Objectives:No medication is approved for the treatment of functional dyspepsia (FD). The risks that patients would be willing to take to cure their FD symptoms are unknown.Methods:FD patients (Rome III criteria) were mailed a questionnaire that assessed demographics, medication use, and prior medication adverse events. Scales to measure FD severity, quality of life, anxiety, depression, impulsiveness, and risk-taking behavior were included. A standard gamble (SG) evaluated willingness to take risks associated with a theoretical FD medication. Data were analyzed using simple descriptive statistics.Results:One hundred and fourteen responses were analyzed (54.5% response rate). The mean age of the patients was 49.2 years; 84% were women and 96% were white. The mean duration of symptoms was 8.2 years (range 1–38 years). The most bothersome symptom was upper abdominal discomfort (25%), followed by upper abdominal pain (22%) and bloating (15%). Forty percent of respondents rated their FD symptoms as moderate and 31% as mild. Forty-six percent reported a side effect from a prescription medication used to treat FD. When asked about a hypothetical medication that could cure their FD symptoms, 49% of respondents reported that they would accept a mean 12.7% risk of sudden death for a 99% chance of cure.Conclusions:This prospective study suggests that FD patients are surprisingly willing to take significant risks with a hypothetical medication to cure their symptoms. To counsel patients effectively and assist in the development of informed, preference-based decisions regarding medication therapy, physicians need to elicit and understand FD patients' risk adversity.
The vast majority of maintenance dialysis patients suffer from poor long-term survival rates and lower levels of health-related quality of life. However, home hemodialysis is a historically significant dialysis modality that has been associated with favorable outcomes as well as greater patient autonomy and control, yet only represents a small minority of the total dialysis performed in the United States. Some potential disadvantages of home hemodialysis include vascular access complications, infection-related hospitalizations, patient fatigue, and attrition. In addition, current barriers and challenges in expanding the utilization of this modality include limited patient and provider education and technical expertise. Here we report a 65-year old male with end-stage renal disease due to Alport's syndrome who has undergone 35 years of uninterrupted thrice-weekly home hemodialysis (ie, every Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday evening, each session lasting 3 to 3¼ hours in length) using a conventional hemodialysis machine who has maintained a high functional status allowing him to work 6-8 hours per day. The patient has been able to liberalize his dietary and fluid intake while only requiring 3-4 liters of ultrafiltration per treatment, despite having absence of residual kidney function. Through this case of extraordinary longevity and outcomes after 35 years of dialysis and a review of the literature, we illustrate the history of home hemodialysis, its significant clinical and psychosocial advantages, as well as the barriers that hinder its widespread adaptation.
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