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Background and Aims: Intradialytic parenteral nutrition (IDPN) is a safe and effective patient-tailored nutritional strategy for providing nutrient supplementation to malnourished or at risk of malnutrition patients on hemodialysis (HD), who did not adequately respond to intensive dietary counselling and oral nutritional supplementation. Although IDPN is recommended by current ESPEN and KDOQI guidelines for nutrition in HD patients, none of these documents informs how to successfully implement this therapy, being the lack of knowledge on practical aspects of IDPN one of the main limitations to its use. The aim of this narrative review was to provide a practical roadmap for guiding the nephrologists, dietitians, and renal nurses in their everyday clinical practice about the use of IDPN., Methods: A multidisciplinary group formed by specialists from the areas of Nephrology and Nutrition agreed to address different practical aspects related to IDPN in HD patients. Based on the available evidence in the literature and on the authors' clinical experience, different topics were selected to develop a detailed plan for implementing a successful experience with IDPN, proposing a practical IDPN roadmap., Results: This IDPN roadmap provides practical information on when an IDPN should be started; what type of nutrients should be part of an IDPN; how the IDPN should be administered; how the effectiveness and safety of the IDPN should be monitored; how to determine the effectiveness of IDPN; and the conditions that advise discontinuing the IDPN., Conclusions: IDPN is a safe and effective nutritional therapy for HD patients, although the lack of staff training may limit its use. This review addresses different practical aspects of IDPN, helping interdisciplinary teams in their daily clinical practice to improve the nutritional care of HD patients, either malnourished or at risk of malnutrition., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest P. Molina has received consulting and/or speaker fees from CSL Vifor, Fresenius Kabi, Abbot, Baxter, Palex and Medtronic. G. Barril has received consulting and/or speaker fees from Baxter, Abbot, Nutricia and Fresenius Kabbi. S. Cigarrán has received speaker fees from Astra Zeneca, ChemoCentrix, Novo Nordisk and Chiessi. J.J. Carrero has received speaker fees from Baxter Healthcare SA. The other authors declare no other conflicts of interest that might be perceived as affecting the objectivity of this study. The funders had no role in the design of this study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to publish the results., (Copyright © 2024 European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In recent years, the meaning of adequacy in peritoneal dialysis has changed. We have witnessed a transition from an exclusive achievement of specific objectives -namely solute clearances and ultrafiltration- to a more holistic approach more focused to on the quality of life of these patients. The purpose of this document is to provide recommendations, updated and oriented to social and health environment, for the adequacy and prescription of peritoneal dialysis. The document has been divided into three main sections: adequacy, residual kidney function and prescription of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis and automated peritoneal dialysis. Recently, a guide on the same topic has been published by a Committee of Experts of the International Society of Peritoneal Dialysis (ISPD 2020). In consideration of the contributions of the group of experts and the quasi-simultaneity of the two projects, references are made to this guide in the relevant sections. We have used a systematic methodology (GRADE), which specifies the level of evidence and the strength of the proposed suggestions and recommendations, facilitating future updates of the document., (Copyright © 2024.)

Chronic kidney disease-associated pruritus is itching directly related to kidney disease that cannot be explained by any other condition. Despite technological advances in the different aspects of dialysis sessions and the best treatment for chronic kidney disease patients, it is still a common problem in our patients. The many complex physiological mechanisms involved, the different hypotheses made over the years on the aetiology of the condition, and the great clinical variability may partially explain the limited knowledge about this problem and the difficulties in treating it. The presence of all these factors leads to the persistence of unpleasant symptoms, which must affect the disease burden and quality of life of kidney patients. Through the presentation of an illustrative clinical case, the aim of this review article is to highlight the need for adequate diagnosis and an improved approach to all aspects of chronic kidney disease-associated pruritus, in view of the heavy burden of the disease and the huge impact on the patient's quality of life.

Competing Interests: None declared.

Introduction: This study aimed to assess the feasibility of applying natural language processing (NLP) to analyze real-world data (RWD) and resolve clinical problems in patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism and chronic kidney disease undergoing hemodialysis (SHPT/CKD-HD). The primary objective was to evaluate how well the guideline-recommended analytical goals are achieved in a Spanish cohort of SHPT/CKD-HD patients based on RWD., Methods: Unstructured data in the electronic health records (EHRs) from 8 hospitals were retrospectively analyzed using the EHRead ® technology, based on NLP and machine learning. Variables extracted from EHRs included demographics, CKD-related clinical characteristics, comorbidities and complications, mineral and bone disorder parameter levels, and treatments at baseline, 6-month, and 12-month follow-up., Results: A total of 623 prevalent SHPT/CKD-HD patients were identified; of those, 282 fulfilled the inclusion criteria. They were predominantly elderly males with cardiovascular comorbidities, and the first cause of CKD was diabetic nephropathy. Diagnosis of SHPT was associated with an improvement in median values for PTH, calcium, and phosphate. However, the percentage of patients with normal PTH ranges remained stable during the study period (52.8-60.4%), while the percentage of patients with within-target range serum calcium or phosphate values showed an increasing trend (43.2-60% and 38.8-50%). At baseline, 74.1% of patients were using SHPT-related medication, including at least one vitamin D or analog (63.1%), phosphate binders (46.8%), and/or calcimimetics (9.6%)., Conclusions: This study represents the first attempt to use clinical NLP to analyze SHPT/CKD-HD patients based on unstructured clinical data. This methodology is useful to address clinical problems based on RWD and identified a high rate of out-of-range mineral-bone analytical values in patients with HPT/CKD-HD and an increasing trend of out-of-range values for serum calcium and phosphate., Competing Interests: Alberto Ortiz has received consultancy, speaker fees, or travel support from AstraZeneca, Amicus, Amgen, Fresenius Medical Care, Bayer, Sanofi-Genzyme, Menarini, Kyowa Kirin, Alexion, Otsuka, and Vifor Fresenius Medical Care Renal Pharma and is Director of the Catedra Mundipharma-UAM of diabetic kidney disease and the Catedra AstraZeneca-UAM of chronic kidney disease and electrolytes. Jose Portoles has received consultancy, speaker fees, or travel support from Amgen, Astellas, Alexion, and Vifor Fresenius Medical Care Renal Pharma; none of them related with present study. Patricia de Sequera has received consultancy or speaker fees or travel support from AstraZeneca, Amgen, Fresenius Medical Care, Baxter, Nipro, Vifor Fresenius Medical Care Renal Pharma, and Astellas. Mariano Rodriguez has received consultancy or speaker fees or travel support from Amgen, Kiowa Kirin, and Viphor. Borja Quiroga has received consultancy or speaker fees or travel support from Amgen, Astellas, Sanofi-Genzyme, Otsuka, and Vifor Fresenius Medical Care Renal Pharma; none of them related with present study. Jose Portoles has received consultancy or speaker fees or travel support from Vifor Fresenius Medical Care, Astellas, Otsuka, and GSK during the last 3 years; none of them related with present study., (© 2023 The Author(s). Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Defined as the unpleasant sensation that causes the desire to scratch, pruritus is the most common skin symptom associated with uremia and appears in almost half of patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD). Beyond its direct impact on quality of life, CKD-associated pruritus (CKD-aP) is an independent predictor of mortality that also has a synergistic effect with other quality of life-related symptoms, such as insomnia, depression, and anxiety. Although different mechanisms have been proposed to explain the origin of Pa-ERC, its etiopathogenesis is still not fully understood. Since new therapeutic targets have been identified and several clinical trials have recently shown promising results, our current understanding of the interrelationships has expanded significantly and the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying CKD-aP are now considered to be multifactorial. The potential triggers of pruritus in patients with CKD are discussed in this review, including hypotheses about skin xerosis, accumulation of uremic toxins, dysregulation of the immune system and systemic inflammation, uremic neuropathy, and imbalances in the endogenous opioid system. Other non-uremic causes of pruritus are also discussed, with the aim of guiding the physicians to apply an adequate aetiopathogenic approach to CKD-aP in their day-to-day clinical practice., (Copyright © 2022 Sociedad Española de Nefrología. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Pruritus associated with chronic kidney disease is defined as the sensation of itching, in people with chronic kidney disease, in a one area or all over the body that causes the need to scratch, after having ruled out other dermatological or systemic causes. It is an old and known problem whose prevalence has been able to decrease with the improvement of dialytic techniques but which still persists and is underdiagnosed., Objectives: The objective of this study was to analyse the current perception of nephrologists about this problem that influences the quality of life of people with chronic kidney disease through a survey., Results: 135 nephrologists, most of them engaged in haemodialysis, participated. 86% considered that pruritus associated with chronic kidney disease is still a problem today that affects the quality of life. Most nephrologists believe that the main pathophysiological cause is uremic toxins (60%) and only 16% believe that it is due to the dysregulation of the opioid system/endorphins-dynorphins. Only 16% comment that the prevalence of pruritus in their centre is greater than 20%. 40% believe that the diagnosis is made because it is manifested by the patient and only 27% because it is asked by the doctor. Moreover, it is not usual to use scales to measure it or the codification in the medical records. The main treatment used is antihistamines (96%), followed by moisturizers/anaesthetics (93%) and modification of the dialysis regimen (70%)., Conclusions: Pruritus associated with chronic kidney disease is still a current problem, it is underdiagnosed, not codified and with a lack of indicated, effective and safe treatments. Nephrologists do not know its real prevalence and the different pathophysiological mechanisms involved in its development. Many therapeutic options are used with very variable results, ignoring their efficacy and applicability at the present time. The new emerging kappa-opioid-receptor agonist agents offer us an opportunity to reevaluate this age-old problem and improve the quality of life for our patients with chronic kidney disease., (Copyright © 2022 Sociedad Española de Nefrología. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Chronic kidney disease represents an important health problem, due to its high incidence and prevalence, as well as its significant morbidity and mortality and socioeconomic cost., Aims: compare the effectiveness and economic consequences of outsourcing versus hospital dialysis., Method: A scoping review, for which different databases were consulted, using controlled and free terms. Those articles that compared concerted versus in hospital dialysis in terms of effectiveness were included. Likewise, those publications that compared, in the Spanish field, the cost between both modes of service provision and the public price rates of the different Autonomous Communities were included., Results: 11 articles were included in this review: 8 on comparison of effectiveness, all of them in the USA, and 3 on costs. A higher rate of hospitalization was observed in subsidized centers, but no differences in mortality were observed. Additionally, greater competition among providers was associated with lower hospitalization rates. The cost studies reviewed show that hospital hemodialysis is more expensive than in subsidized centers, due to the structural costs. The data of the public rates of the different Autonomous Communities show a wide heterogeneity in the payment of the concerts., Conclusions: the coexistence in Spain of public and subsidized centers, the variability in the provision and costs of dialysis techniques, and the low of evidence on the effectiveness of outsourcing treatment show all the need to continue promoting strategies that result in improvement in the care for Chronic Kidney Disease., (Copyright © 2021 Sociedad Española de Nefrología. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is the most frequent cause of kidney failure (KF). There are large variations in the incidence rates of kidney replacement therapy (KRT). Late referral to nephrology services has been associated with an increased risk of adverse outcomes. In many countries, when patients reach severely reduced glomerular filtration rate (GFR), they are managed by multidisciplinary teams led by nephrologists. In these clinics, efforts will continue to halt chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression and to prevent cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. In patients with diabetes and severely reduced GFR and KF, treating hyperglycemia is a challenge, since some drugs are contraindicated and most of them require dose adjustments. Even more, a decision-making process will help in deciding whether the patient would prefer comprehensive conservative care or KRT. On many occasions, this decision will be conditioned by diabetes mellitus itself. Effective education should cover the necessary information for the patient and family to answer these questions: 1. Should I go for KRT or not? 2. If the answer is KRT, dialysis and/or transplantation? 3. Dialysis at home or in center? 4. If dialysis at home, peritoneal dialysis or home hemodialysis? 5. If transplantation is desired, discuss the options of whether the donation would be from a living or deceased donor. This review addresses the determinant factors with an impact on DKD, aiming to shed light on the specific needs that arise in the management and recommendations on how to achieve a comprehensive approach to the diabetic patient with chronic kidney disease.

Background and Objective: Recently, the Advanced Chronic Kidney Disease Units (UERCA, in Spanish) have been developed in Spain to offer a better quality of life to patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (ACKD), improving their survival and reducing morbidity in this phase of the disease. Nowadays, there is not much evidence in the Spanish and international literature regarding the structure and how to achieve these objectives in the UERCA. From the ERCA working group of the Spanish Society of Nephrology (SEN), this project is promoted to improve care for ERCA patients through the definition of quality standards for the operation of the UERCA., Material and Methods: An initial proposal for quality standards concerning the operation of the UERCA was configured through consultation with the main sources of references and the advice of an expert working group through face-to-face and telematic meetings. Base on this initial proposal of standards, a survey was conducted and sent it via email to 121 nephrology specialist and nursing professionals with experience in Spanish UERCA to find out, among others, the suitability of each standards, that is, its mandatory nature or recommendation as standards. The access to the survey was allowed between July 16 th , 2018, until September 26 th , 2018., Results: A total of 95 (78.5%) professionals participated out of the 121 who were invited to participate. Of these, 80 of the participants were nephrology specialists and 15 nursing professionals, obtaining a varied representation of professionals from the Spanish geography. After analyzing the opinions of these participants, the standards were defined to a total of 68, 37 of them (54.4%) mandatory and 31 of them (45.5%) recommended. Besides, it was observed that the volume of patients attended in the UERCA is usually above 100 patients, and the referral criteria is generally below 25-29 mL/min/1.73 m 2 of glomerular filtration., Conclusions: This work constitutes a first proposal of quality standards for the operation of UERCA in Spain. The definition of these standards has made it possible to establish the bases for the standardization of the organization of UERCA, and to subsequently work on the configuration of a standards manual for the accreditation of ERCA Units., (Copyright © 2020 Sociedad Española de Nefrología. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Background and Objectives: Volume overload is frequent in prevalent patients on kidney replacement therapies and is associated with outcome. This study was devised to follow-up volume status of an incident population on peritoneal dialysis (PD) and to relate this to patient-relevant outcomes., Design, Setting, Participants, & Measurements: This prospective cohort study was implemented in 135 study centers from 28 countries. Incident participants on PD were enrolled just before the actual PD treatment was started. Volume status was measured using bioimpedance spectroscopy before start of PD and thereafter in 3-month intervals, together with clinical and laboratory parameters, and PD prescription. The association of volume overload with time to death was tested using a competing risk Cox model., Results: In this population of 1054 participants incident on PD, volume overload before start of PD amounted to 1.9±2.3 L, and decreased to 1.2±1.8 L during the first year. At all time points, men and participants with diabetes were at higher risk to be volume overloaded. Dropout from PD during 3 years of observation by transfer to hemodialysis or transplantation (23% and 22%) was more prevalent than death (13%). Relative volume overload >17.3% was independently associated with higher risk of death (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.59; 95% confidence interval, 1.08 to 2.33) compared with relative volume overload ≤17.3%. Different practice patterns were observed between regions with respect to proportion of patients on PD versus hemodialysis, selection of PD modality, and prescription of hypertonic solutions., Conclusions: In this large cohort of incident participants on PD, with different treatment practices across centers and regions, we found substantial volume overload already at start of dialysis. Volume overload improved over time, and was associated with survival., (Copyright © 2019 by the American Society of Nephrology.)

End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is common in the elderly population, and renal replacement therapy (RRT) is often required. However, in this particular subgroup of patients, the choice between hemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD) is often not an easy decision to make. Published literature has adequately demonstrated that PD prevalence is significantly less than HD across all patient age groups despite several advantages. We also know that elderly patients are less likely to complete a PD assessment, due to both medical and social barriers. Additionally, elderly patients are often reluctant to go ahead with PD despite being eligible PD candidates, mainly due to the fear of performing self-therapy. Recently, many new assisted PD (asPD) programs have cropped up in several countries. The main aim of these programs is to overcome barriers to PD and to promote PD utilization among elderly and non-self-sufficient patients. Although asPD has proven to be associated with good clinical results, there still remain concerns about its greater use. In this review, we will first describe an ideal asPD model and then enumerate examples of strategies and outcomes associated with successful asPD programs worldwide., (Copyright © 2017 International Society for Peritoneal Dialysis.)

Introduction: It is desirable for patients to play active roles in the choice of renal replacement therapy (RRT). Patient decision aid tools (PDAs) have been developed to allow the patients to choose the option best suited to their individual needs., Material and Methods: An observational, prospective registry was conducted in 26 Spanish hospitals between September 2010 and May 2012. The results of the patients' choice and the definitive RRT modality were registered through the progressive implementation of an Education Process (EP) with PDAs designed to help Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) patients choose RRT., Results: Patients included in this study: 1044. Of these, 569 patients used PDAs and had made a definitive choice by the end of registration. A total of 88.4% of patients chose dialysis [43% hemodialysis (HD) and 45% peritoneal dialysis (PD)] 3.2% preemptive living-donor transplant (TX), and 8.4% conservative treatment (CT). A total of 399 patients began RRT during this period. The distribution was 93.4% dialysis (53.6% HD; 40% PD), 1.3% preemptive TX and 5.3% CT. The patients who followed the EP changed their mind significantly less often [kappa value of 0.91 (95% CI, 0.86-0.95)] than those who did not follow it, despite starting unplanned treatment [kappa value of 0.85 (95% CI, 0.75-0.95]. A higher agreement between the final choice and a definitive treatment was achieved by the EP and planned patients [kappa value of 0.93 (95% CI, 0.89-0.98)]. Those who did not go through the EP had a much lower index of choosing PD and changed their decision more frequently when starting definitive treatment [kappa value of 0.73 (95% CI, 0.55-0.91)]., Conclusions: Free choice, assisted by PDAs, leads to a 50/50 distribution of PD and HD choice and an increase in TX choice. The use of PDAs, even with an unplanned start, achieved a high level of concordance between the chosen and definitive modality.

This position statement was compiled following an expert meeting in March 2013, Zurich, Switzerland. Attendees were invited from a spread of European renal units with established and respected renal replacement therapy option education programmes. Discussions centred around optimal ways of creating an education team, setting realistic and meaningful objectives for patient education, and assessing the quality of education delivered., (© The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of ERA-EDTA.)

Background: Patients with progressive chronic kidney disease face a series of treatment decisions that will impact the quality of life of themselves and their family. Renal replacement therapy option education (RRTOE), generally provided by nurses, is recommended by international guidelines, Objectives: To provide nurses with advice and guidance on running RRTOE., Design: A consensus conference., Participants: Four nurses, 5 nephrologists and 1 clinical psychologist (9 renal units; 6 European countries) from units that had extensive experience in RRTOE or were performing research in this field., Approach: Experts brainstormed and discussed quality standards for the education team, processes, content/topics, media/material/funding and quality measurements for RRTOE., Results: Conclusions and recommendations from these discussions that are particularly pertinent to nurses are presented in this paper., Conclusions: Through careful planning and smooth interdisciplinary cooperation, it is possible to implement an education and support programme that helps patients choose a form of RRT that is most suited to their needs. This may result in benefits in quality of life and clinical outcomes., Application to Practice: There are large differences between renal units in terms of resources available and the demographics of the catchment area. Therefore, nurses should carefully consider how best to adapt the advice offered here to their own situation. Throughout this process, it is crucial to keep in mind the ultimate goal - providing patients with the knowledge and skill to make a modality choice that will enhance their quality of life to the greatest degree., (© 2014 European Dialysis and Transplant Nurses Association/European Renal Care Association.)

Background: There is growing evidence that renal replacement therapy option education (RRTOE) can result in enhanced quality of life, improved clinical outcomes, and reduced health care costs. However, there is still no detailed guidance on the optimal way to run such programmes. To help address this knowledge gap, an expert meeting was held in March 2013 to formulate a position statement on optimal ways to run RRTOE. Experts were selected from units that had extensive experience in RRTOE or were performing research in this field. Before the meeting, experts completed a pilot questionnaire on RRTOE in their own units. They also prepared feedback on how to modify this questionnaire for a large-scale study., Methods: A pilot, web-based questionnaire was used to obtain information on: the renal unit and patients, the education team, RRTOE processes and content, how quality is assessed, and funding., Results: Four nurses, 5 nephrologists and 1 clinical psychologist (9 renal units; 6 EU countries) participated. Nurses were almost always responsible for organising RRTOE. Nephrologists spent 7.5% (median) of their time on RRTOE. Education for the patient and family began several months before dialysis or according to disease progression. Key topics such as the 'impact of the disease' were covered by every unit, but only a few units described all dialysis modalities. Visits to the unit were almost always arranged. Materials came in a wide variety of forms and from a wide range of sources. Group education sessions were used in 3/9 centres. Expectations on the timing of patients' decisions on modality and permanent access differed substantially between centres. Common quality assurance measures were: patient satisfaction, course attendance, updated materials. Only 1 unit had a dedicated budget., Conclusions: There were substantial variations in how RRTOE is run between the units. A modified version of this questionnaire will be used to assess RRTOE at a European level.