Publications by authors named "Francesca Di Mario"

Background: Sustained-Low Efficiency Dialysis (SLED) is an increasingly used Kidney Replacement Therapy (KRT) modality in critically ill patients. This study was aimed at evaluating the safety and efficacy of simplified Regional Citrate Anticoagulation (RCA) for SLED using new hemodialysis equipment.

Methods: The 8-hour SLED sessions were performed with a Surdial X Nipro hemodialysis machine and a cellulose triacetate filter.

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Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a complex clinical syndrome characterized by a rapid decline in kidney function, often resulting in complex metabolic and hormonal derangements. A major concern in managing AKI patients is the development of protein energy wasting (PEW), a condition marked by loss of lean body mass and negative impact on overall health outcomes. Additionally, the need of Kidney Replacement Therapy (KRT) for the most severe forms of AKI may further increase the risk of PEW, with a substantial impact on fluid and metabolic balance.

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Cholesterol crystal embolism (CCE) is an underrecognized multisystemic disease caused by the displacement of cholesterol crystals from atheromatous aortic plaques to distal vascular beds, leading to ischemic injury of target organs, particularly the kidneys, i.e., atheroembolic renal disease (ARD).

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Article Synopsis
  • The study focuses on critically ill patients with Sars-Cov-2 pneumonia, examining how muscle mass and fat infiltration (myosteatosis) relate to patient mortality in the ICU.
  • Researchers conducted a retrospective analysis of 110 patients, measuring muscle and fat areas using chest CT scans and found a significant link between the levels of myosteatosis and higher mortality rates.
  • The findings suggest that assessing myosteatosis through CT scans can serve as an important prognostic marker for predicting outcomes in these patients.
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The use of dabigatran in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF) has widely increased in the last decades, due to its positive effects in terms of safety/efficacy. However, because of the risk of major bleeding, a great degree of attention has been suggested in elderly patients with multiple comorbidities. Notably, dabigatran mainly undergoes renal elimination and dose adjustment is recommended in patients with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD).

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Renal replacement therapies (RRT) are essential to support critically ill patients with severe acute kidney injury (AKI), providing control of solutes, fluid balance and acid-base status. To maintain the patency of the extracorporeal circuit, minimizing downtime periods and blood losses due to filter clotting, an effective anticoagulation strategy is required.Regional citrate anticoagulation (RCA) has been introduced in clinical practice for continuous RRT (CRRT) in the early 1990s and has had a progressively wider acceptance in parallel to the development of simplified systems and safe protocols.

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Background: Hypophosphatemia is a common electrolyte disorder in critically ill patients undergoing prolonged kidney replacement therapy (KRT). We evaluated the efficacy and safety of a simplified regional citrate anticoagulation (RCA) protocol for continuous venovenous hemofiltration (CVVH), continuous venovenous hemodiafiltration (CVVHDF) and sustained low-efficiency dialysis filtration (SLED-f). We aimed at preventing KRT-related hypophosphatemia while optimizing acid-base equilibrium.

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Background: In patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Kidney Replacement Therapy (KRT) is an important risk factor for hypophosphataemia. However, studies addressing the development of hypophosphatemia during prolonged intermittent KRT modalities are lacking. Thus, we evaluated the incidence of hypophosphatemia during Sustained Low-Efficiency Dialysis (SLED) in ICU patients; we also examined the determinants of post-SLED serum phosphate level (s-P) and the relation between s-P and phosphate supplementation and ICU mortality.

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Article Synopsis
  • Acute kidney injury (AKI), along with electrolyte and acid-base disorders, are common complications in critically ill COVID-19 patients and can lead to worse outcomes.
  • A study was conducted on 115 severely ill COVID-19 patients in the ICU to see if their clinical condition at admission influenced the effects of AKI and electrolyte disorders on mortality.
  • Findings revealed that new-onset AKI significantly increased the risk of 28-day mortality, particularly in patients with lower and middle SOFA scores, suggesting that the severity of illness at admission plays a critical role in patient outcomes.
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  • Acute kidney injury (AKI) is increasingly common and significantly impacts in-hospital activities for nephrology teams, with a focus on understanding patient outcomes in a tertiary care hospital setting.
  • A retrospective analysis of 559 AKI patients from November 2018 to February 2020 revealed that many had pre-existing chronic kidney disease (CKD), with 66.6% of AKI cases classified as KDIGO Stage 3.
  • In-hospital mortality was high at 43.3%, influenced by factors like age and oliguria, while most survivors achieved kidney function recovery (KFR), highlighting the need for timely nephrology intervention.
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  • The study investigates the relationship between low skeletal muscle area (SM) measured by abdominal CT and mortality risk in hemodialysis patients, using reference values from healthy individuals.
  • A total of 212 hemodialysis patients and 87 healthy kidney donors were assessed, and specific cut-off values for low SM area were established.
  • Results indicate that patients with low SM area have a significantly higher risk of death, highlighting the importance of monitoring muscle mass in End-Stage Kidney Disease (ESKD) patients.*
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  • - The study investigates the use of ultrasound (US) to assess changes in quadriceps muscle thickness in critically ill patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) during their first 5 days in the ICU.
  • - A total of 30 eligible patients were monitored, revealing an average muscle thickness decrease of 15% within that time frame, indicating significant muscle wasting.
  • - Patients who experienced greater muscle loss showed a lower likelihood of being discharged home, highlighting the importance of muscle monitoring for patient outcomes.
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Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) is a frequent complication in critically ill patients with Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and it has been associated with worse clinical outcomes, especially when Kidney Replacement Therapy (KRT) is required. A condition of hypercoagulability has been frequently reported in COVID-19 patients, and this very fact may complicate KRT management. Sustained Low Efficiency Dialysis (SLED) is a hybrid dialysis modality increasingly used in critically ill patients since it allows to maintain acceptable hemodynamic stability and to overcome the increased clotting risk of the extracorporeal circuit, especially when Regional Citrate Anticoagulation (RCA) protocols are applied.

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Hypomagnesemia is a common electrolyte disorder in critically ill patients and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality risk. Many clinical conditions may contribute to hypomagnesemia through different pathogenetic mechanisms. In patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) the need for continuous or prolonged intermittent kidney replacement therapy (CKRT and PIKRT, respectively) may further add to other causes of hypomagnesemia, especially when regional citrate anticoagulation (RCA) is used.

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Article Synopsis
  • Muscle wasting is common in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage kidney disease (ESKD), primarily due to malnutrition and metabolic issues leading to decreased protein production and increased breakdown.
  • This condition is linked to various complications, including disability, infections, depression, and lower quality of life, making nutritional assessment vital for managing these patients effectively.
  • Evaluating nutritional status includes tracking body weight loss, dietary intake, and body composition; while gold standard imaging methods exist, practical techniques like bioimpedance analysis and ultrasound are more accessible in clinical settings.
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Drug poisoning is a significant source of morbidity, mortality and health care expenditure worldwide. Lithium, methanol, ethylene glycol and salicylates are the most important ones, included in the list of poisons, that may require extracorporeal depuration. Lithium is the cornerstone of treatment for bipolar disorders, but it has a narrow therapeutic window.

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Background: Accelerated muscle wasting still represents a major issue in critically ill patients. However, a key problem in the intensive care unit is the lack of adequate tools for bedside evaluation of muscle mass. Moreover, when acute kidney injury (AKI) coexists, fluid overload and/or rapid fluid shifts due to renal replacement therapies that frequently occur and may interfere with muscle mass assessment.

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Electrocardiographic (ECG) alterations are common in hyperkalemic patients. While the presence of peaked T waves is the most frequent ECG alteration, reported findings on ECG sensitivity in detecting hyperkalemia are conflicting. Moreover, no studies have been conducted specifically in patients with acute kidney injury (AKI).

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A careful management of antimicrobials is essential in the critically ill with acute kidney injury, especially if renal replacement therapy is required. Acute kidney injury may lead to clinically significant modifications of drugs' pharmacokinetic parameters, and the need for renal replacement therapy represents a further variable that should be considered to avoid inappropriate antimicrobial therapy. The most important pharmacokinetic parameters, useful to determine the significance of extracorporeal removal of a given drug, are molecular weight, protein binding, and distribution volume.

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