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The COVID-19 pandemic has limited the freedom of any citizen, further increased constraint for people in EHPAD - the most widespread type of French Residential care for senior citizens with a high level of dependency, often very aged, suffering multiple pathologies and sometimes psycho-behavioral disorders. "Golden" containment rule was 24/7 confinement in their room, with the very restrictive framework - up to NO visiting by relatives - and very often with a total absence of consent as for screening sample decisions. We can then question the fundamentals of such restriction of freedom, which is a constitutional right for everybody, including for residents in EHPAD, especially non-compliance with self-determination and consent. The principal objective has been a collective interest, before the individual right and the benefit for the patient itself. Nothing would have been justifying to create a possible risk to other residents, generated by another resident's behavior or one of his relatives. But these safety measures were taken despite the underlying risk of deteriorating individual situations through social and emotional isolation, and thus to further reduce autonomy capacities. "Luckily" the know-how and creative spirit of EHPAD professionals limited the consequences of this restriction of freedom. Hard lessons should be learned from share experiences if such a context were to occur again. But above all arises the question of the place of these dependent people in our society. It is essential to think collectively about these living spaces including protocols that should reflect people's choice and on-location adapted to be more open to the outside/foreigners visits. Spaces shall be adapted to their vulnerability, designed to reduce isolation, to repeat such extreme restrictive measures in the event if it shall occur. Of course, rigorous confinement rules allowed to limit deaths linked to the COVID infection, but at the risk of dying in loneliness and grief., (© 2020 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Respect of patient's autonomy is essential. So that patients are able to write their advance directives in case of a situation where they are unable to make decisions for themselves. Currently, few people have written advance directives. We studied the feasibility of a systematic implementation of advance directives in haemodialysis patients. This prospective, single-center study was conducted in an ambulatory hemodialysis center. There were 4 steps: caregivers survey about advance directives; selection of patients and information about advance directives; writing advance directives with the interested patients; and finally, non-participation causes assessment of the other informed patients. Caregivers are not comfortable with advance directives, and have reluctances: the patient's lack of medical knowledge; the anxiety generated by end-of-life talk. Fifty-six patients (51.6%) were included and received the information. Nine of them wanted to write their advance directives on a suitable form. Eight finalised them (7.4% of the initial population). The majority wanted a therapeutic limitation. Twenty-nine patients, who have received the information about advance directives, didn't want to write them, the main reason was that they felt healthy or that they thought that their relatives would take the right decisions. Eighteen patients left the centre during the study. The development of advance directives requires information and training of caregivers and patient support. Few patients went to the end of the process. The limit of the patient's ability to decide for himself is difficult to define. The role of the doctor is central to accompany the patient during this process., (Copyright © 2020 Société francophone de néphrologie, dialyse et transplantation. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Background: Vancomycin is usually administered after the dialysis sessions to patients undergoing hemodialysis. Administration of vancomycin during (as opposed to after) sessions would save time, and would be more acceptable to patients and staff, but may lead to vancomycin underexposure. The aim of this study was to propose a new dosing regimen of vancomycin taking into account the dialysis-related losses of vancomycin when administered during dialysis., Methods: In this monocentric prospective study, vancomycin was infused to dialyzed patients during the last hour of the dialysis session at increased doses. Monitoring of vancomycin was performed using repeated blood samples by pharmacokinetics modeling. Patients were treated according to our protocol and guidelines., Results: Twenty patients were included. Vancomycin protocol was efficient: 17 of 20 (85%) patients were cured, 1 needed additional vancomycin treatment, and 2 died (sepsis n = 1, multiple organ failure n = 1). Median pre-dialysis concentration was adequate (16.2 [10.2-24.4] µg/mL), and there was no emergence of resistant bacteria. Infusion of vancomycin during dialysis therefore decreased the exposure to vancomycin by 25% compared to infusion of vancomycin after dialysis. For a typical patient, the dose of vancomycin to be administered during dialysis would be 1.4 g., Conclusion: Administration of vancomycin during the last hour of dialysis session is safe, efficacious with regards to infection control, achieved recommended vancomycin concentrations despite the use of high-flux membranes, and improved patients' quality of life., (© 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Introduction: Hemodiafiltration is currently one of the most effective techniques of extra-renal purification but results in an increase of albumin loss in dialysate. We aimed to determine the factors associated with albumin loss during post-dilution hemodiafiltration, compare an "automatic" mode of infusate flow control versus a "manual" control, and assess the potential nutritional impact., Methods: This prospective observational study included all hemodialysis patients in our institution who underwent post-dilution hemodiafiltration 3 times a week on a Fresenius 5008 for at least 2 months. At each session, albumin content was measured in a representative effluent dialysate volume. The automatic mode of the Fresenius 5008 was used for automatic infusate flow control., Results: In all, 18 patients (mean age 60.7 ± 15 years) underwent 85 post-dilution hemodiafiltration sessions. The mean albumin loss was 3134 ± 2450 mg/session. Albumin loss was significantly affected by infusate flow, infusate volume, transmembrane pressure and ultrafiltration volume. The loss was greater with Toraysulfone and FX 1000 membranes rather than FX 80 or FX 100 membranes. With AutoSub rather than manual control, infusate flow was greater (P<.001), transmembrane pressure was higher (P = .004), and the albumin loss was greater (P = .010). However, there was no correlation between albumin loss and nutritional variables., Conclusions: Albumin loss during post-dilution hemodiafiltration was correlated with increased transmembrane pressure and infusate flow, especially AutoSub flow control, and type of membrane. However, this loss, when moderate, did not seem to affect nutritional aspects and should not limit the use of hemodiafiltration.

Background: Physical comorbidities and depression are associated with poor health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis, but little is known about the impact of psychological determinants such as coping strategies in this association. This study examined the relation between psychosocial factors, particularly health-related locus of control (HLOC) and quality of life (QoL) in chronic hemodialisys patients., Methods: Three hundred hemodialysis patients underwent assessment of QoL (SF-36), depression (Beck Depression Inventory score), anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory), and HLOC profile (Multidimensional Health Locus of Control scale). Comorbidities and sociodemographic factors were assessed., Results: All QoL scores were low. Depression and comorbidities were negatively correlated with physical QoL components and depression, anxiety, and comorbidities were negatively correlated with mental components. However, internal locus of control (LOC) and external LOC (influence of "powerful others") were positively correlated with mental QoL components. Multiple regression analysis showed internal LOC significantly and positively associated with mental QoL components, especially mental health score (P < 0.01)., Conclusions: Altered QoL of patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis is associated with physical and psychiatric comorbidities, in particular depression and anxiety. However, internal and external LOC seem to have differential impact on QoL. Increasing awareness and empowerment of the internal and external components of the LOC could help patients improving QoL., (Copyright © 2012 The Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Some hemodialysed patients need definitive central venous catheterization. One of the main complications is catheter infection, and each infection must be treated. We report a case of an unusual cause of central venous catheter (CVC) infection: physical examination and catheter opacification demonstrated two pin-holes in the catheter. It was possible to salvage the catheter following a treatment regimen combining systemic antibiotics, antibiotic locks, fibrinolytics, and removal of a catheter segment.

Gaseous microemboli can arise in extracorporeal lines and devices such as dialysis machines. They are associated with severe pulmonary side effects in patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis sessions. The goal of this study was to develop a gaseous emboli trapper using ultrasound waves to remove any air bubble from the tubing system before they reach the patient. A homemade bubble trapper, developed in the laboratory, consists of a Perspex block containing a main channel connected to the tubing of a hemodialysis machine and a second subchannel positioned perpendicularly to the main one, used to trap the air microemboli. The microemboli flowing in the main channel were insonified through an acoustic window with an ultrasound wave, at a frequency of 500 kHz and with a maximal acoustic pressure of 500 kPa, generated by a single-element transducer positioned 3 cm away from the main flow. The radiation force induced by the ultrasound beam acts directly on the flowing air emboli, by pushing them into the subchannel. Two Doppler probes operating both at 2 MHz, connected to a DWL Doppler machine were placed before and after the bubble trapper to count sequentially the number of embolic events. The flow of the machine was varied between 200 mL/min and 500 mL/min. Depending on the flow velocity, the number of microembolic signals (MES) detected by the Doppler probes before and after the trapping system was identical and ranged from 5 to 150 MES/min in absence of the ultrasound irradiation. When the air bubble trapper was activated, a reduction of the number of MES, up to 70%, was achieved. Doppler recordings suggest that the circulating bubbles were either fragmented into smaller bubble fragments or directly got pushed into the second subchannel where they were collected. This simple approach using an ultrasound-based trapping system was shown to operate adequately with the current settings and can be used to filter air microemboli.

Context: Erdheim-Chester disease (ECD) is a rare non-Langerhans form of histiocytosis characterized by xanthomatous tissue infiltration with CD68(+) CD1a(-) foamy histiocytes. Endocrine problems, such as diabetes insipidus and hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, frequently occur in ECD, but bilateral adrenal infiltration has rarely been reported in this disease., Objective: The aim of the study was to describe adrenal and periadrenal infiltration in ECD., Patients: A total of 22 patients with ECD undergoing systematic computed tomography to search for signs of adrenal enlargement participated in the study., Results: Of the 22 patients with ECD, seven (31.8%) displayed adrenal infiltration on computed tomography. In one case, autopsy confirmed that the adrenal enlargement was due to foamy histiocyte infiltration in the adrenal glands. Possible adrenal insufficiency was assessed in five of the seven patients. One developed signs of adrenal insufficiency, which was confirmed by adrenocorticotropin stimulation tests. Adrenal involvement was reported in only 15 of the 240 ECD cases published up to May 2006. This frequency is significantly lower than that in our series (P = 0.0008; Fisher's exact test)., Conclusion: Physicians should be aware of ECD as a possible cause of morphological changes in adrenal size and infiltration.

Withdrawal from dialysis is a frequent cause of death in chronic dialysis patients in a French population, as it is in North America. In both populations dialysis was withdrawn in about 20%, but the characteristics of patients and the decision-making procedure were different. In France, patients in whom dialysis was withdrawn were most often at the end of their life, and the physician essentially made the decision. This decision was often difficult to make and be accepted, particularly when the patient chose himself to stop the dialysis, even if life expectancy would be long on dialysis. A discussion including the patient, his family and the medical staff is crucial. The modification of the French law about the rights of patients at the end of their life will be assistance when such decisions take place, especially in non-conscious patients who are at the end of their life, and in those who want to stop dialysis. Philosophical and ethical reflection with its concepts for autonomy and dignity can be a valuable aid in such situations.

Background: Discontinuation of dialysis is a common cause of death in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients in North America and the UK, but appears to be unusual in the rest of Europe. The aim of this retrospective study was to characterize withdrawal from dialysis in a French population cohort., Methods: We assessed the cause of death, and the medical and social characteristics of chronic dialysis patients in a French population who died in 2001. We compared patients who died after withdrawal from dialysis and patients continuing dialysis until death. We determined the decision-making process when dialysis was withdrawn., Results: In a population cohort of 1436 dialysis patients, 196 died (13.9%). Of them, 40 patients (20.4%) died following withdrawal from dialysis. This was the most common cause of death, followed by cardio-vascular disease (18.4%). Patients withdrawing from dialysis had a significantly higher rate of dementia (17.5 vs 6.4%, P = 0.02), a poor general condition (55 vs 15.4%, P < 0.001), and were dependent in their life for everyday activities in comparison with patients who died from other causes. They were not different in age, sex, duration of dialysis treatment, dialysis technique, cardio-vascular disease, diabetes, stroke or cancer, but the sample size was small. Treatment was more often removed in patients with severe medical complications and/or cachexia (90%). The decision to stop dialysis was made most often by a physician (77.5%)., Conclusion: Death after withdrawing from dialysis was the most common cause of death in ESRD patients in our French population cohort. The patients who died after discontinuation of treatment were more often in a poor general condition, near the end of life, and most often the physician decided to stop dialysis treatment.

Background: The goal of this article is to assess the value of endovascular techniques for the salvage of fistulas that fail to mature., Methods: Over a 6-year period, 52 dysfunctional and 17 thrombosed immature forearm fistulas (mean age 10 weeks) were treated by interventional radiology. Angiography was performed by puncture of the brachial artery but dilation of underlying stenoses was performed after cannulation of the fistula itself, whenever possible, with a balloon never smaller than 5 mm. Embolization or ligation of any type of vein was never indicated and never performed. For thrombosed fistulas, significant clots were removed by manual catheter-directed aspiration. A covered stent (Passager) was used in cases of dilation-induced rupture not controlled by balloon tamponade., Results: An underlying stenosis was diagnosed in 100% of cases. Half of them were located in the anastomotic area. The initial success rate of interventional radiology was 97%. Dilation-induced rupture occurred in nine cases (13%) but stents were necessary in only two cases. The rate of significant clinical complications was 2.8% (bacteraemia, pseudoaneurysm). Primary and secondary patency rates at 1 year were 39 and 79%, respectively., Conclusions: Delayed maturation of native fistulas should lead systematically to imaging as an underlying stenosis is diagnosed in all cases. Interventional radiology can treat the majority of cases and achieve a 97% success rate but early recurrence of stenoses can occur. Multidisciplinary re-evaluation of the patient must, therefore, be performed after radiological salvage of the fistula.

Background/aim: In idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (INS), ciclosporin A (CsA) was shown to decrease proteinuria, an effect explained by its immunologic and hemodynamic actions. In order to determine whether CsA could have a direct action on glomerular cells, we studied the effect of CsA on glomerular cells in vitro, particularly on glycosaminoglcycans (GAG) and heparan sulfates (HS) which are decreased in INS patients., Methods: Human glomerular epithelial cells and rat mesangial cells were cultured at various concentrations of CsA. HS were quantified using a cationic membrane after metabolic labeling., Results: Mesangial cell GAG and HS and epithelial cell HS increased significantly when cells were cultured with CsA. For both cell types this increase was prevailing on the secreted fraction of HS in comparison with the cellular fraction. CsA induced also an increase in cellular cAMP levels, but the effect of CsA was not transduced via a cAMP pathway., Conclusions: CsA is able to increase glomerular GAG and HS in vitro. As this effect of CsA was the opposite effect on glomerular cells to the effect of plasma from INS patients, we conclude that this direct action of CsA on glomerular cells could explain in part the effect of this drug in decreasing proteinuria in INS., (Copyright 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel)

The physiopathological mechanisms of idiopathic nephrotic syndrome involve a circulating plasma factor and a decrease in HS in the glomerular basement membrane. Previous studies have demonstrated that plasma from patients with INS decreases glomerular cell HS in vitro. We examined the involvement of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) in this interaction. We studied the effect of plasma from patients with INS on mesangial cell cAMP. We also determined mesangial cell HS when cAMP levels were modified using a cationic membrane after metabolic labeling. Cellular cAMP levels increased significantly when mesangial cells were incubated with plasma from patients with INS in comparison with control plasma (+77%, P = 0.01). Forskolin and IBMX, which increased cellular cAMP, decreased HS levels (-21 +/- 9% and -15 +/- 6% respectively, P < 0.05 for both), whereas dideoxyadenosine, which decreased cellular cAMP, increased HS levels (+24 +/- 7%, P < 0.05). Plasma from patients with INS decreased glomerular cell HS in comparison with control plasma (-34 +/- 8%, P < 0,05). This effect was abolished when cells were preincubated with ddAdo to prevent an increase in cAMP levels. We conclude that in mesangial cells, plasma from patients with INS increases cAMP levels, and that cAMP mediates a decrease in HS levels. Moreover, the action of plasma from patients on HS was inhibited when an increase in cAMP was prevented. cAMP may therefore be instrumental in the negative effect of the plasma factor on mesangial cell HS., (Copyright 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)

Purpose: We assess long-term arterial pressure, renal function, and patient and graft survival in recipients of cadaveric kidney transplant with or without transplant renal artery stenosis. We also evaluate the risk factors for transplant renal artery stenosis., Materials and Methods: We reviewed and analyzed baseline clinical, immunological and outcome data for 26 patients with transplant renal artery stenosis before and after angioplasty, and 72 without stenosis on angiography. We also analyzed graft and patient survival in 304 cases in which angiography was not performed., Results: The incidence of transplant renal artery stenosis was 6.6% (26 of 402 patients). Acute rejection episodes (42 versus 22%, p <0.05) and delayed graft function (50 versus 32%, p <0.10) were more frequent, and mean cold ischemia time plus or minus standard error (29.2+/-1.7 versus 24.8+/-1.3 hours, p <0.01) was longer in patients with than without transplant renal artery stenosis. The technical success of angioplasty was 92.3%. Restenosis was documented in 6 of 26 patients (23.1%). Revascularization resulted in a decrease in arterial pressure and better renal function. The 8-year patient (100, 98.6 and 95.7%, respectively) and graft (88.1, 88.9 and 89.3%, respectively) actuarial survival rates were similar among patients with or without transplant renal artery stenosis, and those who did not undergo angiography., Conclusions: Transplant renal artery stenosis had no detectable influence on long-term arterial pressure control, renal function, and patient and graft survival rates, which were similar to those in patients without stenosis. Long cold ischemia time may have a role in the development of transplant renal artery stenosis through ischemia/reperfusion injury.

We assessed the long-term (M +/- SE: 68 +/- 3 months) arterial pressure and renal function of cadaveric kidney transplant recipients with and without significant (> 70% diameter reduction) transplant renal artery stenosis (TRAS) at angiography. Baseline clinical, immunological and outcome data for 26 patients with TRAS (incidence of TRAS: 6.6%) before and following angioplasty and 72 patients without stenosis at angiography were reviewed and analyzed. The 2 groups were similar with respect to recipient sex ratio and age (45 vs 46), duration of transplantation (7 months), cause of renal failure, donor sex and age, HLA-antigen mismatches and titers of anti-HLA antibodies, CMV infection and anti-CMV antibodies in donors and recipients. The technical success of angioplasty was 92.3%. Restenosis was documented in 6/26 patients (23.1%). Revascularization resulted in a decrease of arterial pressure and number of antihypertensive medications and a lower serum creatinine compared to baseline values. The long-term arterial pressure and serum creatinine levels were similar in patients with and without stenosis. In conclusion, TRAS after revascularization had no detectable influence on the long-term arterial pressure control and renal function within a follow-up period of 68 +/- 3 months.

Xenotransplantation, the transplantation of tissues or organs between species find renewal interest because of human organ shortage. As the xenogeneic transplantation leads immediately to an humoral mediated rejection with graft necrosis, the study of the cellular response is not possible in vivo. So we developed an in vitro model to study the adhesion of human peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) to porcine aortic endothelial cells (PAEC). We showed that PBL were able to bind to PAEC, and that this adhesion was increased when PAEC were stimulated with human recombinant TNF-alpha. The action of TNF-alpha is maximal when PAEC were stimulated during 6 hours with 100 U/ml TNF-alpha. This adhesion involved preferentially CD3-CD16+ NK cells compared with CD3+CD16- T lymphocytes. Finally monoclonal antibodies directed against PBL adhesion molecules decreased PBL adhesion to PAEC. PBL adhesion to PAEC would be a first step in a cellular mediated rejection in xenotransplantation.

Over 54 months, 70 short stenoses of 63 shunts (32 Brescia-Cimino fistulas, 31 grafts) in 59 patients necessitated a first percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA). Restenosis led to 63 redilations in 38 lesions. Nine stents were inserted in seven grafts and two proximal veins in seven patients, the indication being that stenosis had recurred twice in 6 months. In three of these stenoses, five delayed intrastent redilations were necessary. Three previously dilated occluded grafts were recovered with local thrombolysis. Morbidity was 4.08%, with one immediate rupture, four delayed pseudoaneurysms (1-28 months), and two periprocedural bacteremias. Half (15 of 29) of graft stenoses and only 14% (four of 27) of Brescia-Cimino fistula stenoses had a mean restenosis interval of less than 6 months. The mean restenosis interval increased from 3.6 months +/- 0.5 (standard deviation) before stent placement to 15.2 months +/- 0.4 after stent placement (P < .001). Insertion of a stent can be advised when stenoses of graft venous anastomoses have recurred twice in less than 6 months. The combination of all interventional radiologic procedures allowed a significant improvement in secondary patency rates after PTA, with 82% at 1 year, 79% at 2 years, and 71% at 3 years.