Point-of-care ultrasound in nephrology:A private practice viewpoint

Point-of-care ultrasound(POCUS)is a limited ultrasound examination performed by the clinician at the bedside,emerging as a complement to physical examination across various medical specialties.In the field of nephrology,its integration has been gradual,primarily limited to guiding procedures like temporary dialysis catheter placement or,in some cases,diagnostic kidney ultrasounds.In reality,the assessment of hemodynamic status at the bedside holds immense value for nephrologists,yet there exists limited awareness among practitioners regarding its implementation.While there is a growing trend towards incorporating multiorgan POCUS training in fellowship programs,private practice nephrologists remain relatively uninformed.This discussion explores the untapped potential of POCUS as a valuable diagnostic tool in everyday nephrology practice,demonstrating its effectiveness in diverse clinical settings,ranging from medical wards to outpatient dialysis units.Additionally,we delve into the challenges hindering its widespread adoption and consider the future trajectory of this innovative approach.

Epidemiological, Clinical, Therapeutic, and Evolutionary Aspects of Chronic End-Stage Renal Failure in the Nephrology Department of the University Hospital of Brazzaville in 2023

Objective: Chronic end-stage renal failure is a major public health problem in developing countries and is poorly documented. The objective of this study was to describe the epidemiological, diagnostic, therapeutic, and evolutionary aspects of patients admitted for end-stage renal failure to the Department of Nephrology at the University Hospital of Brazzaville. Patients and Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study collecting prospective data that took place over 10 months. We included 128 patients who were exhaustively identified. Sociodemographic, clinical, therapeutic and developmental data were collected using a standardized and pretested pre-established survey form. The EPI info software enabled the analysis and processing of the data. Results: We reported a male predominance with a sex ratio of 2.5. The median age was 50 years. The first cause found was diabetes (55%) followed by hypertension (46%). The majority of patients had a dialysis emergency and half could not be dialyzed for financial reasons. Conclusion: Our results highlighted that certain epidemiological parameters of end-stage renal failure are constantly changing, such as frequency, while others remain static, including the main etiologies, gender, and age. However, mortality continues to increase and deserves more attention.

Seeing through the myths:Practical aspects of diagnostic point-ofcare ultrasound in nephrology

Point of care ultrasonography(POCUS)is emerging as an invaluable tool for guiding patient care at the bedside,providing real-time diagnostic information to clinicians.Today,POCUS is recognized as the fifth pillar of bedside clinical examination,alongside inspection,palpation,percussion,and auscultation.In spite of growing interest,the adoption of diagnostic POCUS in nephrology remains limited,and comprehensive training beyond kidney ultrasound is offered in only a few fellowship programs.Moreover,several misconceptions and barriers surround the integration of POCUS into day-to-day nephrology practice.These include myths about its scope,utility,impact on patient outcomes and legal implications.In this minireview,we address some of these issues to encourage wider and proper utilization of POCUS.

Clinical audit,a valuable tool to improve quality of care:General methodology and applications in nephrology

Evaluation and improvement of quality of care provided to the patients are of crucial importance in the daily clinical practice and in the health policy planning and fnancing. Different tools have been developed, includ-ing incident analysis, health technology assessment and clinical audit. The clinical audit consist of mea-suring a clinical outcome or a process, against well-defined standards set on the principles of evidence-based medicine in order to identify the changes needed to improve the quality of care. In particular, patients suffering from chronic renal diseases, present many problems that have been set as topics for clinical audit projects, such as hypertension, anaemia and mineral metabolism management. Although the results of these studies have been encouraging, demonstrating the ef-fectiveness of audit, overall the present evidence is not clearly in favour of clinical audit. These findings call attention to the need to further studies to validate this methodology in different operating scenarios. This review examines the principle of clinical audit, focusing on experiences performed in nephrology settings.

First Consultation in Nephrology: Case of the Point G University Hospital (Bamako-Mali)

Understanding the first consultation of people with kidney disease seems to us to be essential to understand the attitude of the referring physician and the nephrologist. The aim was to find out to whom a patient with kidney disease should be referred in the first instance and for what reason? Hence the evaluation of the prevalence of the first consultation in the nephrology department of the Point G University Hospital in Bamako was made. Patients and Method: This was a prospective descriptive study which took place from July 2017 to June 2018 in the nephrology department of the Point G University Hospital. The study included all patients who came to the nephrology department for the first time during this period. Results: Between July 2017 and June 2018 at the nephrology and haemodialysis service of the G point University Hospital, we retained 643 out of 1031 patients who came for their first consultation, i.e. 62.36%. There were many patients aged between 41 and 50 years. The average age was 42.6 ± 5.03 years with extremes of 30 and 82 years. The sex ratio (M/F) was in favor of males, 1.14. The majority of patients were referred/evacuated from the referral health centres (57.6%). The majority of patients were referred/evacuated by general practitioners (70.5%). Cardiologists were the main specialists to refer/evacuate patients (21.2%). The main reasons for consultation that led to the first diagnostic hypotheses were: arterial hypertension for vascular nephropathy, glomerular syndrome for glomerular nephropathy, acute uraemia syndrome for acute renal failure, hydronephrosis for obstructive uropathy and finally diabetes for diabetic nephropathy. Conclusion: The first consultation in nephrology remains an important step in the management of renal disease, especially when the referral is an emergency. The percentage of referrals is dominated by general practitioners.

Does Current Nephrology Fellowship Training Affect Uti-lization of Peritoneal Dialysis in the United States?

Background: The 2010 US Renal Data System annual report revealed that peritoneal dialysis is used by only 7% of end-stage renal disease patients on chronic dialysis vs. hemodialysis which is used by 93% of such patients, despite documented benefits of peritoneal dialysis over hemodialysis in these cases. Purpose: We examined whether education of nephrology fellows contributed to underutilization of peritoneal dialysis in the US. Methods: Self-report questionnaires were administered electronically to nephrology fellowship training program directors, October 2010-March 2011 (55% response). Results: Median number of training faculty and patients/fellow were significantly lower for peritoneal-dialysis vs. hemodialysis training. Hours of didactic teaching for fellows over their 2-year training period were significantly lower for peritoneal dialysis vs. hemodialysis. Peritoneal dialysis training was 20% of total training vs. 80% for hemodialysis. Most program directors (87%) believed lack of trained faculty in peritoneal dialysis and insufficient peritoneal dialysis patient population contributed to inadequate fellows’ peritoneal dialysis training. Conclusions: Findings suggest that current nephrology fellowship training in peritoneal dialysis is inadequate and contributes to its underutilization.

Restructuring nephrology services to combat COVID-19 pandemic:Report from a Middle Eastern country

Coronavirus disease 2019 has spread across the world and has been classified as a pandemic.It has overwhelmed the healthcare systems.Specifically,it has overstretched the intensive care units and renal replacement therapy services in many countries.In this paper,we discuss the reconfiguration of nephrology services in the State of Qatar during the current pandemic.We highlight the key strategies that have been implemented to ensure that renal replacement therapy capacity is not constrained in either the intensive care or ambulatory setting.Some innovative approaches for the safe delivery of ambulatory care to dialysis and kidney transplant patients are also discussed.

What is the purpose of launching the World Journal of Nephrology?

The launch of the World Journal of Nephrology （WJN） has distinct purposes. Its main purpose is to incorporate the fields of diabetes, hypertension, urology, cardiol-ogy and neurology, which are related to kidney disease, and to make all of our readers, contributors and allied health professionals feel at home with the WJN. The WJN aims to rapidly report new theories, methods and techniques for prevention, diagnosis, treatment, reha-bilitation and nursing skill in the feld of nephrology. The WJN will cover diagnostic imaging, disorders of kidney development, renal obstruction, atrophy and regenera-tion, kidney tumors, renal pharmacology and therapy, renal replacement therapies including transplantation, and Chinese herbal medicine. The WJN issues will in-clude an editorial, frontier, invited review of articles and commentaries in addition to original articles submitted. The WJN will solicit articles from investigators in areas of diabetes and hypertension, and high priority will be given to those articles with an emphasis on the pre-vention of dialysis. Final decision for publication will be based on the merit of the article, language and lucidity.

Renal Failure of Lithiasis Origin: Frequency and Management in the Nephrology and Haemodialysis Department of the Point G University Hospital in Mali

Background: The term urinary lithiasis (UL) from the Greek “lithos” refers to the disease characterised by the result of abnormal precipitation of normal constituents of the urine within the urinary tract. The aim of this work was to determine the frequency of obstructive renal failure (ORF) of lithiasis origin and to describe the therapeutic indications. Methods: This was a retrospective prospective study in patients hospitalised in the nephrology department of Point G University Hospital for ORF of lithiasis origin over a 26-month period from 1 January 2018 to 1 February 2020 inclusive. Results: Among 1898 hospitalized patients, 32 met the inclusion criteria, i.e. a frequency of 1.7%. The male sex was 68.75% with a sex ratio of 2.2. The mean age was 48.38 ± 13.423 years with extremes of 20 and 65 years. Dysuria and urinary bilharzia were the main uro-nephrological antecedents, accounting for 25% of the cases each. Pain syndrome was the main functional sign, accounting for 100%. Ultrasound of the urinary tract (n = 28) showed stones in 92.85%. These stones were bilateral in 22.22% of cases. The dilatation was pyelocalic in 14 cases (51.8%). The uroscanner showed a pyelic location of the stones in both kidneys;42.1% on the right and 33.3% on the left. Hydronephrosis was the most common dilatation: 37.8% on the right and 29.7% on the left. Renal lithiasis was complicated by acute kidney injury (ARI) in 17 cases (53.1%) versus 15 cases (46.9%) of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Urethral catheter was the means of drainage in 24 (75%) followed by nephrostomy in 8 cases (25%). Nephrolithotomy accounted for 9.4% of cases. The case fatality rate was 28.12% (9 cases). Deaths occurred in the context of uraemic coma 6 cases and cardiorespiratory arrest 3 cases. Conclusions: The management of urinary lithiasis complicated by renal failure calls for the correction of hydrolytic disorders, drainage of the excretory tract and treatment of the stone, of which percutaneous nephrolithotomy seems to be the modality of choice.

Result of 10 Years of Experience in Echo-Guided Kidney Biopsy Punctures in the Nephrology Department of the Martigues Hospital Center, France

Introduction: Percutaneous renal biopsy (PRB) is an essential procedure for the diagnosis and therapeutic management of many primary or secondary nephropathies. Objectives: To identify the indications, to determine the profile of the diagnosed nephropathies and to evaluate the short-term complications related to the practice of echo-guided PRB at the Martigues hospital center. Methodology: This was a retrospective and descriptive study carried out on the records of patients who underwent echo-guided native kidney biopsy from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2019 in the nephrology department of the Martigues Hospital. Results: The analysis of 123 cases of echo-guided PRB involved 76 men and 47 women with a sex ratio of 1.6. The mean age was 55.92 ± 17.80 with age extremes of 16 and 87 years. Glomerular syndromes were the main indication with 42 cases of nephrotic syndrome (34.1%), 15 cases of nephritic syndrome (12.2%), 11 cases of rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis syndrome (8.9%), and 6 cases of recurrent macroscopic hematuria syndrome (4.9%). The histological findings were 47 cases of primary glomerular lesions (38.3%), 32 cases of nephroangiosclerosis lesions (26%), 24 cases of secondary glomerulopathy (19.5%), 9 cases of interstitial nephritis (7.3%), 2 cases of myelomatous nephropathy (1.6%), and 9 cases (7.3%) of unclassified histological lesions. Twenty-two hypertensive patients (40.7%) had nephroangiosclerosis lesions (p = 0.001). The follow-up was simple in 119 patients (96.7%). Macroscopic hematuria was noted in 4 patients (3.3%). It was associated with a perirenal hematoma in 2 patients including 1 transfused case. Conclusion: Our data provide an important contribution to the understanding of the prevalence and clinical presentation of renal diseases in the nephrology department of the Martigues hospital center.

Multiple Antihypertensive Therapy in Nephrology Practice

Introduction: Hypertension (HT) can be the cause or consequence of chronic kidney disease. Its management often requires a multiple therapy due to its severity. Objective: To describe the profile of patients receiving a multiple anti-hypertensive therapy in nephrology practice. Materials and Methods: This was a prospective, descriptive study conducted in the department of Nephrology, Yopougon Teaching Hospital, from January 1 to October 31, 2016. We included all patients admitted to this department who had received at least three anti-hypertensive drugs. Results: Out of a total of 625 hypertensive patients admitted over the study period, we included 120 patients on multiple therapy, i.e. a 19% prevalence. HT was essential in 60% of cases, secondary to chronic glomerulonephritis (CGN) in 25%, to diabetes in 13.3% and to polycystic kidney disease (PKD) in 1.7%. The therapy consisted of the combination of 3 antihy-pertensive drugs in 36.7% of cases, 4 drugs in 49.2% and 5 drugs in 4.2%. The antihypertensive classes used were Calcium channel blockers (CCB) in 99.2% of cases, Diuretics (D) in 87.5%, Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibitors (ACEI) in 70%, Centrally acting medication (C) in 66.7%, Angiotensin Receptor Blockers (ARB) in 25.8% and Beta-blockers (β-) in 6.7%. The main combinations were CCB + D + ACEI + C in 34.2% of cases, CCB + D + ACEI in 23.3%, and CCB + D + ARB + C in 12.5%. The combinations of antihypertensive drugs varied according to the cause of HT with a non-significant difference. Patient outcome was characterized by normal blood pressure in 64.2% of cases and normal renal function in 13.3%. The mortality rate was 17.5%. In multivariate analysis, stage 5 renal disease (p = 0.001), hypertensive retinopathy (p = 0.04) and hemoglobin level < 8 g/dl (p = 0.039) were associated with mortality. Conclusion: Multiple antihypertensive therapy, which is common in nephrology, is related to the severity of HT and not to its cause. We still use centrally acting drugs in combination with the other recommended classes, so as to achieve the target blood pressure.

Successful rescue of disseminated Nocardia infection with multiple abscesses in a patient with membranous nephropathy after cardiopulmonary resuscitation:A three-year follow-up

Nocardiosis manifests as an opportunistic infection,primarily affecting individuals who are immunocompromised and susceptible to the infection.We present a case study of one patient with nephrotic syndrome and membranous nephropathy,who underwent treatment with prednisone and cyclosporine in 2016.In early 2017,the patient was diagnosed with a"fungal infection"and discontinued the use of cyclosporine.After one month of anti-infection therapy,a cranial magnetic resonance imaging scan showed multiple abscesses in the right temporal region.The diagnosis of nocardiosis was confirmed based on the presence of metastatic abscess masses,multiple lung and brain lesions,and a positive culture of Nocardia in the drainage.We changed the anti-infection therapy to a combination of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole(TMP-SMX),minocycline,and voriconazole.However,the patient experienced a sudden cardiac arrest and subsequently recovered after cardiopulmonary resuscitation.During the five-month follow-up period following the discharge,the patient displayed an enhanced nutritional status and stable renal function.The focal infection ultimately resolved during the subsequent three years.Neuro-infection caused by Nocardia should be considered in immunocompromised patients,and TMP-SMX is the preferred initial therapy;however,because of the high mortality rate,a long-term combination therapy with imipenem,cefotaxime,amikacin,and TMP-SMX is suggested.

Supervised vs home-based exercise program in kidney transplant recipients: A pilot pragmatic non-randomized study

BACKGROUND Although the benefits of exercise for kidney transplant recipients(KTRs)have been widely demonstrated,these patients experience several barriers in undertaking a structured exercise program in hospital and non-hospital facilities.AIM To compare the effects of a supervised moderate-intensity gym-based intervention with a home-based low-intensity walking program on exercise capacity in KTRs.METHODS KTRs were asked to choose between two six-month programs.The first group performed a low-intensity interval walking intervention at home-based exercise intervention (HBex). The second group performed a supervised training program at an adapted physical activitygym (Sgym), including aerobic and resistance training. The outcomes, collected at baseline and at the end of theprograms, included the 6-minute walking test, the peak oxygen consumption (VO_(2)peak) during a treadmill test,the 5-time sit-to-stand test, and blood pressure.RESULTSSeventeen patients agreed to participate and self-selected into the HBex (n = 9) and Sgym (n = 8) groups. Twopatients in the Sgym group dropped out because of familial problems. At baseline, patients in the HBex group weresignificantly older and had lower walking distance, VO_(2)peak, and lower limb strength. Primary outcome changeswere significantly greater in the HBex group than in the Sgym group (52 ± 23 m vs 8 ± 34;P = 0.005). No othersignificant differences between groups were observed. Both groups improved most of the outcomes in the withingroupcomparisons, with significant variations in VO_(2) peak.CONCLUSIONSix-month moderate-intensity supervised or low-intensity home-based training programs effectively improvedexercise capacity in KTRs. Gym-based programs combine aerobic and resistance training;however, in-homewalking may be proposed for frail KTRs.

Point-of-care ultrasonography in cirrhosis-related acute kidney injury:How I do it

Discerning the etiology of acute kidney injury(AKI)in cirrhotic patients remains a formidable challenge due to diverse and overlapping causes.The conventional approach of empiric albumin administration for suspected volume depletion may inadvertently lead to fluid overload.In the recent past,point-of-care ultrasonography(POCUS)has emerged as a valuable adjunct to clinical assessment,offering advantages in terms of diagnostic accuracy,rapidity,cost-effectiveness,and patient satisfaction.This review provides insights into the strategic use of POCUS in evaluating cirrhotic patients with AKI.The review distinguishes basic and advanced POCUS,emphasizing a 5-point basic POCUS protocol for efficient assessment.This protocol includes evaluations of the kidneys and urinary bladder for obstructive nephropathy,lung ultrasound for detecting extravascular lung water,inferior vena cava(IVC)ultrasound for estimating right atrial pressure,internal jugular vein ultrasound as an alternative to IVC assessment,and focused cardiac ultrasound for assessing left ventricular(LV)systolic function and identifying potential causes of a plethoric IVC.Advanced POCUS delves into additional Doppler parameters,including stroke volume and cardiac output,LV filling pressures and venous congestion assessment to diagnose or prevent iatrogenic fluid overload.POCUS,when employed judiciously,enhances the diagnostic precision in evaluating AKI in cirrhotic patients,guiding appropriate therapeutic interventions,and minimizing the risk of fluid-related complications.

Synthetic data as an investigative tool in hypertension and renal diseases research

There is a growing body of clinical research on the utility of synthetic data derivatives,an emerging research tool in medicine.In nephrology,clinicians can use machine learning and artificial intelligence as powerful aids in their clinical decision-making while also preserving patient privacy.This is especially important given the epidemiology of chronic kidney disease,renal oncology,and hypertension worldwide.However,there remains a need to create a framework for guidance regarding how to better utilize synthetic data as a practical application in this research.

Detection of decline in estimated glomerular filtration rate in patients with type 2 diabetes by cystatin C-based equations

BACKGROUND Aging population is a significant issue in Viet Nam and across the globe.Elderly individuals are at higher risk of chronic kidney disease(CKD),especially those with diabetes.Several studies found that the estimated glomerular filtration rate(eGFR)determined using creatinine-based equations was not as accurate as that determined using cystatin C-based equations.Cystatin C-based equations may be beneficial in elderly patients with an age-associated decline in kidney function.Early determination of eGFR decline and associated factors would aid in appropriate interventions to improve kidney function in elderly patients with diabetes.AIM To determine the utility of cystatin C-based equations in early detection of eGFR decline and to explore factors associated with eGFR decline in elderly patients with diabetes.METHODS This cross-sectional study included 93 participants aged≥60 years evaluated in Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital between October 2022 and July 2023,including 47 and 46 participants with and without diabetes respectively,according to the American Diabetes Association criteria for diabetes.The kappa coefficient,Student’s t,Mann-Whitney,χ2,Pearson’s correlation,multivariate logistic regression,and multiple linear regression analyses were employed.RESULTS The eGFRs were lower with the cystatin C-based equations than with the creatinine-based equations.Good agreement was found between the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease(MDRD)and CKD Epidemiology Collaboration(CKD-EPI)2021 creatinine-cystatin C equations(kappa=0.66).In the diabetes group,30%of the participants had low eGFR.Both plasma glucose and glycated hemoglobin were associated with an increased risk of eGFR decline(P<0.05)and negatively correlated with eGFR(P=0.001).By multivariate logistic regression,total cholesterol,and exercise were independently associated with low eGFR.By multiple linear regression,higher plasma glucose levels were correlated with lower eGFR(P=0.026,r=-0.366).CONCLUSION Cystatin C-based equations were superior in the early detection of a decline in eGFR,and the MDRD equation may be considered as an alternative to the CKD-EPI 2021 creatinine-cystatin C equation.Exercise,plasma glucose,and total cholesterol were independently associated with eGFR in patients with diabetes.

Machine learning in nephrology: scratching the surface

Machine learning shows enormous potential in facilitating decision-making regarding kidney diseases.With the development of data preservation and processing,as well as the advancement of machine learning algorithms,machine learning is expected to make remarkable breakthroughs in nephrology.Machine learning models have yielded many preliminaries to moderate and several excellent achievements in the fields,including analysis of renal pathological images,diagnosis and prognosis of chronic kidney diseases and acute kidney injury,as well as management of dialysis treatments.However,it is just scratching the surface of the field;at the same time,machine learning andits applications in renal diseases are facing a number of challenges.In this review,we discuss the application status,challenges and future prospects of machine learning in nephrology to help people further understand and improve the capacity for prediction,detection,and care quality in kidney diseases.

PRESENT STATUS OF NEPHROLOGY IN CHINA

In China,nephrology as a specialty began in 1982,and the national socicty of nephrology was established

A short history of Chinese Society of Pediatric Nephrology

It was not until 1970s that the subspecialty of pediatric nephrology was initiated on the foundation of general pediatrics in China. In 1977, Cooperation Group on Childhood Renal Diseases was organized by Prof. WANG Bao-lin （Beijing）, Prof. JIANG Xin-qiu （Nanjing） and Prof. GUO Yi-qing （Shanghai）, which was a milestone for pediatric nephrology in China.

Point-of-care ultrasound in diagnosis and management of congestive nephropathy

Congestive nephropathy is kidney dysfunction caused by the impact of elevated venous pressures on renal hemodynamics.As a part of cardiorenal syndrome,the diagnosis is usually made based on history and physical examination,with findings such as jugular venous distension,a third heart sound,and vital signs as supporting findings.More recently,however,these once though objective measures have come under scrutiny for their accuracy.At the same time,bedside ultrasound has increased in popularity and is routinely being used by clinicians to take some of the guess work out of making the diagnosis of volume overload and venous congestion.In this mini-review,we will discuss some of the traditional methods used to measure venous congestion,describe the role of point-of-care ultrasound and how it can ameliorate a clinician’s evaluation,and offer a description of venous excess ultrasound score,a relatively novel scoring technique used to objectively quantify congestion.While there is a paucity of published large scale clinical trials evaluating the potential benefit of ultrasonography in venous congestion compared to gold standard invasive measurements,more study is underway to solidify the role of this objective measure in daily clinical practice.