Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication in patients undergoing major abdominal surgery. Various recent studies using modern standardized classifications for AKI reported a variable incidence of AKI after major abdominal surgery ranging from 3 to 35%. Several patient-related, procedure-related factors and postoperative complications were identified as risk factors for AKI in this setting. AKI following major abdominal surgery has been shown to be associated with poor short-and long-term outcomes. Herein, we provide a contemporary and critical review of AKI after major abdominal surgery focusing on its incidence, risk factors, pathogeny and outcomes.

Estimates of GFR using CG, CKD-EPI and MDRD formulae are flawed in the critically ill with normal sCr, significantly underestimating renal function in those with ARC and overestimating it in those with normal or decreased 8h-CLCR. Globally, the population exhibited ARC on more than half of the ICU admission days.

PurposeUsing the Risk, Injury, Failure, Loss of kidney function, End-stage kidney disease (RIFLE), Acute Kidney Injury Network (AKIN) and Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) systems, the incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) and their ability to predict in-hospital mortality in severe sepsis or septic shock was compared.Materials and methodsWe performed a retrospective analysis of 457 critically ill patients with severe sepsis or septic shock hospitalized between January 2008 and December 2014. Multivariate logistic regression was employed to evaluate the association between the RIFLE, AKIN and KDIGO systems with in-hospital mortality. Model fit was assessed by the goodness-of-fit test and discrimination by the area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve. Statistical significance was defined as P < 0.05.ResultsRIFLE (84.2%) and KDIGO (87.5%) identified more patients with AKI than AKIN (72.8%) (P < 0.001). AKI defined by AKIN and KDIGO was associated with in-hospital mortality {AKIN: adjusted odds ratio [OR] 2.3[95% confidence interval (CI) 1.3–4], P = 0.006; KDIGO: adjusted OR 2.7[95% CI 1.2–6.2], P = 0.021} while AKI defined by RIFLE was not [adjusted OR 2.0 (95% CI 1–4), P = 0.063]. The AUROC curve for in-hospital mortality was similar between the three classifications (RIFLE 0.652, P < 0.001; AKIN 0.686, P < 0.001; KDIGO 0.658, P < 0.001).ConclusionsRIFLE and KDIGO diagnosed more patients with AKI than AKIN, but the prediction ability for in-hospital mortality was similar between the three systems.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is highly prevalent whether the patients undergo myeloablative or non-myeloablative hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT); however, the pathogenesis and risk factors leading to AKI can differ between the two. The prognosis of AKI in patients receiving HCT is poor. In fact, AKI following HCT is associated not only with increased short-and long-term mortality, but also with progression to chronic kidney disease. Herein, the authors provide a comprehensive and up-to-date review of the definition and diagnosis, as well as of the incidence, pathogenesis and outcome of AKI in patients undergoing HCT, centering on the differences between myeloablative and non-myeloablative regimens. INTRODUCTIONHematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is currently used to treat numerous malignant (for example, multiple myeloma, leukemias and lymphomas) and non-malignant hematological disorders (for example, aplastic anemia, b-thalassemia, immunodeficiency disorders and inborn errors of metabolism), as well as solid tumors (for example, breast cancer and neuroblastoma), which are in other instances incurable.The two major HCT procedures, taking into consideration the conditioning regimen used, are myeloablative autologous and allogeneic HCT and non-myeloablative allogeneic HCT. On the one hand, myeloablative HCT utilizes the maximally tolerated dose of TBI with or without chemotherapy, or with chemotherapy alone. On the other hand, non-myeloablative HCT depends more on donor cellular immune effects and less on the cytotoxic effects of the preparative regimen to control the underlying disease. 1,2 It ultimately uses a lower dose conditioning regimen and can thus be offered to older patients, to those debilitated by additional comorbidities, or to high-risk, heavily pretreated patients, who would not tolerate myeloablative HCT, resulting in a consequent decrease in regimen-related toxicity and treatment-related mortality. [3][4][5] Acute kidney injury (AKI) is highly prevalent whether the patients undergo myeloablative or non-myeloablative regimens; however, the pathogenesis and risk factors leading to AKI can differ between the two. In fact, AKI in patients receiving HCT is associated not only with increased short-and long-term mortality as compared with patients with no AKI, but also with a higher rate of progression to chronic kidney disease (CKD). Herein, the authors provide a comprehensive and up-to-date review of the definition and diagnosis of AKI as well as of the incidence, risk factors, pathogenesis and outcome of AKI in patients undergoing HCT, centering on the differences between myeloablative and nonmyeloablative regimens.

In this study, Pelvetia canaliculata L. macroalga, collected from the Atlantic Portuguese coast, was used as a source of bioactive compounds, mostly antioxidants, to incorporate them in sunflower oil with the aim of increasing its biological value and oxidative stability. The lyophilized alga was added to the oil, and ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) was performed. Algae concentration and UAE time varied following a central composite rotatable design (CCRD) to optimize extraction conditions. The following parameters were analyzed in the oils: oxidation products, acidity, color, chlorophyll pigments, carotenoids, flavonoids, total phenolic content, antioxidant activity by DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) and FRAP (ferric reducing antioxidant power) assays, and sensory analysis. Extraction conditions did not affect the acidity and the amount of oxidation products in the oil. Chlorophylls and carotenoid contents increased with algae concentration, while flavonoid extraction did not depend on algae content or UAE time. Total phenolics in the oil were highly related only to FRAP antioxidant activity. Storage experiments of supplemented oil (12.5% algae; 20 min UAE) were carried out under accelerated oxidation conditions at 60 °C/12 days. Antioxidant activity (FRAP) of supplemented oil was 6-fold higher than the value of non-supplemented oil. Final samples retained 40% of their initial antioxidant activity. The presence of algae extracts contributed to the increased oxidative stability of sunflower oil.

Although the prognostic effect of obesity has been studied in critically ill patients its impact on outcomes of septic patients and its role as a risk factor for acute kidney injury (AKI) is not consensual. We aimed to analyze the impact of obesity on the occurrence of AKI and on in-hospital mortality in a cohort of critically ill septic patients. This study is retrospective including 456 adult patients with sepsis admitted to the Division of Intensive Medicine of the Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Norte (Lisbon, Portugal) between January 2008 and December 2014. Obesity was defined as a body mass index of 30 kg/m2 or higher. The Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes classification was used to diagnose and classify patients developing AKI. AKI occurred in 87.5% of patients (19.5% with stage 1, 22.6% with stage 2 and 45.4% with stage 3). Obese patients developed AKI more frequently than non-obese patients (92.8% versus 85.5%, p = .035; unadjusted OR 2.2 (95% CI: 1.04–4.6), p = .039; adjusted OR 2.31 (95% CI: 1.07–5.02), p = .034). The percentage of obese patients, however, did not differ between AKI stages (stage 1, 25.1%; stage 2, 28.6%; stage 3, 15.4%; p = .145). There was no association between obesity and mortality (p = .739). Of note, when comparing AKI patients with or without obesity in terms of in-hospital mortality there were also no significant differences between those groups (38.4% versus 38.4%, p = .998). Obesity was associated with the occurrence of AKI in critically ill patients with sepsis; however, it was not associated with in-hospital mortality.

Seaweeds exhibit high nutritional value due to a balanced concentration of proteins, vitamins and minerals, a high concentration of low digestibility polysaccharides, and reduced levels of lipids, many of which are n-3 and n-6 fatty acids. The species Agarophyton vermiculophyllum is no exception and, as such, a comprehensive study of the chemical and nutritional profile of this red seaweed was carried out for 1 year. Seasonal variations in moisture, ash, protein and amino acids content, crude fibers, ascorbic acid, agar, lipids, and the corresponding fatty acid profile, were analyzed. We found low levels of fatty acids and a high protein content, but also noticed interesting seasonal change patterns in these compounds. The present study gives insights on the environmental conditions that can lead to changes in the nutritional composition of this species, aiming, therefore, to bring new conclusions about the manipulation of environmental conditions that allow for maximizing the nutritional value of this seaweed.

Multivariate analysis showed that diabetes and residual stenosis (albeit <30%) were predictive of recurrence, whereas the finding of an isolated CAS lesion as opposed to stenoses in multiple locations was shown to be negatively associated with recurrent CAS, appearing to be "protective".