Table of contents
July 2007 Volume 3 No 7
Editorial
Viewpoint
Measuring health-related quality of life in patients with end-stage renal disease: why and how
352For clinicians treating chronic conditions such as end-stage renal disease (ESRD), the quality of patients' lives is an important consideration. This Viewpoint highlights the ways in which health-related quality of life can be measured in ESRD (e.g. with generic instruments that facilitate comparisons with the general population and between countries), and the difficulties of such measurement. The authors offer their suggestions of how best to obtain and use this information to improve the care and outcomes of patients with ESRD.
Research Highlights
N-terminal probrain natriuretic peptide level predictive of mortality in ESRD
354ARF in the critically ill: CRRT associated with better long-term outcomes than IHD
354Delaying dialysis until after uremic symptoms develop increases mortality risk
354Aspirin lowers S. aureus infection risk in hemodialysis patients with tunneled catheters
355Statin use is associated with a decreased risk of sepsis in patients on dialysis
355Do diuretics improve the survival of patients on hemodialysis?
356Does folic acid reduce cardiovascular deterioration in hemodialysis patients?
356Extrarenal CT angiography findings in potential living kidney donors: costs and consequences
357High prevalence of new-onset hyperglycemia in nondiabetic patients on peritoneal dialysis
357Safety and efficacy of once-daily tacrolimus: 1-year results
358Tacrolimus dose could be individualized according to CYP3A5 genotype
358Histological features of renal allograft biopsies in noncompliant patients
359Practice Points
Lowering salt intake—an important strategy in the management of renal disease
360Infusing vasopressin to prevent intradialytic hypotension
362Daily versus thrice-weekly hemodialysis for phosphorus control
364Does a home-based education program improve rates of living donor kidney transplantation?
366Are the effects of prolonged cold ischemia a barrier to long-distance transportation of living donor kidneys?
368Can partial auxiliary liver transplantation protect kidney grafts in highly sensitized patients?
370Reviews
Hospital-acquired hyponatremia—why are hypotonic parenteral fluids still being used?
374Hospitalized patients have several stimuli for vasopressin production that increase the risk of their serum sodium concentration dropping to dangerous levels. Here, Moritz and Ayus elegantly present evidence to support their opinion that prevention and management of hyponatremia are worryingly inadequate in many institutions. They assert that fundamental changes to long-standing, but erroneous, tenets of fluid therapy are needed to prevent unnecessary deaths.
doi:10.1038/ncpneph0526 | Full Text | PDF (263K)
Eleven reasons to control the protein intake of patients with chronic kidney disease
383The authors analyze experimental findings which indicate that limiting protein intake protects the kidney and ameliorates uremic symptoms, outline how the body adapts to reduced protein intake, and describe the metabolic benefits for people with chronic kidney disease. Data from randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses pertaining to the effects of low-protein diets in this population are reviewed.
doi:10.1038/ncpneph0524 | Full Text | PDF (261K)
Case Studies
End-stage renal disease due to polyomavirus in a cardiac transplant patient
393doi:10.1038/ncpneph0512 | Full Text | PDF (222K)
Hypercalcemia and diabetes insipidus in a patient previously treated with lithium
397doi:10.1038/ncpneph0525 | Full Text | PDF (274K)
