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Abderraman GM, Niang A, Mohamed T, Mahan JD, Luyckx VA. Understanding Similarities and Differences in CKD and Dialysis Care in Children and Adults. Semin Nephrol 2023; 43:151440. [PMID: 38016864 DOI: 10.1016/j.semnephrol.2023.151440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2023]
Abstract
In lower-income settings there is often a dearth of resources and nephrologists, especially pediatric nephrologists, and individual physicians often find themselves caring for patients with chronic kidney diseases and end-stage kidney failure across the age spectrum. The management of such patients in high-income settings is relatively protocolized and permits high-volume services to run efficiently. The basic principles of managing chronic kidney disease and providing dialysis are similar for adults and children, however, given the differences in body size, causes of kidney failure, nutrition, and growth between children and adults with kidney diseases, nephrologists must understand the relevance of these differences, and have an approach to providing quality and safe dialysis to each group. Prevention, early diagnosis, and early intervention with simple therapeutic and lifestyle interventions are achievable goals to manage symptoms, complications, and reduce progression, or avoid kidney failure in children and adults. These strategies currently are easier to implement in higher-resource settings with robust health systems. In many low-resource settings, kidney diseases are only first diagnosed at end stage, and resources to pay out of pocket for appropriate care are lacking. Many barriers therefore exist in these settings, where specialist nephrology personnel may be least accessible. To improve management of patients at all ages, we highlight differences and similarities, and provide practical guidance on the management of children and adults with chronic kidney disease and kidney failure. It is important that children are managed with a view to optimizing growth and well-being and maximizing future options (eg, maintaining vein health and optimizing cardiovascular risk), and that adults are managed with attention paid to quality of life and optimization of physical health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Mahamat Abderraman
- Department of Nephrology-Dialysis, Renaissance University Hospital Center, University of N'Djamena, Chad, Africa.
| | - Abdou Niang
- Department of Nephrology-Dialysis, Dalal Diam University Hospital Center, Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar, Senegal, Africa
| | - Tahagod Mohamed
- Pediatric Nephrology, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus OH
| | - John D Mahan
- Pediatric Nephrology, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus OH; Nationwide Children's Hospital Center for Faculty Development, Columbus OH
| | - Valerie A Luyckx
- Renal Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA; Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Department of Public and Global Health, Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
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Hashmi S, Abid A, Sultan S, Shekhani SS, Lanewala AA, Zafar MN. Primary hyperoxaluria and genetic linkages: an insight into the disease burden from Pakistan. Urolithiasis 2022; 50:439-445. [PMID: 35678848 DOI: 10.1007/s00240-022-01338-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Autosomal recessive disorders are prevalent in Pakistan, a developing South Asian country where consanguineous marriages are common. This study seeks to determine the prevalence of monogenic causes in children presenting with nephrocalcinosis and nephrolithiasis at a dialysis and transplant center in Karachi, Pakistan. A retrospective analysis was conducted in children aged 1-18 years presenting with nephrocalcinosis, between 2010 and 2019. Demographic information, clinical profile, laboratory parameters and stone analysis were collected, on a pre-designed questionnaire. One hundred and twenty-six children were included, with 11 and 3 diagnosed with renal tubular acidosis and Bartter's syndrome respectively. Next-generation sequencing and Sanger sequencing was performed on 112 children. Eighty-seven patients were diagnosed with primary hyperoxaluria, with mutations in alanine-glyoxylate-aminotransferase gene found in 73, followed by glyoxylate reductase/hydroxy-pyruvate reductase in 13, and 4-hydroxy-2-oxaloglutarate aldolase in 1. Twenty-five patients reported negative for mutations. Sixty-four percent were males, with a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05). History of parental consanguineous marriage was found in 98% of the cohort. Fifty-four and 40 patients presented to the clinic with Chronic Kidney Disease Stage 1 and Stage 5, respectively, with a statistically significant difference p = 0.007. Mutations noted in our cohort are different and more severe than those reported in the developed world. The disease poses a major disease burden in developing world context with the only treatment option of combined liver-kidney transplantation not available in Pakistan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seema Hashmi
- Department of Pediatric Nephrology, Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT), Karachi, Pakistan.
| | - Aiysha Abid
- Department of Genetics, Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT), Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Sajid Sultan
- Department of Pediatric Urology, Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT), Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Sualeha Siddiq Shekhani
- Centre of Biomedical Ethics and Culture, Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT), Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Ali Asghar Lanewala
- Department of Pediatric Nephrology, Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT), Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Mirza Naqi Zafar
- Department of Pathology, Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT), Karachi, Pakistan
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Ashuntantang G, Miljeteig I, Luyckx VA. Bedside rationing and moral distress in nephrologists in sub- Saharan Africa. BMC Nephrol 2022; 23:196. [PMID: 35614418 PMCID: PMC9131991 DOI: 10.1186/s12882-022-02827-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Kidney diseases constitute an important proportion of the non-communicable disease (NCD) burden in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), though prevention, diagnosis and treatment of kidney diseases are less prioritized in public health budgets than other high-burden NCDs. Dialysis is not considered cost-effective, and for those patients accessing the limited service available, high out-of-pocket expenses are common and few continue care over time. This study assessed challenges faced by nephrologists in SSA who manage patients needing dialysis. The specific focus was to investigate if and how physicians respond to bedside rationing situations. Methods A survey was conducted among a randomly selected group of nephrologists from SSA. The questionnaire was based on a previously validated survey instrument. A descriptive and narrative approach was used for analysis. Results Among 40 respondents, the majority saw patients weekly with acute kidney injury (AKI) or end-stage kidney failure (ESKF) in need of dialysis whom they could not dialyze. When dialysis was provided, clinical compromises were common, and 66% of nephrologists reported lack of basic diagnostics and medication and > 80% reported high out-of-pocket expenses for patients. Several patient-, disease- and institutional factors influenced who got access to dialysis. Patients’ financial constraints and poor chances of survival limited the likelihood of receiving dialysis (reported by 79 and 78% of nephrologists respectively), while a patient’s being the family bread-winner increased the likelihood (reported by 56%). Patient and institutional constraints resulted in most nephrologists (88%) frequently having to make difficult choices, sometimes having to choose between patients. Few reported existence of priority setting guidelines. Most nephrologists (74%) always, often or sometimes felt burdened by ethical dilemmas and worried about patients out of hospital hours. As a consequence, almost 46% of nephrologists reported frequently regretting their choice of profession and 26% had considered leaving the country. Conclusion Nephrologists in SSA face harsh priority setting at the bedside without available guidance. The moral distress is high. While publicly funded dialysis treatment might not be prioritized in essential health care packages on the path to universal health coverage, the suffering of the patients, families and the providers must be acknowledged and addressed to increase fairness in these decisions. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12882-022-02827-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gloria Ashuntantang
- Yaoundé General Hospital Faculty of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon.,Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Bamenda, Bamenda, Cameroon
| | - Ingrid Miljeteig
- Bergen Centre for Ethics and Priority Setting, Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway. .,Department of Research and Development, Helse Bergen Health Trust, Bergen, Norway.
| | - Valerie A Luyckx
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Renal Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Nephrology, University Children's Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland
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Chen JHC, Lim WH, Howson P. Changing landscape of dialysis withdrawal in patients with kidney failure: Implications for clinical practice. Nephrology (Carlton) 2022; 27:551-565. [PMID: 35201646 PMCID: PMC9315017 DOI: 10.1111/nep.14032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Dialysis withdrawal has become an accepted treatment option for patients with kidney failure and is one of the leading causes of death in patients receiving dialysis in high-income countries. Despite its increasing acceptance, dialysis withdrawal currently lacks a clear, consistent definition. The processes and outcomes of dialysis withdrawal have wide temporal and geographical variability, attributed to dialysis patient selection, influence from cultural, religious and spiritual beliefs, and availability of kidney replacement therapy and conservative kidney management. As a complex, evolving process, dialysis withdrawal poses an enormous challenge for clinicians and healthcare teams with various limitations precluding a peaceful and smooth transition between active dialysis and end-of-life care. In this review, we examine the current definitions of dialysis withdrawal, the temporal and geographical patterns of dialysis withdrawal, international barriers in the decision-making process (including dialysis withdrawal during the COVID-19 pandemic), and gaps in the current dialysis withdrawal recommendations for clinical consideration and future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenny H C Chen
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia.,Wollongong Hospital, Wollongong, Australia
| | - Wai H Lim
- Department of Nephrology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth, Australia.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | - Prue Howson
- Department of Nephrology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth, Australia
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Pais P, Wightman A. Addressing the Ethical Challenges of Providing Kidney Failure Care for Children: A Global Stance. Front Pediatr 2022; 10:842783. [PMID: 35359883 PMCID: PMC8963107 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2022.842783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Children with kidney failure require kidney replacement therapy (KRT), namely maintenance dialysis and kidney transplant. Adequate kidney failure care consists of KRT or conservative treatment with palliative care. In the context of kidney failure, children depend on parents who are their surrogate decision-makers, and the pediatric nephrology team for taking decisions about KRT or conservative care. In this paper, we discuss the ethical challenges that arise relating to such decision-making, from a global perspective, using the framework of pediatric bioethics. While many ethical dilemmas in the care of children with KRT are universal, the most significant ethical dilemma is the inequitable access to KRT in low & middle income countries (LMICs) where rates of morbidity and mortality depend on the family's ability to pay. Children with kidney failure in LMICs have inadequate access to maintenance dialysis, timely kidney transplant and palliative care compared to their counterparts in high income countries. Using case vignettes, we highlight how these disparities place severe burdens on caregivers, resulting in difficult decision-making, and lead to moral distress among pediatric nephrologists. We conclude with key action points to change this status-quo, the most important being advocacy by the global pediatric nephrology community for better access to affordable kidney failure care for children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priya Pais
- Department of Pediatric Nephrology, St. John's Medical College, St. John's National Academy of Health Sciences, Bangalore, India
| | - Aaron Wightman
- Division of Bioethics and Palliative Care, Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, United States.,Division of Nephrology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, United States.,Treuman Katz Center for Pediatric Bioethics, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, United States
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