Increased serum strontium levels in dialysis patients: An epidemiological survey

Increased serum strontium levels in dialysis patients: An epidemiological survey.BackgroundWe previously reported on increased bone strontium levels in dialysis patients with osteomalacia versus those presenting other types of renal osteodystrophy. A causal role of strontium in the development of osteomalacia was established in a chronic renal failure rat model.MethodsTo further elucidate the latter issue and to find out whether dialysis patients from particular centers/countries are at an increased risk for strontium accumulation, a worldwide multicenter study was established. In total, 834 patients from 34 dialysis centers in 23 countries were included. In each of the patients, a serum sample was taken for strontium determination, and water and dialysate samples were taken at the various steps of the water purification process. For each patient clinical data and for each center dialysis modalities were recorded.ResultsStrontium levels in serum of dialysis patients showed major differences between the various centers, ranging from mean values of 25 ± 8 μg/liter in the center with the lowest level up to 466 ± 90 μg/liter in the center with the highest concentration. It is of interest that these high levels were mainly found in developing countries. Furthermore, our data point toward a role of the final dialysate in the accumulation of the element, as indicated by the strong correlation (r = 0.74, P < 0.001) between mean serum and dialysate strontium levels. As the high tap water concentration of strontium was adequately reduced during the water purification process, contamination of the final dialysis fluid occurred by the addition of concentrates contaminated with strontium. Besides the dialysate, other factors, such as duration of dialysis, vitamin D supplements, or types of phosphate binders, played a less important role in the accumulation of the element.ConclusionsData of this multicenter study indicate patients of particular dialysis centers to be at an increased risk for strontium accumulation, the clinical consequence of which is under current investigation

Prevalence and management of antibiotic associated diarrhea in general hospitals

Background: Antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD) is a common adverse effect of antibiotic (AB) treatment. This study aimed to measure the overall prevalence of AAD (including mild to moderate diarrhea) in hospitalized AB treated patients, to investigate associated risk factors and to document AAD associated diagnostic investigations, contamination control and treatment. Methods: During 8 observation days (with time delay of 10-14 days between each observation day), all adult patients hospitalized at an internal medicine ward of 4 Belgian participating hospitals were screened for AB use. Patients receiving AB on the observation day were included in the study and screened for signs and symptoms of AAD using a period prevalence methodology. Clinical data were collected for all AB users and AAD related investigations and treatment were collected for the entire duration of AAD. Additionally, nurses noted daily the frequency of all extra care associated to the treatment of the diarrhea. Results: A total of 2543 hospitalized patients were screened of which 743 were treated with AB (29.2%). Included AB users had a mean age of 68 yr (range 16-99) and 52% were male. Penicillins were mostly used (63%) and 19% received more than one AB. AAD was observed in 9.6% of AB users including 4 with confirmed Clostridium difficile infection. AAD started between 1 and 16 days after AB start (median 5) and had a duration of 2 to 41 days (median 4). AAD was significantly associated with higher age and the use of double AB and proton pump inhibitors. AAD patients had extra laboratory investigations (79%), received extra pharmacological treatment (42%) and 10 of them were isolated (14%). AAD related extra nursing time amounted to 51 minutes per day for the treatment of diarrhea. Conclusions: In this observational study, with one third of hospitalized patients receiving AB, an AAD period prevalence of 9.6% in AB users was found. AAD caused extra investigations and treatment and an estimated extra nursing care of almost one hour per day. Preventive action are highly recommended to reduce the prevalence of AAD and associated health care costs

A comparison of the CAM-ICU and the NEECHAM Confusion Scale in intensive care delirium assessment: an observational study in non-intubated patients

No summary availabl

In-gas-cell laser ionization spectroscopy in the vicinity of 100Sn: Magnetic moments and mean-square charge radii of N=50-54 Ag

In-gas-cell laser ionization spectroscopy studies on the neutron deficient 97-101Ag isotopes have been performed with the LISOL setup. Magnetic dipole moments and mean-square charge radii have been determined for the first time with the exception of 101Ag, which was found in good agreement with previous experimental values. The reported results allow tentatively assigning the spin of 97,99Ag to 9/2 and confirming the presence of an isomeric state in these two isotopes, whose collapsed hyperfine structure suggests a spin of 1/2 . The effect of the N=50 shell closure is not only manifested in the magnetic moments but also in the evolution of the mean-square charge radii of the isotopes investigated, in accordance with the spherical droplet model predictions

Increased bone strontium levels in hemodialysis patients with osteomalacia

Increased bone strontium levels in hemodialysis patients with osteomalacia.BackgroundIn this study, we report on the association between increased bone strontium levels and the presence of osteomalacia in end-stage renal failure patients treated by hemodialysis.MethodsWe performed a histologic examination and determined the strontium content and strontium/calcium ratios in bone biopsies of 100 hemodialysis patients recruited from various centers all over the world. Aside from the bone strontium concentration, the bone aluminum content was assessed. The bone zinc concentration, a nonrelevant element for bone toxicity, was also measured.ResultsBone strontium levels and bone strontium/calcium ratios were increased in subjects with osteomalacia when compared with those with the other types of renal osteodystrophy. Bone strontium and bone calcium levels correlated with each other. The slope of the linear regression curve correlating these parameters was much steeper in the osteomalacic group (Y = 2.22X - 120) as compared with the other types of renal osteodystrophy (Y = 0.52X - 5.7). Within the group of patients with osteomalacia, bone strontium levels also significantly correlated with the bone aluminum content (r = 0.72, P = 0.018). No such correlation was found for the other types of renal osteodystrophy. The bone zinc concentration of subjects with normal renal function did not differ significantly from the values noted for the various types of renal osteodystrophy taken as separate groups, nor could increased bone zinc concentrations be associated with a particular bone lesion.ConclusionsOur data demonstrate an association between osteomalacia and increased bone strontium concentrations in dialysis patients. Further studies are warranted to establish whether strontium plays either a primary, secondary, or contributive role in the development of the latter type of renal osteodystrophy

Renal replacement therapy is an independent risk factor for mortality in critically ill patients with acute kidney injury

INTRODUCTION: Outcome studies in patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) have focused on differences between modalities of renal replacement therapy (RRT). The outcome of conservative treatment, however, has never been compared with RRT. METHODS: Nine Belgian intensive care units (ICUs) included all adult patients consecutively admitted with serum creatinine >2 mg/dl. Included treatment options were conservative treatment and intermittent or continuous RRT. Disease severity was determined using the Stuivenberg Hospital Acute Renal Failure (SHARF) score. Outcome parameters studied were mortality, hospital length of stay and renal recovery at hospital discharge. RESULTS: Out of 1,303 included patients, 650 required RRT (58% intermittent, 42% continuous RRT). Overall results showed a higher mortality (43% versus 58%) as well as a longer ICU and hospital stay in RRT patients compared to conservative treatment. Using the SHARF score for adjustment of disease severity, an increased risk of death for RRT compared to conservative treatment of RR = 1.75 (95% CI: 1.4 to 2.3) was found. Additional correction for other severity parameters (Acute Physiology And Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II), Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA)), age, type of AKI and clinical conditions confirmed the higher mortality in the RRT group. CONCLUSIONS: The SHARF study showed that the higher mortality expected in AKI patients receiving RRT versus conservative treatment can not only be explained by a higher disease severity in the RRT group, even after multiple corrections. A more critical approach to the need for RRT in AKI patients seems to be arrante

Study of bound states in 12Be through low-energy 11Be(d,p)-transfer reactions

The bound states of 12Be have been studied through a 11Be(d,p)12Be transfer reaction experiment in inverse kinematics. A 2.8 MeV/u beam of 11Be was produced using the REX-ISOLDE facility at CERN. The outgoing protons were detected with the T-REX silicon detector array. The MINIBALL germanium array was used to detect gamma rays from the excited states in 12Be. The gamma-ray detection enabled a clear identification of the four known bound states in 12Be, and each of the states has been studied individually. Differential cross sections over a large angular range have been extracted. Spectroscopic factors for each of the states have been determined from DWBA calculations and have been compared to previous experimental and theoretical results

Antibiotic use in ambulatory care in Europe (ESAC data 1997-2002) : trends, regional differences and seasonal fluctuations

Purpose: The ESAC project (European Study on Antibiotic Consumption) aims to collect antibiotic-use data through a European network of national surveillance systems. This paper reports on the retrospective data collection in ambulatory care for the period 1997–2002. Methods: Valid data of antibiotic consumption of 24 European countries for 2002 and of 18 countries for the entire 6-year period was classified according to the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification (ATC) and expressed in defined daily dose (DDD) per 1000 inhabitants per day (DID). Overall and subgroup comparison of antibiotic consumption over time as well as between geographical clusters was performed. Results: Total use of antibiotics in Europe remained at a median level of 20 DID in the period 1997–2002 with a wide variation between countries ranging from 9.8 DID in The Netherlands to 32.2 DID in France. A substantial increase in subclass consumption of co-amoxiclav and fluoroquinolones was noted while the use of narrow-spectrum penicillins, erythromycin, quinolones and sulfonamides decreased. Total consumption as well as seasonal fluctuations showed remarkable geographical clustering with low consumption and low variation between summer and winter in the North, high consumption patterns in the South and a mixed model in the East. Conclusions: Within the ESAC project, valid time series of antibiotic-use data are publicly available now, enabling to improve the study of determinants of use, the evaluation of governmental antibiotic consumption policies and the investigation of the associated emergence of antibiotic resistance.peer-reviewe

Alpha decay of 176Au

International audienceThe isotope Au176 has been studied in the complete fusion reaction Ca40+Pr141 → 176Au+5n at the velocity filter SHIP (GSI, Darmstadt). The complex fine-structure α decay of two isomeric states in Au176 feeding several previously unknown excited states in the daughter nucleus Ir172 is presented. An α-decay branching ratio of bα=9.5(11)% was deduced for the high-spin isomer in Ir172