Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was first discovered in Wuhan, China in 2019. The disease it causes (coronavirus disease-19-COVID-19) was officially named on 11 February 2019 by the World Health Organization. At the beginning of May 2020, there are nearly 230 000 cases of COVID-19-related deaths and around 3 267 000 cases confirmed worldwide (WHO: COVID-19 Situation report-103.) The pathophysiology of COVID-19 includes SARS-CoV-2 binding to the alveolar epithelium, thus activating innate immune system and adaptive immune system and resulting in a pro-inflammatory cascade, including the release of

BackgroundThis article summarizes the 2012 European Renal Association—European Dialysis and Transplant Association Registry Annual Report (available at ) with a specific focus on older patients (defined as ≥65 years).MethodsData provided by 45 national or regional renal registries in 30 countries in Europe and bordering the Mediterranean Sea were used. Individual patient level data were received from 31 renal registries, whereas 14 renal registries contributed data in an aggregated form. The incidence, prevalence and survival probabilities of patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) receiving renal replacement therapy (RRT) and renal transplantation rates for 2012 are presented.ResultsIn 2012, the overall unadjusted incidence rate of patients with ESRD receiving RRT was 109.6 per million population (pmp) (n = 69 035), ranging from 219.9 pmp in Portugal to 24.2 pmp in Montenegro. The proportion of incident patients ≥75 years varied from 15 to 44% between countries. The overall unadjusted prevalence on 31 December 2012 was 716.7 pmp (n = 451 270), ranging from 1670.2 pmp in Portugal to 146.7 pmp in the Ukraine. The proportion of prevalent patients ≥75 years varied from 11 to 32% between countries. The overall renal transplantation rate in 2012 was 28.3 pmp (n = 15 673), with the highest rate seen in the Spanish region of Catalonia. The proportion of patients ≥65 years receiving a transplant ranged from 0 to 35%. Five-year adjusted survival for all RRT patients was 59.7% (95% confidence interval, CI: 59.3–60.0) which fell to 39.3% (95% CI: 38.7–39.9) in patients 65–74 years and 21.3% (95% CI: 20.8–21.9) in patients ≥75 years.

Background: This article summarizes the European Renal Association – European Dialysis and Transplant Association Registry’s 2014 annual report. It describes the epidemiology of renal replacement therapy (RRT) for end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in 2014 within 35 countries. Methods: In 2016, the ERA-EDTA Registry received data on patients who in 2014 where undergoing RRT for ESRD, from 51 national or regional renal registries. Thirty-two registries provided individual patient level data and 19 provided aggregated patient level data. The incidence, prevalence and survival probabilities of these patients were determined. Results: In 2014, 70 953 individuals commenced RRT for ESRD, equating to an overall unadjusted incidence rate of 133 per million population (pmp). The incidence ranged by 10-fold; from 23 pmp in the Ukraine to 237 pmp in Portugal. Of the patients commencing RRT, almost two-thirds were men, over half were aged ≥65 years and a quarter had diabetes mellitus as their primary renal diagnosis. By day 91 of commencing RRT, 81% of patients were receiving haemodialysis. On 31 December 2014, 490 743 individuals were receiving RRT for ESRD, equating to an unadjusted prevalence of 924 pmp. This ranged throughout Europe by more than 10-fold, from 157 pmp in the Ukraine to 1794 pmp in Portugal. In 2014, 19 406 kidney transplantations were performed, equating to an overall unadjusted transplant rate of 36 pmp. Again this varied considerably throughout Europe. For patients commencing RRT during 2005–09, the 5-year-adjusted patient survival probabilities on all RRT modalities was 63.3% (95% confidence interval 63.0–63.6). The expected remaining lifetime of a 20- to 24-year-old patient with ESRD receiving dialysis or living with a kidney transplant was 21.9 and 44.0 years, respectively. This was substantially lower than the 61.8 years of expected remaining lifetime of a 20-year-old patient without ESRD.

Screening for and treating asymptomatic bacteriuria are common in KTRs despite uncertainties around the benefits and harms. In an era of antimicrobial resistance, further studies are needed to address the diagnosis and management of asymptomatic bacteriuria in these patients.

Maintenance hemodialysis (HD) in Yugoslavia started in the sixties and followed the dialysis trends in the Western Europe. However, in the last decade the development of renal replacement therapy (RRT) slowed down. In this report the epidemiology of ESRD from 1997–1999 and the survey of the status of HD treatment in Yugoslavia in 1999 are presented. Epidemiological data are obtained by the annual center questionnaires (response rate: 92.6 −94.2%). The survey of HD status is based on a specific questionnaire and covered 2108 patients (65%). At the end of 1999 there were 56 RRT centers in Yugoslavia treating 3939 patients: 3232 (82%) patients by HD, 248 (6.3%) by peritoneal dialysis, and 459 (11.7%) living with transplanted kidney. In a three year period, incidence of ESRD ranged from 108–128 pmp, point prevalence from 435–463 pmp and mortality rate from 20.7–17.9. Numerous refugee patients were treated over the last 10 years. Main causes of ESRD were glomerulonephritis (30%); Balkan nephropathy represented 11% and diabetic nephropathy 7% of all primary renal diseases. Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases were the most common causes of death of RRT patients. Most centers are overcrowded and HD machines are worn out. Mean Kt/V was 1.19±0.08, mean URR% 58.8±7.4. The shortage of drugs prevented adequate management: 83% of HD patients had hemoglobin level less than 100 g/L but only 10.3 −17.8% were treated with rHuEpo; 64.5% of patients had phosphate levels higher than 1.7 mmol/L but only 33.5% used phosphate binders; 47% of patients had hypertension despite the antihypertensive therapy. The prevalence of hepatitis B remained unchanged (about 14%) in HD population during the last three years, but the prevalence of anti-HCV positive patients decreased (31–23%). In conclusion, there is a well developed dialysis service in Yugoslavia but insufficient conditions for adequate treatment.