Haemodialysis, especially on a daily basis, is the ideal treatment for star fruit intoxication. In severe cases, continuous methods of replacement therapy may provide a superior initial procedure, since rebound effects are a common event. Peritoneal dialysis is of no use as a treatment, especially when consciousness disorders ensue.

Background and objectives The calcimimetic cinacalcet reduced the risk of death or cardiovascular (CV) events in older, but not younger, patients with moderate to severe secondary hyperparathyroidism (HPT) who were receiving hemodialysis. To determine whether the lower risk in younger patients might be due to lower baseline CV risk and more frequent use of cointerventions that reduce parathyroid hormone (kidney transplantation, parathyroidectomy, and commercial cinacalcet use), this study examined the effects of cinacalcet in older ($65 years, n=1005) and younger (,65 years, n=2878) patients.Design, setting, participants, & measurements Evaluation of Cinacalcet HCl Therapy to Lower Cardiovascular Events (EVOLVE) was a global, multicenter, randomized placebo-controlled trial in 3883 prevalent patients on hemodialysis, whose outcomes included death, major CV events, and development of severe unremitting HPT. The age subgroup analysis was prespecified.Results Older patients had higher baseline prevalence of diabetes mellitus and CV comorbidity. Annualized rates of kidney transplantation and parathyroidectomy were .3-fold higher in younger relative to older patients and were more frequent in patients randomized to placebo. In older patients, the adjusted relative hazard (95% confidence interval) for the primary composite (CV) end point (cinacalcet versus placebo) was 0.70 (0.60 to 0.81); in younger patients, the relative hazard was 0.97 (0.86 to 1.09). Corresponding adjusted relative hazards for mortality were 0.68 (0.51 to 0.81) and 0.99 (0.86 to 1.13). Reduction in the risk of severe unremitting HPT was similar in both groups. ConclusionsIn the EVOLVE trial, cinacalcet decreased the risk of death and of major CV events in older, but not younger, patients with moderate to severe HPT who were receiving hemodialysis. Effect modification by age may be partly explained by differences in underlying CV risk and differential application of cointerventions that reduce parathyroid hormone.

Hypercalcemia can result from excessive bone resorption, renal calcium retention, excessive intestinal calcium absorption, or a combination of these conditions. Hypercalcemia may also provoke acute renal failure (ARF) or hypertension, or aggravate the tubular necrosis that is frequently found in cases of ARF. The association of ARF and hypercalcemia was studied retrospectively in eight patients based in the data in their charts. Data are expressed as median and percentile (25th; 75th). Our results show that ARF associated with hypercalcemia was related with comorbidity in all cases (cancer, multiple myeloma, hyperparathyroidism, sarcoidosis, vitamin D intoxication, and leprosy). Maximum median serum creatinine levels were 3.3 mg/dL (2.7, 3.8 mg/dL) before treatment and 1.1 mg/dL (0.9, 1.3 mg/dL) after treatment. Maximum total median serum calcium was 15.9 mg/dL (13.5, 19.8 mg/dL) before treatment and 9.1 mg/dL (8.4, 9.7 mg/dL) after treatment. Maximum median ionized serum calcium was 2.1 mmol/L (1.8, 2.2 mmol/L) before treatment and 1.1 mmol/L (1.0, 1.2 mmol/L) after treatment. Different kinds of treatment induced a rapid fall in serum calcium concentration. All patients were treated with hydration and diuretics, and three patients also received calcitonin. Serum creatinine concentration always fell simultaneously with the decrease in serum calcium in all cases. All patients progressed with nonoliguric renal failure. In conclusion, in ARF, patients are frequently hypocalcemic. Usually, the presence of hypercalcemia associated with ARF is indicative of the presence of comorbidity, as observed in all eight patients studied here. There was an improvement of renal function in all cases as serum calcium levels decreased.

RESUMO -A insuficiência renal aguda (IRA) tem incidência, em torno de 2 a 5%, em pacientes hospitalizados com grande influência de fatores como: choque séptico, hipovolemia, uso de aminoglicosídeos, insuficiência cardíaca e contrastes para R-X. Uma parte desses pacientes tem sido tratada em unidades de terapia intensiva e, dependendo do quadro, pode haver alta taxa de mortalidade. Neste capítulo, apresentamos as causas mais comuns de IRA, enfatizando sua prevenção no meio hospitalar. É importante distinguir nesses casos, as causas pré-renais das renais. Entre as causas renais, destacamos a necrose tubular aguda (NTA), geralmente provocada por hipoperfusão renal e/ou nefrotoxinas endógenas e exógenas. O manitol, furosemide e dopamina têm sua ação discutida nos casos de IRA, especialmente nas primeiras 24 a 48 h que é quando, aparentemente, teriam sua maior utilidade. Com relação ao tratamento conservador, o balanço hídrico exerce papel fundamental no seguimento, além das medidas que evitam a ocorrência de infecções, que são a causa principal de complicação nos quadros de IRA. O tratamento dialítico, quando necessário, é realizado através de ultrafiltração, hemodiálise intermitente, diálise peritoneal, ou hemodiálise venovenosa contínua ("hemolenta"), além de outros métodos que são descritos na literatura. UNITERMOS - 307 1-INTRODUÇÃOA insuficiência renal aguda (IRA) pode ser definida como perda da função renal, de maneira sú-bita, independentemente da etiologia ou mecanismos, provocando acúmulo de substâncias nitrogenadas (uréia e creatinina), acompanhada ou não da diminuição da diurese. 2-EPIDEMIOLOGIAA IRA, geralmente, é considerada uma doença do paciente hospitalizado. A incidência pode variar entre 2 a 5%.(1,2,3) Em um estudo prospectivo, com incidência de 5%(2) , quando foram avaliadas 2216 internações, 79% dos episódios se correlacionaram com hipovolemia, pós-cirurgia, administração de contrastes para RX e aminoglicosídeos. Os autores responsabilizaram fatores iatrogênicos como responsá-veis em 55% dos casos. Em outro relato, foram analisados os fatores de risco para o aparecimento de IRA dentro do hospital.(4) Neste trabalho, foram avaliadas 1819 internações com incidência de 2% de IRA, a qual estava associada mais freqüentemente com os seguintes fatores: choque séptico, hipovolemia, aminoglicosídeos, insuficiência cardíaca e uso de contrastes para RX. Além disso, outros fatores de risco são importantes no desenvolvimento da IRA como: idade avançada, doença hepática, nefropatia pré-existente e diabetes. Medicina, Ribeirão Preto,Simpósio: URGÊNCIAS E EMERGÊNCIAS NEFROLÓGICAS 36: 307-324, abr./dez. 2003 Capítulo I

The technique of arteriovenous fistula puncture is an essential factor to decrease the access recirculation and assure better results of measurement of hemodialysis adequacy. On the basis of the results obtained, insertion of the needles in the same direction and with a distance of less than 5 cm between them should be avoided.