INTRODUCTION Total dialysate calcium concentration has an important influence on calcium metabolism in bicarbonate high-flux dialysis. The aim of the study is to investigate the influence of different dialysate calcium concentrations on serum concentration of ionised calcium and on the balance of total dialysate calcium. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 20 stable aneuric patients on chronic b...

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to evaluate the cardiac sympathetic nervous system function in haemodialysed(HD), non-diabetic patients by iodine-123 meta-iodo-benzylguanidine(123I-mIBG). MATERIALS AND METHODS Planar scintigraphy of the chest was performed in 36 HD, male patients; 15 minutes and 4 hours post injection of 370 MBq of 123I-mIBG. The semi quantitative analysis of myocardial ...

Background & Objectives: Recently published IDSA guidelines on vancomycin dosing no longer advocates the use of trough concentrations as surrogate markers for clinical efficacy. Protocols developed prior to revised targets may not reflect true efficacy marker that is AUC/MIC 400-600. This study aimed evaluate local protocol in achieving target concentration and extrapolated 400-600 patients...

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) occurs in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients on long-term haemodialysis (HD) using an arterio-venous (A-V) access and can be attenuated by either kidney transplantation per se or surgical fistula ligation/revision. We report an exceptional case with severe PH after kidney transplantation due to ESRD and prior chronic intermittent HD via a patent A-V fistula. Gol...

. Median weight z-score for children on dialysis was 0.96 whereas children with a functioning transplant had normal weights (median z-score 0). . Median height z-score for children on dialysis was 1.80 and for children with a functioning transplant 1.26. . 79% of transplant patients, 71% of haemodialysis patients and 74% of peritoneal dialysis patients had a systolic blood pressure within the 9...

Acute control of blood pressure on haemodialysis (HD) should be differentiated from chronic BP control; Hypertension in HD is multi-factorial; Patients requiring total ultrafiltration volume greater than 2.5 kg may have an elevation in pre-systolic and pre-diastolic BPs; Larger fluid removals of range >10-13ml/hour/kg are associated with increased all cause and cardiovascular mortality; Both pr...

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to investigate haemodialysis (HD) dose practice patterns in different European countries in the light of the European Best Practice Guidelines (EBPG) and to study the associations of patient characteristics and country with weekly dialysis duration. METHODS Renal registries in Europe were asked to contribute to the study with individual patient data on...

OBJECTIVE This study examined the effects of low dialysate sodium on endothelial dysfunction (ED) as measured by flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) of brachial artery in haemodialysis (HD) patients. METHODS Thirty HD patients (17 men; mean age: 48.4 ± 17.8 years) were studied. Subjects underwent two consecutive 6-week HD periods. Dialysate sodium was 143 mEq/L in the first period (standard Na HD)...

Objective: To detect occurrence of T-wave and QRS alternans, to evaluate their independent predictors, and to estimate alternans change during haemodialysis (HD). Methods: We studied 58 patients, mean age 59 ± 13 years, 52% males. We performed 1-minute ECG-recording before and after HD determining episodes of alternans. Results: T-wave alternans episodes were present in 21% and 28% of patients ...

BACKGROUND Pentraxins are mediators of inflammation as well as markers of the acute-phase reaction. While elevation of C-reactive protein (CRP) in patients with renal failure and its association with cardiovascular disease is well described, there are no data on pentraxin 3 (PTX3) in this population. METHODS Plasma was obtained from 44 chronic haemodialysis (HD) patients, 35 peritoneal dialys...