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Biomedical subjects

J Montoliu

Publications and source records attributed to J Montoliu.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Pharmacokinetics of vancomycin in patients undergoing hemodialysis with polyacrylonitrile.

The pharmacokinetics of vancomycin in patients undergoing dialysis with cuprophane membranes are well known, however little has been reported of the use of polyacrylonitrile membranes in dialysis. We studied, in a crossover design, eight dialysis patients (7 men, 1 woman) aged 30 to 66 years who prospectively received 1 gram of vancomycin i.v. before first dialysis and were subsequently hemodialyzed with cuprophane every second day for a total of three times. A month later trial was repeated using polyacrylonitrile. A mono-compartment model was used to calculated pharmacokinetic parameters. Mean +/- standard deviation of vancomycin clearance varied from 5.2 +/- 2.1 ml/min in the interdialysis period to 9.7 +/- 2.7 ml/min during dialysis with cuprophane and to 58.4 +/- 15.6 ml/min during dialysis with polyacrylonitrile (p less than 0.001). Vancomycin half-life varied from 71.5 +/- 23.0 to 35.9 +/- 9.8 and to 6.1 +/- 1.4 hours, respectively (p less than 0.001). Fractional removal of vancomycin increased from 4% using the cuprophane dialyzer to 34% using the polyacrylonitrile dialyzer (p less than 0.001). Serum vancomycin levels at 100 and 168 hours were higher with cuprophane than with polyacrylonitrile (7.0 +/- 2.2 vs 3.9 +/- 1.2 micrograms/ml) (p less than 0.001). Moreover, the mean levels at 100 hours were suboptimal on polyacrylonitrile. Approximately 208 +/- 53 mg of vancomycin were removed during one polyacrylonitrile dialysis. Thus, those patients who undergo dialysis with polyacrylonitrile and are treated with vancomycin may need supplementary doses post dialysis or to lessen dosage intervals than those traditionally used for dialysis patients since clearance of the drug is significantly higher than with cuprophane dialyzers. Continuous monitoring of vancomycin levels is also recommended.

Acrylic Resins↗

Treatment of hyperkalaemia in renal failure with salbutamol inhalation.

The aim of this study was to investigate whether beta-2-adrenergic stimulation with inhaled salbutamol is therapeutically useful in hyperkalaemia. Ten patients with renal failure and hyperkalaemia (serum potassium concentration greater than 6 mmol l-1) were given 15 mg salbutamol via a nebulizer over a 30-min period. Serum potassium was measured 30, 60, 180 and 360 min thereafter. All patients had end-stage renal failure on chronic hospital haemodialysis. Serum potassium levels decreased significantly from a pretreatment value of 6.5 +/- 0.6 mmol l-1 to 5.6 +/- 0.6 mmol-1 after 30 min, and this level was maintained for 3 h. Six hours after treatment, the serum potassium concentration was 6 +/- 0.7 mmol l-1. There was a modest increase in heart rate and blood glucose level, but otherwise salbutamol was well tolerated and no serious side-effects occurred. It is concluded that the administration of salbutamol by inhalation is a simple, safe and reasonably effective method for treatment of hyperkalaemia in renal failure.

Administration, Inhalation↗

Persistent low C3 levels associated with meningococcal meningitis and membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis.

Recurrent meningococcal meningitis is usually related to terminal complement factor deficiencies (C5-C8); however it is not frequent with isolated primary C3 deficiency. Similarly, membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis has been described in association with primary C3 deficiencies and the presence of C3 nephritic factor. We present a case of an 18-year-old woman with relapsing meningococcal meningitis in whom membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis and persistent low serum C3 levels were found. A detailed immunological study was performed, but no other abnormalities in the complement components were found. C3 Nef was also negative. Moreover, the familiar complement studies showed an asymptomatic C4 deficiency in her mother and borderline C3 levels in her sister. The presence of persistent low serum C3 levels in the absence of other immunological abnormalities suggests that this is the cause of the relapsing meningococcal infections and the glomerular disease of this patient. We suggest that a complement deficiency, including isolated C3 deficiency, should be ruled out in all cases of relapsing meningitis. Further, the possibility of glomerular disease should be carefully considered in these patients.

Adolescent↗

Henoch-Schönlein purpura and IgA nephropathy in father and son.

Considerable controversy exists as to whether Henoch-Schönlein purpura and Iga nephropathy are different clinical manifestations of the same disease or if, on the contrary, they are separate entities. We report on the development of Henoch-Schönlein purpura and IgA nephropathy in 2 members of the same family. Patient 1, a 63-year-old man, presented with purpura in the legs, abdominal pain, hematuria, renal failure and proteinuria. A biopsy of a purpuric skin lesion showed small-vessel vasculitis, and a renal biopsy showed diffuse proliferative glomerulonephritis with prominent IgA deposits, thus making the diagnosis of Henoch-Schönlein purpura. Serum IgA was increased. Patient 2, the 30-year-old son of patient 1, underwent renal biopsy for the investigation of microscopic hematuria and proteinuria. There was no history of skin rash, and serum creatinine was normal. A renal biopsy showed expansion of the mesangial matrix and marked IgA deposition. HLA typing confirmed that they shared a haplotype. HLA B35 or DR4 were absent. These results demonstrate that Henoch-Schönlein purpura and IgA nephropathy can possibly be genetically related and therefore support the notion that these two diseases probably share a common pathogenesis.

Adult↗

[Carcinoma of the kidney as a complication of acquired cystic disease of the kidney in patients subjected to treatment with periodical hemodialysis].

Three cases of acquired cystic renal disease (ACRE) are reported in patients treated with periodical hemodialysis (HD) who developed neoplastic degeneration. In the first patient, diagnosis was a chance finding of nephrectomy during renal transplantation. The second patient was discovered following hematuria, and in the third patient disseminated metastases were the presenting feature of the disease. The finding of renal tumours associated with ACRE is a well known fact; however, metastatic disease has been infrequently reported. Generally, the denomination "adenoma" is adopted for tumours with a maximal diameter shorter than 3 cm, as they seldom develop metastases. However, the third patient had an adenocarcinoma measuring 2 cm in diameter. One of the parameters that best correlates the occurrence of ACRE and tumour development is the duration of HD; therefore, it is suggested that those patients who have received substitution therapy for longer than 3 years should undergo radiological studies for the early identification of these complications.

Adenocarcinoma↗

[Prospective study of 75 episodes of sepsis in hemodialysed patients].

During a 38-month period the bacteremias developing in patients on hemodialysis from three centers of the Barcelona area were evaluated to assess their incidence, characteristics, and response to therapy. In the overall 13376 months of hemodialysis of the study, 75 episodes of bacteremia were detected in 64 patients; this amounts to an incidence of 5.6 episodes per 1000 hemodialysis months. The most common sources of becteremia were intravenous catheters (44%), which were mainly used as temporary vascular access, followed by the definitive vascular access (26%), the genitourinary system (10%), and the lung (6%). Twenty-seven episodes of bacteremia developed in 24 patients in whom dialysis had been started in the two previous months (11% of the overall number of new patients), and, in them, 77% originated in an intravenous catheter, while this was the origin of bacteremia in only 23% of the remaining patients. 72% of bacteremias were caused by gram positive organisms, particularly Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis (60%), followed, in frequency order, by aerobic gram negative bacilli (25%), particularly Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas. Stpahylococci were significantly associated with the vascular access, either if this was a catheter or not (81% of instances), while gram negative bacilli were associated with sources different from the vascular access (48% of instances). Severe complications included 2 cases of aortic valve endocarditis, one hemorrhagic shock caused by rupture of an infected vascular access, and one suppurative phlebitis associated with a hemodialysis catheter. Staphylococcal sepsis was randomly treated with vancomycin or vancomycin plus gentamicin, without differences in the results.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗

Treatment of hyperkalaemia in renal failure: salbutamol v. insulin.

Three groups of patients with acute or chronic renal failure (GFR less than 5 ml/min) and hyperkalaemia (K+ greater than or equal to 6 mEq/l), similar in age, serum creatinine and pretreatment K+. Group A (n = 24) received salbutamol 0.5 mg i.v. in 15 min, group B (n = 10) received glucose 40 g i.v. plus 10 units insulin i.v. in 15 min, and group C (n = 10) received salbutamol 0.5 mg i.v., glucose 40 g i.v. and insulin 10 units i.v. over a 15-min period. Serum potassium was measured at 30, 60, 180 and 360 min after administration of treatment. All treatments reduced serum potassium, maximal at 30 or 60 min, and ranging from -0.5 +/- 0.1 to -1.5 +/- 0.2 mEq/l; patients in group C exhibited a significantly greater decrement in serum potassium, when compared to group B at 60 (-1.5 +/- 0.2 vs -1 +/- 0.1 mEq/l, respectively; P less than 0.01) and 180 min (-1.2 +/- 0.2 vs -0.7 +/- 0.1 mEq/l, respectively; P less than 0.05). There were no significant differences between groups A and C. Patients from group C had moderate tachycardia and more prolonged hyperglycaemia than those from group B, but all treatments were well tolerated.

Acute Kidney Injury↗

Electrographic alterations induced by hyperkalaemia simulating acute myocardial infarction.

In general, severe hyperkalaemia produces classic electrocardiographic manifestations including tenting of T waves, widening of the QRS complex, loss of P waves, and eventually, sine waves and asystole. This report concerns a patient with chronic renal failure on maintenance haemodialysis who developed a severe hyperkalaemia associated with chest pain, manifested electrocardiographically by elevation of the S-T segment resembling acute myocardial infarction. After haemodialysis, serum potassium decreased and the electrocardiogram returned to normal. We review the literature and discuss the possible physiology of this electrocardiographic alteration.

Diagnosis, Differential↗

Infection of hemodialysis catheters: incidence and mechanisms.

Fifty-three consecutive subclavian or jugular hemodialysis catheters inserted into 41 patients were prospectively studied over a period of 8 months in order to determine the incidence of infection and its mechanisms. The intravascular, intradermal and the Y catheter segments as well as both connections were cultured using a quantitative technique for the intraluminal surface. In addition, the intravascular and intradermal portions of the catheter were cultured using a semiquantitative technique for the external surface. Skin smears of the catheter entry site were also cultured, and blood cultures were similarly obtained if fewer developed. Twenty-nine of the 53 catheters (55%) were significantly colonized by one (19 cases) or more (10 cases) microorganisms. The source of the colonizing microorganisms was the skin in 17 cases (58%), intraluminal in 5 (17%), both routes in 5 (17%) and others in 2 (6.8%). Staphylococcus epidermidis (22 cases) and Staphylococcus aureus (4 cases) were the bacteria most frequently isolated. Nine of the 53 catheterizations (17%) were complicated by catheter-related septicemia due to S. aureus in 4 cases, S. epidermidis in 3 cases, Streptococcus faecalis in 1 and Proteus vulgaris in 1. Catheter-related bacteremia contributed to a patient's death in 1 case. Suppurative local infections of the catheter entry site developed in 3 cases, 2 of them with septicemia. We conclude that the rate of infection due to subclavian or jugular hemodialysis catheters is very high and that the skin is the most frequent origin of the microorganisms.

Catheterization, Central Venous↗