Can Peripheral Venous Gases Replace Arterial Gases in a Patient with Chronic Kidney Disease?

Introduction: Metabolic acidosis (MA) is a frequent alteration in chronic kidney disease (CKD) that is associated with numerous complications, which is why its correction is recommended. Oral sodium bicarbonate is currently the treatment of choice. Objective: The objective is to determine if venous bicarbonate is equal to arterial bicarbonate in the follow-up of a patient with chronic kidney disease. Materials Methods: Single-center Cross-sectional studies in a cohort of adult patients with stage 4 - 5 CKD. Samples were taken between January 2022 and January 2023, in a Clinic in the city of Ibague/ Colombia obtained from the radial artery. The inclusion criteria were: not being treated with alkaline at the time of inclusion. Results: A total of 71 patients were included, 73.2% male (52) and 26.8% female (19), with different stages: stage 3 with 5.6% (4), stage 4 with 60.6% (43), stage 5 with 33.8% (23). 66.2% were diabetic, 88.7% had arterial hypertension, and 15.5% of the patients presented hematoma as a complication and pain associated with arterial puncture. The result of mean venous bicarbonate was 18.8 with a standard deviation of 2.3, arterial bicarbonate a mean of 19.4 with a standard deviation of 2.1 with a value of P 0.46, venous pH with a mean of 7.37 with a standard deviation of 0.48 and a mean arterial pH of 7.38 with a standard deviation of 0.48 with a P value of 0.01. Values of venous bicarbonate compared to arterial bicarbonate showed no statistically significant difference in patients with chronic kidney disease, but there were more complications such as hematoma and pain in patients in the arterial puncture cohort, because of this result venous bicarbonate corresponds to arterial bicarbonate, but has less risk of complications associated with the procedure. Conclusion: Metabolic acidosis is a frequent alteration in advanced chronic kidney disease, these results showed that the values of arterial and venous bicarbonate have no statistically significant differences, but there is a greater risk of complications with arterial blood gases, due to this, venous bicarbonate could be a useful tool for patients with chronic kidney disease.

IgA Nephropathy: Are We Doing Enough?

Immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) was first identified and described as a disease by Berger and Hinglais in 1968. It is the most common primary glomerulopathy worldwide [1], most prevalent in East Asians and Caucasians and rare in black individuals. There are four key elements that contribute to IgAN, which determine the severity, course, and prognosis of the disease: circulating IgA immunocomplexes that favor mesangial deposition, the efficiency of the reticuloendothelial system, mesangial cell affinity and reaction to mesangial accumulation of poorly glycosylated IgA1, and the renal tendency to glomerulosclerosis and interstitial fibrosis. Clinical manifestations among patients with IgAN include hematuria, approximately 40% to 50% of cases present with one or more episodes of hematuria, usually preceded by upper respiratory tract infections. Between 30% and 40% present with hematuria and non-nephrotic range proteinuria that may be associated with arterial hypertension and impaired renal function. The TESTING study reveal a significant decrease in outcomes such as the risk of a 40% decrease in glomerular filtration rate or the need for renal replacement therapy in the group treated with steroids. The decrease in renal function compared to the group treated in the previously mentioned STOP-IgAN trial was 4 times less than in the TESTING study. Are we doing enough? Obviously, more trials are required with the use of adequate nephroprotection measures. We present 3 patients with a diagnosis of IgA nephropathy who attend the follow-up consultation and voluntarily decide to take part in the review.