Clinical journal of the American Society of Nephrology : CJASN
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Clin J Am Soc Nephrol · May 2007
Multicenter StudySeptic acute kidney injury in critically ill patients: clinical characteristics and outcomes.
Sepsis is the most common cause of acute kidney injury (AKI) in critical illness, but there is limited information on septic AKI. A prospective, observational study of critically ill patients with septic and nonseptic AKI was performed from September 2000 to December 2001 at 54 hospitals in 23 countries. A total of 1753 patients were enrolled. ⋯ There was a trend to lower serum creatinine (106 [73 to 158] versus 121 [88 to 184] mumol/L; P = 0.01) and RRT dependence (9 versus 14%; P = 0.052) at hospital discharge for septic AKI. Patients with septic AKI were sicker and had a higher burden of illness and greater abnormalities in acute physiology. Patients with septic AKI had an increased risk for death and longer duration of hospitalization yet showed trends toward greater renal recovery and independence from RRT.
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Clin J Am Soc Nephrol · Jan 2007
Nephrologists' changing practices in reported end-of-life decision-making.
Because the dialysis patient population is increasingly composed of older patients with high symptom burden, shortened life expectancy, and multiple comorbid conditions, nephrologists often engage in end-of-life decision-making with their patients. In the 1990s, reported practices of nephrologists' end-of-life decision-making showed much variability. In part as a reaction to that variability, the Renal Physicians Association (RPA) and the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) developed a clinical practice guideline on end-of-life decision-making. ⋯ In 2005, less variability was noted in reported practices to withhold dialysis from a permanently unconscious patient (90% would withhold in 2005 versus 83% who would withhold in 1990, P < 0.001) and to stop dialysis in a severely demented patient (53% in 2005 would stop versus 39% in 1990, P < 0.00001). In 2005, significantly more dialysis units were reported to have written policies on cardiopulmonary resuscitation (86% in 2005 versus 31% in 1990, P < 0.0001) and withdrawal of dialysis (30% in 2005 versus 15% in 1990, P < 0.0002); nephrologists were also more likely to honor a dialysis patient's do-not-resuscitate order (83% in 2005 versus 66%, P < 0.0002) and to consider consulting a Network ethics committee (52% in 2005 versus 39%, P < 0.001). Nephrologists' reported practices in end-of-life care have changed significantly over the 15 years separating the two surveys, suggesting that the development of the clinical practice guideline was worthwhile.
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Clin J Am Soc Nephrol · Jan 2007
ReviewSerum anion gap: its uses and limitations in clinical medicine.
The serum anion gap, calculated from the electrolytes measured in the chemical laboratory, is defined as the sum of serum chloride and bicarbonate concentrations subtracted from the serum sodium concentration. This entity is used in the detection and analysis of acid-base disorders, assessment of quality control in the chemical laboratory, and detection of such disorders as multiple myeloma, bromide intoxication, and lithium intoxication. The normal value can vary widely, reflecting both differences in the methods that are used to measure its constituents and substantial interindividual variability. ⋯ However, recent studies indicate variability in the DeltaAG/DeltaHCO(3)(-) in this disorder. This observation undercuts the ability to use this ratio alone to detect complex acid-base disorders, thus emphasizing the need to consider additional information to obtain the appropriate diagnosis. Despite these caveats, calculation of the serum anion gap remains an inexpensive and effective tool that aids detection of various acid-base disorders, hematologic malignancies, and intoxications.
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Clin J Am Soc Nephrol · Jan 2007
Randomized Controlled TrialElevated plasma concentrations of IL-6 and elevated APACHE II score predict acute kidney injury in patients with severe sepsis.
Acute kidney injury (AKI) is common in critically ill patients with severe sepsis (SS), and the predictors of AKI in this population have not been well characterized. The study group was the placebo group of the Prospective Recombinant Human Activated Protein C Worldwide Evaluation in Severe Sepsis (PROWESS) data set. PROWESS is a prospective, randomized, controlled study of the use of drotrecogin alpha (activated) for the treatment of SS. ⋯ In a multivariable Cox regression, the predictors of AKI were log IL-6 (P < 0.0001) and APACHE II (P = 0.0008). Increased log IL-6 and APACHE II score are significant risk factors of AKI in patients with SS. IL-6 data and the absence of correlation with measures of hypotension (e.g., mean arterial pressure, dosage of vasopressors) support the notion that inflammation is a significant component of AKI in SS.