Haemoglobin at time of referral prior to dialysis predicts survival: an association of haemoglobin with long-term outcomes

Haemoglobin (Hgb) levels are known to be associated with numerousadverse outcomes in both chronic kidney disease (CKD) and non-CKDpatients. This analysis evaluates the association of baseline haemoglobinlevels on survival in CKD patients, who are followed by nephrologists,irrespective of glomerular filtration rate (GFR), prior to initiationof renal replacement therapy (RRT) and erythropoietin hormonereplacement therapy. Analysis of data from the provincial database (PROMIS, PatientRegistration and Outcome Management Information System) in BritishColumbia, Canada, was undertaken. Records used for the analysisincluded all CKD patients at first registration: GFR <60ml/min/1.73 m², not yet on dialysis, starting from May 1998to October 2002, and who had complete data (defined as age andgender, diabetic status, eGFR and Hgb levels). The primary objective of this study was to determine the associationof Hgb and survival controlling for eGFR at first registrationvalue, age, gender and diabetic status. Multivariate Cox proportionalhazards analysis with time to death as outcome variable wasperformed. The cohort included 3028 patients: the mean age was 65 years,28% were diabetic, and the mean eGFR in the cohort was 21 ml/min/1.73m². The cohort is representative of the BC CKD and dialysispopulation regarding ethnicity: 64% Caucasian, 32% Asian. Medianfollow-up was 27 months, 1 year survival was 0.92, 2 year survivalwas 0.85. Hgb at initial registration is a statistically independentpredictor of survival (RR = 0.875 for every 10 g/l, 95% CI:0.835–0.917, P = 0.0001), after adjusting for age, gender,diabetic status and baseline eGFR. Further analysis, controllingfor RRT, demonstrated a similar association between Hgb andsurvival (RR = 0.853 for every 10 g/l, 95% CI: 0.799–0.910,P = 0.0001), after adjusting for above variables. Substantialvariation in Hgb values exists at all GFR levels. These findings underscore the importance of evaluating Hgb atall GFR levels, and the need to study the impact of modificationof Hgb at different GFR levels on survival.     

Clinical experience with short-time hemodialysis.

After at least 6 months on conventional hemodialysis (cellulosic dialyzers, acetate dialysate, and a 3- to 4-hour treatment time), 56 patients were changed to short-time hemodialysis (less than 180 minutes) using polysulfone dialyzers and bicarbonate-containing dialysate. Treatment time decreased (191 +/- 5 v 147 +/- 5 min; P = 0.001), while Kt/V (1.22 +/- 0.04 v 1.29 +/- 0.06; P = NS) and normalized protein catabolic rate (pcr) (1.10 +/- 0.05 v 1.10 +/- 0.07 g/kg/d; P = NS) remained constant. When compared with the conventional period, 30 months of short-time hemodialysis resulted in no changes in predialysis blood pressure (BP) (151 +/- 2/84 +/- 1 v 151 +/- 2/86 +/- 1 mm Hg), postdialysis BP (144 +/- 2/81 +/- 1 v 143 +/- 3/84 +/- 1 mm Hg), interdialytic weight gain (2.4 +/- 0.1 v 2.7 +/- 0.2 kg), or blood urea nitrogen (BUN) (26.1 +/- 0.71 v 25.3 +/- 1.07 mmol/L [73 +/- 2 v 71 +/- 3 mg/dL]). Shorter treatment times were not associated with an increase in intradialytic complications. Actually, the frequency (%) of dialysis treatments associated with nausea (5.94 +/- 1.33 v 2.21 +/- 0.52), vomiting (3.12 +/- 0.87 v 0.54 +/- 0.14; P less than 0.05), headaches (5.60 +/- 1.13 v 2.03 +/- 0.52; P less than 0.05), and back pain (0.91 +/- 0.25 v 0.05 +/- 0.05; P less than 0.05) was decreased.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Elaboration of a quantitative method of evaluation of disease severity in patients with ventricular disorders of cardiac rhythm]

Mathematical approaches to the evaluation of the severity of the pathological process were used to develop an objective quantitative method to assess the severity of ventricular arrhythmias. The method is highly informative and reliable. It may be useful in the control of the efficacy of antiarrhythmic therapy and in the application of a differential approach to choice of therapy strategy for the patients.     

Analysis of complications in patients treated with abdomino-pelvic radiation therapy for ovarian carcinoma.

Between 1971 and 1985, 598 patients with ovarian carcinoma were treated with abdomino-pelvic radiation therapy. Acute complications included nausea and vomiting in 364 patients (61%) which were severe in 36, and diarrhea in 407 patients (68%), severe in 35. Leukopenia (less than 2.0 x 10(9) cells/liter) and thrombocytopenia (less than 100 x 10(9) cells/liter) occurred in 64 patients (11%) each. Treatment interruptions occurred in 136 patients (23%), and 62 patients (10%) did not complete treatment. In both situations the most common cause was myelosuppression. Late complications included chronic diarrhea in 85 patients (14%), transient hepatic enzyme elevation in 224 (44%), and symptomatic basal pneumonitis in 23 (4%). Serious late bowel complications were infrequent: 25 patients (4.2%) developed bowel obstruction and 16 required operation. Multivariate analysis was unable to determine any significant prognostic factors for bowel obstruction; however, the moving-strip technique of radiation therapy was associated with a significantly greater risk of developing chronic diarrhea, pneumonitis, and hepatic enzyme elevation than was the open beam technique. We conclude that abdomino-pelvic radiation therapy as used in these patients is associated with modest acute complications and a low risk of serious late toxicity.     

Cost-effectiveness analysis of extended conservative therapy versus surgical intervention in the management of herniated lumbar intervertebral disc.

The management of herniated lumbar intervertebral disc for patients not responding to an initial trial of conservative therapy is generally surgical. Little is known about the effect of continued conservative therapy on patients who have not improved or have deteriorated within the first 3 months. This study assessed which form of treatment, surgical or continued conservative therapy, is more cost-effective once an adequate trial of conservative therapy has failed. The study is a retrospective chart review of 55 white male truck drivers who presented with acutely herniated nucleus pulposus between 1985 and 1989. Twenty-five patients underwent surgery, and 30 underwent continued conservative therapy after initial rehabilitation. No significant difference was found in outcome (80% good or fair in both the surgical and conservative groups) or costs ($55,000 +/- $1,000/case during a 5-year period), hence no difference in the cost-effectiveness between the two treatment modalities (each $63,000 +/- $2,000/adjusted outcome). Conservatively treated patients, however, missed significantly more work. It was concluded that, for a patient not responding to the initial trial of conservative therapy, the option to undergo continued conservative treatment should be made available.