructive uropathy (13.3%),and septic abortion (10.5%) were the main causes for ARF inmedical, surgical, and obstetric groups respectively. In contrastto our studies, acute renal failure associated with diarrhoealdiseases, septicaemia, falciparum malaria and septic abortionare rare in European countries.     

Acute renal failure in patients with acute pancreatitis: prevalence, risk factors, and outcome

A total of 267 consecutive patients presenting with acute pancreatitiswere studied restrospectively. We analysed the collected datato determine the prevalence of acute renal failure (ARF), andfactors significantly predisposing to its occurrence and outcome.The prevalence of ARF in our patients was 16%. Only 2% had isolatedARF. Seventy-three percent of patients with additional organsystem failure suffered ARF after the onset of other organ failure.The number of organ system failure was significantly greaterbefore, compared to after, the development of ARF. Using multiplelogistic regression we found that pre-existing chronic diseaseand cardiovascular and haematological failure were independentrisk factors positively related to the development of ARF, whereassystemic infection was not. Overall mortality from ARF was 81%.Chronic disease, local complications and the presence of additionalorgan system failure and their number significantly increasedmortality in ARF patients. No patients requiring renal replacementtherapy survived. ARF is a common complication of severe acute pancreatitis, butoccurs late in the disease course, and mostly preceded by otherorgan system failure. The prognosis of patients with ARF isextremely poor, indicating that more emphasis should be placedon prevention of ARF.     

Acute renal failure following poisonous snakebite

This study describes acute renal failure (ARF) following snakebite in humans and the effects of viperide venoms on the renal structure and function in subhuman primates. ARF developed in 45 of 157 patients with a history of snakebite admitted to the hospitals of the Postgraduate Medical Institute, Chandigarh, India. They were studied clinically, hematologically, and in 35 cases, for renal histopathology. All 45 were treated with antibiotics, and 8 received anti-snake venom. Ten cases had bilateral renal cortical necrosis (BRCN), eight of whom died; less severe acute tubular lesions (ATL) occurred in 23 patients, four of whom died (P less than .001). Sepsis was significantly more common with BRCN than ATL (P less than .05). No statistical difference was found between these groups in bleeding incidence, disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), hemolysis, or hypotension. Monkeys given lethal doses of viperide venom developed hypotensive shock, DIC, and hemolysis, with significantly reduced serum complement, and died within 24 hours. However, no renal functional changes or lesions were found. Monkeys given sublethal doses of viperide venom showed a significant increase in serum creatinine levels after 48 hours, and renal lesions were observed in a majority of animals. In conclusion, ARF in snakebite victims appears to be multifactorial in origin. Although hypotension, hemolysis, and DIC are likely to be important pathogenetic factors, a direct cytotoxic effect of the venom on the kidney in producing ARF cannot be excluded.     

Kidney transplantation from donors with rhabdomyolysis and acute renal failure

Rhabdomyolysis in deceased donors usually causes acute renal failure (ARF), which may be considered a contraindication for kidney transplantation. From January 2012 to December 2016, 30 kidneys from 15 deceased donors with severe rhabdomyolysis and ARF were accepted for transplantation at our center. The peak serum creatinine (SCr) kinase, myoglobin, and SCr of the these donors were 15 569±8597 U/L, 37 092±42 100 μg/L, and 422±167 μmol/L, respectively. Two donors received continuous renal replacement therapy due to anuria. Six kidneys exhibited a discolored appearance (from brown to glossy black) due to myoglobin casts. The kidney transplant results from the donors with rhabdomyolysis donors were compared with those of 90 renal grafts from standard criteria donors (SCD). The estimated glomerular filtration rate at 2 years was similar between kidney transplants from donors with rhabdomyolysis and SCD (70.3±14.6 mL/min/1.73 m² vs 72.3±15.1 mL/min/1.73 m²). We conclude that excellent graft function can be achieved from kidneys donors with ARF caused by rhabdomyolysis.     

Acute Renal Failure Secondary to Fenofibrate Monotherapy-Induced Rhabdomyolysis

Fenofibrate, a fibric acid derivative, is used to treat diabetic dyslipidemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and combined hyperlipidemia alone or in combination with statins. Rhabdomyolysis is defined as a pathological condition of skeletal muscle cell damage leading to the release of toxic intracellular material into the circulation. Its major causes include trauma, ischemia, toxins, metabolic disorders, infections, and drugs. Rhabdomyolysis associated with fenofibrate is extremely rare. In nearly all of the presented cases, there was a predisposing factor for rhabdomyolysis such as diabetes, older age, renal insufficiency, and hypothyroidism. Here, we report a nondiabetic, nonhypothyroidic young female patient without any known prior renal disease presenting with acute renal failure developing after fenofibrate treatment.     

Synergistic renal protection by combining alkaline-diuresis with lipid peroxidation inhibitors in rhabdomyolysis: possible interaction between oxidant and non-oxidant mechanisms

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE.: Heme-proteins, besides causing renal tubular obstruction, maycontribute to rhabdomyolysis-induced renal injury through aheme-iron-mediated lipid peroxidation process. In the presentstudy, we compared the combined therapy of a lipid peroxidationinhibitor, 21-aminosteroid (21-AS) and fluid-alkaline-mannitol(FAM) diuresis with either of them alone to determine the efficacyof the combination therapy and to delineate the roles of lipidperoxidation and cast formation. METHODS AND RESULTS.: Employing Raman spectroscopy, we confirmed in vitro the abilityof 21-AS to inhibit iron-induced fatty acid peroxidation. 21-ASwas then administered to rats developing renal failure fromglycerol-induced rhabdomyolysis. Although 21-AS inhibited rhabdomyolysis-inducedplasma and renal lipid peroxidation, renal protection was incomplete.Administration of FAM to inhibit cast formation afforded a betterrenal protection. However, when these therapies were combinedto inhibit both lipid peroxidation and cast formation, therewas a synergistic renal functional protection. This was accompaniedby a maximum inhibition of renal and plasma lipid peroxidation,as well as, renal tubular necrosis and cast formation. Comparedto combination therapy, FAM therapy alone, despite identicalvolume, was accompanied by a higher tubular necrosis and castformation. CONCLUSIONS.: That combining a lipid peroxidation inhibitor with fluid-alkalinediuresis in rhabdomyolysis further lowers renal lipid peroxidation,tubular necrosis and cast formation and synergistically limitsrenal dysfunction (i) supports a role for lipid peroxidationin the pathophysiology of rhabdomyolysis ARF, (ii) underscoresthe role of intratubular heme retention, a cause for tubularobstruction as well a source for prodigious amount of iron,likely involved in the lipid peroxidation, and (iii) raisesthe possibility of interactions between non-oxidant and oxidantmechanisms.     

The deceiving image: asymptomatic renal malakoplakia in a patient with chronic renal failure.

The diagnosis of tumour-like renal lesions may be difficultin chronic renal failure (CRF) patients. We present a patient with severe CRF, in whom the diagnosisof malakoplakia during intervention avoided nephrectomy, therebypreserving his residual renal