Chronic kidney disease has been known to affect thyroid hormone metabolism. Low serum levels of T3 and T4 are the most remarkable laboratorial findings. A high incidence of goiter and nodules on thyroid ultrasonography has been reported in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Our objective is to evaluate the prevalence of laboratorial and morphologic alterations in the thyroid gland in a cohort of patients with ESRD on hemodialysis (HD). Sixty-one patients with ESRD on HD were selected and compared with 43 healthy subjects matched by age, gender, and weight. Patients were submitted to thyroid ultrasonography. T3, free T4 (FT4), thyroid-stimulating hormone, antithyroglobulin, and antithyroperoxidase antibodies were measured. The mean age of patients with ESRD was 47.4 ± 12.3 and 61% were women. ESRD was mainly caused by hypertensive nephrosclerosis and diabetic nephropathy. Mean thyroid volume, as determined by ultrasonography, was similar in both groups. Patients with ESRD had more hypoechoic nodules when compared with the control group (24.1% vs. 7.9%, P = 0.056). Mean serum FT4 and T3 levels were significantly lower in patients with ESRD, and subclinical hypothyroidism was more prevalent in patients with ESRD (21.82% vs. 7.14% control group, P = 0.04). Titers of antithyroid antibodies were similar in both groups. ESRD was associated with a higher prevalence of subclinical hypothyroidism and lower levels of T3 and FT4. Almost a quarter of patients showed thyroid nodules >10 mm. Periodic ultrasound evaluation and assessment of thyroid function are recommended in patients with ESRD on HD.

Introduction: The coronavirus-19 pandemic threatens the lives of all people, but results in higher mortality rates for patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) including those on peritoneal dialysis (PD). Telemedicine was the main alternative to reduce exposure to the virus, but it was introduced in the Brazil without proper training. Objective: To investigate the impact of telemedicine on metabolic control, peritonitis rates, and hospitalization in PD patients during the pandemic. Methods: This was a retrospective multicenter cohort study. We included all adult patients on chronic PD from 9 clinics selected by convenience during the pandemic. The outcomes of interest were measured and compared between before and after switching to telemedicine using repeated measure analysis and multilevel Poisson regression. Results: The study included 747 patients with a mean age of 59.7±16.6 years, of whom 53.7% were male and 40.8% had diabetes. Biochemical parameters including hemoglobin, potassium, phosphate, calcium, and urea serum levels did not change significantly after transition to telemedicine. There was no association between telemedicine and peritonitis rates. In contrast, hospitalization rates increased significantly in the telemedicine period. The incidence rate ratio (IRR) for hospitalization in the telemedicine period was 1.54 (95%CI 1.10-2.17; p 0.012) and 1.57 (95%CI 1.12-2.21; p 0.009) in the mixed-effects Poisson regression before and after adjustment for the presence of confounders. Admissions for hypervolemia and infections not related to PD doubled after transition to telemedicine. Conclusion: The implementation of telemedicine without proper training may lead to an increase in adverse events in PD patients.

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