News in Brief

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Short Takes

FDA Approves Product to Aid Renal Imaging

The FDA has approved NephroScan™ (kit for the preparation of technetium Tc 99m succimer injection) for use as an aid in the scintigraphic evaluation of renal parenchymal disorders in adults and pediatric patients including term neonates.

NephroScan is a sterile, single-dose kit for the preparation of technetium Tc 99m succimer injection. Technetium Tc 99m succimer binds to the cortical region of kidneys, and in conjunction with gamma scintigraphy or single photon emission computed tomography, is used to image the renal cortices.

ESKD Patient Death Rates Vary By County

In the United States, 18.9% of the variation in death rates among patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) is attributable to county-level factors such as demographics and health care spending, according to a recent study.

Using 2010-2018 data from the US Renal Data System, investigators identified 1,515,986 adults (aged 18-84 years) who initiated renal replacement therapy from 2781 US counties.

All-cause mortality rates standardized by age among patients with ESKD ranged from 45 to 1022 per 1000 person-years across counties, Kylie K. Snow, MPH, of Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, and colleagues reported in Kidney360.

Frailty May Up Vascular Access Thrombosis Risk

Frail patients on hemodialysis (HD) are at elevated risk for vascular access (VA) thrombosis, according a study published in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases.

In a study of 761 patients at 9 HD centers in Taiwan, frail patients had a significant 2.3-fold higher risk for VA thrombosis compared with robust patients, a team led by Chih-Cheng Wu, MD, of National Taiwan University in Taipei, reported. The investigators assessed frailty using the Fried scoring method, assigning 1 point for each of the following if present: weight loss, exhaustion, low activity level, low grip strength, and slow walking speed. A score of 3 to 5 indicated frailty.

Racial Divide in CPR Use

In a study of patients experiencing cardiac arrest at dialysis centers, Black patients had significant 57% lower odds of receiving CPR from staff members compared with White patients, according to a recent study. Here are the percentages of patients, by race, who did not receive CPR.

BLACK: 15%

WHITE: 9%

OTHER: 12%

Hyperuricemia May Be Linked to SHPT in Patients With CKD

Hyperuricemia may contribute to development of secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), possibly independent of renal function, investigators suggest.

Among 922 patients with stages 3 or higher CKD not on dialysis, SHPT and hyperuricemia occurred in 70% and 62.4%, respectively. The group with vs without SHPT had significantly higher mean levels of serum uric acid (7.2 vs 6.6 mg/ dL) and a significantly higher prevalance of hyperuricemia (66% vs 33%), Rosilene M. Elias, MD, and colleagues from Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP in São Paulo, Brazil, reported in International Urology and Nephrology. In multivariable analyses, hyperuricemia remained independently associated with SHPT.

Study: Same-Day Discharge After RARP Is Safe, Feasible

Same-day discharge (SDD) following robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) is feasible and safe, with complication and readmission rates comparable to those of inpatient RARP, data reported at the 2022 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium suggest.

The findings are from a systematic review and meta-analysis of data from 14 studies (8 prospective and 6 retrospective cohort studies) with a pooled population of 3795 patients, including 2348 (61.9%) who underwent inpatient RARPs and 1447 (38.1%) who underwent SDD RARPs. Compared with the inpatient RARP group, patients who had SDD RARPs did not differ significantly with respect to grade 3 or higher Clavien-Dindo complications, 90-day readmission rates, or unscheduled emergency department visits, Michael Uy, MD, of McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, and colleagues reported. Cost savings per patient ranged from $367 to $2109 in US dollars. Overall satisfaction rates were high (87.5%-100%).

Patients With Cancer Are At Higher Risk for Kidney Failure

Patients with cancer have a higher risk for kidney failure requiring replacement therapy (KFRT), and that risk differs by cancer type, a new study finds.

Using the Korean National Health Insurance Service database, investigators examined KFRT risk among 824,365 Korean patients with cancer compared with 1,648,730 patients without cancer matched by age, sex, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), diabetes status, and hypertension status.

KFRT was required for 1.07 patients with cancer compared with 0.51 patients without cancer per 1000 person-years, Soo Wan Kim, MD, PhD, Chonnam National University Medical School, Korea, and colleagues reported in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases. Cancer was significantly associated with a 2.3-fold increased risk for KFRT, in a fully adjusted model. Among patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), those with vs without cancer had a significant 1.4fold increased risk for KFRT. Among patients with proteinuria, cancer was associated with a significant 1.3-fold increased risk for KFRT.