High dialysate [HCO3-] was associated with a faster decrease in serum K+. Our results strongly suggest that this reduction was due to the enhanced shifting of K+ from the extracellular to the intracellular fluid compartment rather than its removal by dialysis. This finding could have an impact for those patients with life-threatening pre-HD hyperkalaemia.

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Summary Despite repeated campaigns promoting transplantation, the high donation refusal rate remains unchanged. We targeted a well‐educated population to assess the impact of our current transplantation promoting programs and personal feelings toward new approaches to organ donation. A questionnaire was proposed in five universities to students and university staffs that would have been likely to benefit from previous information campaigns in two South American and three European countries. All of the 2321 people interviewed replied to at least one question. Organ shortage was considered as a serious public health issue. However, there was a widespread ignorance of religious precepts concerning transplantation that contributed to the low acceptance rate of organ sharing after death. Financial rewards for donors or their families remain controversial. There was a general agreement for early educational programs in schools. Most people still consider organ donation as a gift, but many would now agree to readily share body parts after death. This biased population of well‐educated people has still little knowledge of organ donation. The negative impact of ignorance surrounding religious precepts and the high acceptance rate of educational programs in schools, justify supporting an intensive international effort in education that should also include Church leaders.

We describe the results of the multidisciplinary evaluation in patients with Fabry disease and the same genetic mutation and their outcomes using different approved enzyme replacement therapy (ERT). We measured baseline data and serial results of neuropathic pain assessment and renal, cardiac and cerebrovascular functioning. Pain scale showed improvement in all male cases treated with agalsidasa beta. A mild improvement was detected in agalsidasa alfa-treated patients after 1 year with posterior increase. During the agalsidase beta shortage, two male patients were switched to agalsidasa alfa, after 1 year both cases presented an increase in scale values. Renal evolution showed a tendency toward a decrease in proteinuria in patients using agalsidase beta and worsening with agalsidase alfa. We found improvement in two females using agalsidase beta and no changes in the other cases regarding cardiac functioning. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed increase of white matter lesions in four patients. Improvement and stabilization in neuropathic pain, renal and cardiac functioning and brain MRI were found mainly in patients treated with agalsidase beta. Following the reported recommendations on reintroduction of agalsidase beta after the enzyme shortage, we decided to switch all patients to agalsidase beta.