Clin Nephrol
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The fractional excretion of anions has been proposed as a new index for the differential diagnosis of metabolic acidosis, identifying the properties of the conjugate base by examining the renal handling of the anion. Here, we investigated clinical significance of the fractional excretion of anions in pathophysiologic diagnosis of metabolic acidosis by measuring urine ammonium (NH4+) excretion, the ratio of A plasma anion gap/delta plasma HCO3- concentration (deltaAG/deltaHCO3-), and fractional excretion of anions in three different groups of metabolic acidosis: acid overproduction (8 patients with lactic acidosis, 8 with diabetic ketoacidosis, 3 with hippuric acidosis following glue sniffing), acid underexcretion (10 patients with chronic renal failure) and normal controls (10 normal volunteers who underwent 3-day NH4Cl loading). As expected, urine NH4+ excretion was higher in overproduction acidosis than in acid-loaded normal controls (88.1 +/- 12.3 vs. 54.0 +/- 3.7 mmol/day, p < 0.05), and it was lower in chronic renal failure than in acid-loaded normal controls (12.8 +/- 1.7 vs. 54.0 +/- 3.7 mmol/day, p < 0.05). ⋯ The ratio of plasma deltaAG/deltaHCO3- also exhibited significant differences between the subgroups in acid overproduction (lactic acidosis, 1.5 +/- 0.1; diabetic ketoacidosis, 1.0 +/- 0.1; hippuric acidosis, 0.3 +/- 0.1; p < 0.05). There was an inverse linear correlation between the fractional excretion of anions and the ratio of plasma deltaAG/deltaHCO3- (r2 =-0.89, p < 0.05). In conclusion, determination of the fractional excretion of anions may provide a useful clue to the differential diagnosis of metabolic acidosis caused by acid overproduction.
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Hydroxyethyl starch (HES) is a macromolecular preparation that has been used as a volume expander since 1991. Renal toxicity of high-dose HES is now well recognized but potential renal toxicity of low-dose HES is poorly documented. ⋯ Polymyositis was treated with CyA, prednisone and plasma exchanges using low-dose HES as the replacement fluid. Renal insufficiency occurred with biopsy-proven osmotic nephrosis-like lesions, considered to be secondary to HES infusions and/or CyA.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
The effect of i.v. iron alone or in combination with low-dose erythropoietin in the rapid correction of anemia of chronic renal failure in the predialysis period.
It is now more and more evident that anemia of predialysis chronic renal failure (CRF) should be actively treated, since long-standing anemia may cause irremediable damage to the heart. The most common form of treatment of this anemia is subcutaneous erythropoietin (EPO). iron (Fe) deficiency can also contribute to anemia in predialysis CRF, and intravenous iron (i.v. Fe) can frequently improve it. It is possible, therefore, that the combination of EPO and i.v. Fe may have an additive effect, and cause a rapid improvement in anemia with relatively small doses of EPO. ⋯ The combination of low-dose EPO and i.v. Fe had a rapid and additive effect on the correction of anemia in CRF predialysis patients. Maintaining adequate iron stores with i.v. Fe during a subsequent maintenance phase allowed the target Hct of 35% to be reached and maintained with low-dose EPO in two-thirds of the predialysis patients and with no EPO at all in one-third.
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Case Reports
Removal of acyclovir during continuous veno-venous hemodialysis and hemodiafiltration with high-efficiency membranes.
We present a critically ill patient with severe renal failure and anuria who underwent hemodialysis (HD), continuous veno-venous hemodialysis (CVVHD) and continuous veno-venous hemodiafiltration (CVVHDF) at different occasions, with 2 commonly used high-efficiency dialyzers (F-8 and CA-210), while receiving i.v. acyclovir. We estimate that during 24 hours of CVVHD with F-8 dialyzer approximately 18% and during 24 hours of CVVHDF with CA-210 dialyzer approximately 65% of the daily administered acyclovir is removed. ⋯ Acyclovir clearance during CVVHD was 14 ml/min and during CVVHDF was 17 ml/min, with F-8 and CA-210 dialyzers, respectively. Acyclovir half-life was 22.5 and 25.5 hours in 2 occasions off any type of renal replacement therapy, and it was 19.5 hours during CVVHDF with CA-210 dialyzer.