Seizures in Dialysis Patients Treated with Recombinant Erythropoietin. Review of the Literature and Guidelines for Prevention

1994 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Beccari

Anemia is one of the major limitations to rehabilitation in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). The efficacy of recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) in the treatment of renal anemia is well established. Nevertheless, rHuEPO therapy has been associated with serious untoward effects. There appears to be an increased risk of hypertension, not infrequently accompanied by hypertensive encephalopathy and seizures. The mechanism of hypertension remains uncertain. It is associated with an increase in blood viscosity, a reversal of hypoxic vasodilatation, and, possibly, a direct pressor effect of the hormone. Seizures, otherwise, may be the result of cerebral hypoperfusion and, finally, of a focal cerebral edema. The guidelines for rHuEPO treatment and prevention of associated convulsions are outlined. The possible convulsive risk induced by this treatment, even at low doses, particularly in patients with a previous history of seizures, is stressed.

2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 302-306 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy L. Gould ◽  
Elie Chahla ◽  
Christine Hachem

Patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD) are at increased risk for peritonitis. We report a case of a patient with end-stage renal disease on continuous ambulatory PD (CAPD) who developed peritonitis within 24 h of upper endoscopy with biopsy and colonoscopy with polypectomy. He had a previous history of peritonitis unrelated to invasive procedures and eventually was transitioned to hemodialysis because of his recurrent peritonitis. The International Society for Peritoneal Dialysis (ISPD) and newly revised American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) guidelines recommend prophylactic antibiotics for CAPD patients undergoing endoscopic procedures. Other guidelines do not address this issue, and there has been limited evidence to support recommendations.


2001 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
pp. 367-373 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Stefanidis ◽  
P.R. Mertens ◽  
P. Wurth ◽  
R. Bach ◽  
W. Makropoulos ◽  
...  

The correction of anemia with human recombinant erythropoietin (rHuEPO) in end stage renal disease is associated with hypertension in about one third of hemodialysis patients. The pathogenesis of the rHuEPO-induced hypertension is still uncertain, though evidence of the involvement of endothelial cells has emerged. The aim of this study was to determine plasma endothelin-1 during hemodialysis and to compare the endothelin-1 levels in hemodialysis patients with and without rHuEPO substitution. Nineteen stable patients (13 male and 6 female, mean age 62 ± 11 years) with end stage renal disease were studied. Cuprophan dialysers (GFS 12®, Gambro, Lund, Sweden) were used for hemodialysis in all cases. rHuEPO (40U/kg s.c.) was administered to 10 patients. Blood pressure (BP; RR mmHg) and blood volume changes (ΔBV; hemoglobinometry %) were serially measured. Samples were taken before and every hour during hemodialysis. Plasma endothelin-1 was measured by ELISA (R&D Systems, Minneapolis, USA) and corrected for hemoconcentration. Endothelin-1 concentration was elevated before commencement of hemodialysis (1.16 ± 0.36 pg/ml) when compared to healthy controls (ref. 0.3 - 0.9) and increased to 1.47 ± 0.51 pg/ml by the end of the session (p<0.05). In patients under rHuEPO-substitution plasma endothelin-1 was higher when compared to patients without substitution before (1.25 ± 0.3 vs. 1.05 ± 0.3 pg/ml) and at the end of HD (1.62 ± 0.5 vs. 1.28 ± 0.3 pg/ml, p<0.05). There was no difference in BP and ΔBV between the two groups during treatment. Plasma endothelin-1 was higher in hemodialysis patients and there was a continuous rise in plasma endothelin-1 during a session. Comparison of two groups of hemodialysis patients with and without s.c. rHuEPO-replacement treatment revealed a significantly higher plasma endothelin-1 concentration in patients with s.c. rHuEPO treatment. However, the elevated endothelin-1 levels were not accompanied by arterial hypertension.


Circulation ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 141 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Clarkson ◽  
Todd Brown ◽  
Nita Limdi ◽  
Chrisly Dillon ◽  
Mark Beasley

Objective: To determine the risk for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) following acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in patients with and without heart failure (HF) and whether this risk varies by race and comorbidity. Methods: We studied adults with and without HF who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for the treatment of ACS in the Pharmacogenomic Resource to improve Medication Effectiveness Genotype Guided Antiplatelet Therapy study. ACS was defined by the presence of ≥2 of the following: ischemic symptoms, acutely elevated cardiac troponin, or ischemic electrocardiographic changes. HF was defined prior to PCI as a known history of HF, left ventricular ejection fraction <50%, or brain natriuretic peptide level >400 pg/mL. Demographic and clinical characteristics were collected prior to PCI. Race was self-reported. Participants were followed for up to 1 year for MACE. We constructed Cox proportional hazard models, adjusted for demographic and clinical characteristics, separately in those with and without HF to identify independent predictors of MACE. Results: Since 2014, 1,230 individuals have undergone PCI for ACS. Those with HF (n=419) were older and had more comorbidities than those without HF (n=811). The incidence of MACE per 100 person years was 40.4 in those with HF and 22.2 in those without HF (p<0.001). African American race was associated with increased risk for MACE following ACS in those without but not with a history of HF. Other clinical factors associated with MACE following ACS were older age and end stage renal disease in those with HF and diabetes, end stage renal disease, and peripheral arterial disease in those without HF (Table). Conclusions: Individuals with HF are at increased risk of MACE following ACS irrespective of race. However, in those without HF, African Americans have a higher risk of MACE following ACS relative to their white counterparts. Individuals with end stage renal disease are at high risk of MACE following ACS regardless of HF status.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
Cody Lo ◽  
Shazia Masud ◽  
Gregory D. Deans

Klebsiella variicola (K. variicola) is a Gram-negative organism genetically similar to Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) that can cause a variety of diseases in humans. Bacteremia due to K. variicola is associated with a higher mortality rate than bacteremia with K. pneumoniae. Here, we describe a 65-year-old woman who developed pyelonephritis 2 months after receiving a renal transplantation following a longstanding history of end-stage renal disease secondary to polycystic kidney disease. Her creatinine on admission was unchanged from her posttransplant baseline, and an abdominal CT scan showed inflammatory changes around the transplanted kidney that were suggestive of an infection rather than allograft rejection. She was initially treated empirically with meropenem given a history of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase- (ESBL-) producing E. coli bacteriuria. After a day of therapy with meropenem, her therapy was streamlined based on culture results to ceftriaxone. She continued to improve, her kidney function remained stable, and she was prescribed oral ciprofloxacin to complete a 14-day total course of antibiotics. This case is the first reported instance of K. variicola bacteremia associated with pyelonephritis in a renal transplant recipient. Hospitalization with acute pyelonephritis within the first year following kidney transplant is common and is associated with increased risk of graft loss and mortality. However, K. variicola is not a commonly known organism to cause this infection. Despite the risk of allograft failure in this circumstance, this patient was successfully treated with a 14-day course of antibiotic therapy.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fu-Shun Yen ◽  
James Cheng-Chung Wei ◽  
Ying-Hsiu Shih ◽  
Chih-Cheng Hsu ◽  
Chii-Min Hwu

PurposeTo compare the risks of chronic kidney disease (CKD), end-stage renal disease (ESRD), sight-threatening retinopathy, and leg amputation between patients with diabetes or hypertension.MethodsFrom January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2015, we identified 28943 matched pairs of patients with diabetes with and without subsequent hypertension, 89102 pairs of patients with hypertension with and without subsequent diabetes, and 145294 pairs of patients with coexisting diabetes and hypertension with a previous history of diabetes or hypertension from Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database. Cox proportional-hazard models were used for calculating the risks of CKD, sight-threatening retinopathy, and leg amputation.ResultsThe mean follow-up time of this study in different cohorts was between 3.59 and 4.28 years. In diabetes patients with vs. without subsequent hypertension, hypertension patients with vs. without subsequent diabetes, and comorbid diabetes and hypertension patients with previous diabetes vs. with previous hypertension, the adjusted HRs (95% CIs) for CKD were 2.77 (2.61-2.94), 1.73 (1.68-1.77), and 1.04 (1.02-1.07); for ESRD were 42.38 (22.62-79.4), 2.76 (2.43-3.13), and 0.72 (0.66-0.79); for sight-threatening retinopathy were 2.07 (1.85-2.3), 3.41 (3.14-3.71), and for leg amputation were 1.51 (1.43-1.58); and 4.74 (3.02-7.43), 6.27(4.72-8.31), and 1.19(1.03-1.38).ConclusionsThis study demonstrated that both diabetes and hypertension are risk factors for the development of CKD, retinopathy, and amputation. Tracing subsequent diabetes for patients with hypertension, and hypertension for patients with diabetes are important in clinical settings.


2009 ◽  
Vol 67 (4) ◽  
pp. 978-981 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan Chester Feitosa de Jesus ◽  
Hélio Araújo Oliveira ◽  
Marcelo Oliveira Ribeiro Paixão ◽  
Thalyta Porto Fraga ◽  
Felipe José N. Barreto ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND: Hemodialysis (HD)-related headaches are a common complaint of patients undergoing this procedure. OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency and clinical characteristics of headache in patients undergoing HD and to discuss their diagnostic criteria. METHOD: The present study assessed, in a prospective manner, a series of patients consulting at a HD center in Aracaju, Sergipe, Brazil, from November 2007 to January 2008. Only patients with HD-related headaches without previous history of primary headache were diagnosed as isolated HD headache (HDH). RESULTS: Headache was reported by 76.1% of the patients studied. Prior to beginning dialysis, 47.9% had migraine without aura, 6.7% migraine with aura, 0.6% hemiplegic migraine, 5% episodic tension-type headache, and 2.5% migraine and tension-type headache. HDH was diagnosed in 6.7% of the patients, the most prevalent features being diffuse or temporal region location, bilateral headache, throbbing nature, and moderate severity. Seven patients with headaches between the sessions were not classified. CONCLUSION: While the pathophysiology of HDH is unknown, to diagnose patients with HDH or other possible HD-related headaches remains a challenge.


2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefanos Roumeliotis ◽  
Athanasios Roumeliotis ◽  
Xenia Gorny ◽  
Peter R. Mertens

In end-stage renal disease patients, the leading causes of mortality are of cardiovascular (CV) origin. The underlying mechanisms are complex, given that sudden heart failure is more common than acute myocardial infarction. A contributing role of oxidative stress is postulated, which is increased even at early stages of chronic kidney disease, is gradually augmented in parallel to progression to endstage renal disease and is further accelerated by renal replacement therapy. Oxidative stress ensues when there is an imbalance between reactive pro-oxidants and physiologically occurring electron donating antioxidant defence systems. During the last decade, a close association of oxidative stress with accelerated atherosclerosis and increased risk for CV and all-cause mortality has been established. Lipid peroxidation has been identified as a trigger for endothelial dysfunction, the first step towards atherogenesis. In order to counteract the deleterious effects of free radicals and thereby ameliorate, or delay, CV disease, exogenous administration of antioxidants has been proposed. Here, we attempt to summarize existing data from studies that test antioxidants for CV protection, such as vitamins E and C, statins, omega-3 fatty acids and N-acetylcysteine.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 178
Author(s):  
Noah R. Delapaz ◽  
William K. Hor ◽  
Michael Gilbert ◽  
Andrew D. La ◽  
Feiran Liang ◽  
...  

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a prevalent mental disorder marked by psychological and behavioral changes. Currently, there is no consensus of preferred antipsychotics to be used for the treatment of PTSD. We aim to discover whether certain antipsychotics have decreased suicide risk in the PTSD population, as these patients may be at higher risk. A total of 38,807 patients were identified with a diagnosis of PTSD through the ICD9 or ICD10 codes from January 2004 to October 2019. An emulation of randomized clinical trials was conducted to compare the outcomes of suicide-related events (SREs) among PTSD patients who ever used one of eight individual antipsychotics after the diagnosis of PTSD. Exclusion criteria included patients with a history of SREs and a previous history of antipsychotic use within one year before enrollment. Eligible individuals were assigned to a treatment group according to the antipsychotic initiated and followed until stopping current treatment, switching to another same class of drugs, death, or loss to follow up. The primary outcome was to identify the frequency of SREs associated with each antipsychotic. SREs were defined as ideation, attempts, and death by suicide. Pooled logistic regression methods with the Firth option were conducted to compare two drugs for their outcomes using SAS version 9.4 (SAS Institute, Cary, NC, USA). The results were adjusted for baseline characteristics and post-baseline, time-varying confounders. A total of 5294 patients were eligible for enrollment with an average follow up of 7.86 months. A total of 157 SREs were recorded throughout this study. Lurasidone showed a statistically significant decrease in SREs when compared head to head to almost all the other antipsychotics: aripiprazole, haloperidol, olanzapine, quetiapine, risperidone, and ziprasidone (p < 0.0001 and false discovery rate-adjusted p value < 0.0004). In addition, olanzapine was associated with higher SREs than quetiapine and risperidone, and ziprasidone was associated with higher SREs than risperidone. The results of this study suggest that certain antipsychotics may put individuals within the PTSD population at an increased risk of SREs, and that careful consideration may need to be taken when prescribed.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (12) ◽  
pp. 6196
Author(s):  
Anna Pieniazek ◽  
Joanna Bernasinska-Slomczewska ◽  
Lukasz Gwozdzinski

The presence of toxins is believed to be a major factor in the development of uremia in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Uremic toxins have been divided into 3 groups: small substances dissolved in water, medium molecules: peptides and low molecular weight proteins, and protein-bound toxins. One of the earliest known toxins is urea, the concentration of which was considered negligible in CKD patients. However, subsequent studies have shown that it can lead to increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and induce insulin resistance in vitro and in vivo, as well as cause carbamylation of proteins, peptides, and amino acids. Other uremic toxins and their participation in the damage caused by oxidative stress to biological material are also presented. Macromolecules and molecules modified as a result of carbamylation, oxidative stress, and their adducts with uremic toxins, may lead to cardiovascular diseases, and increased risk of mortality in patients with CKD.


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