AimThis study aimed to described the relationship between the CI and mortality in an Australian context.IntroductionMaintenance haemodialysis is a catabolic state associated with a significant decrease in lean body mass (LBM) and protein energy wasting. LBM can be derived or estimated from creatinine kinetic modelling, specifically the creatinine index (CI). This has been demonstrated in cohort studies to predict mortality.MethodsOne hundred seventy‐nine patients undergoing haemodialysis in 2015 were included in this cohort. They were followed for 5 years with pertinent clinical data collected to calculate the CI as of December 2015. For analysis, patients were split into a high and low CI group based on the median (18.32 mg/kg/day). The primary outcome of interest was all‐cause mortality, and secondary outcomes included myocardial infarction, stroke and transplantation.ResultsDuring follow‐up, 69 (76.7%) patients in the low CI group and 28 (31.5%) patients in the high CI group died (P < 0.001). The relative risk (RR) of mortality within the low compared with the high CI group was 2.43 (95% confidence interval, 1.75–3.38). Fully adjusted Cox proportional hazards modelling demonstrated a hazard ratio (HR) of 0.498 (95% CI, 0.292–0.848) for survival in the high CI group. Lower CI was associated with increased risk of stroke (RR, 5.43 [95% CI, 1.24–23.84]), whereas transplant was more likely in the high CI group (RR, 6.4 [95% confidence interval, 1.96–20.88]).ConclusionsIn a single‐centre Australian haemodialysis cohort, the CI was strongly associated with mortality and stroke risk. The CI is an accurate and simple method to identify patients with low LBM at risk for significant morbidity and mortality.

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We report a case of a patient presenting with subacute neurological symptoms 10 years postkidney transplant. Cognitive deficits included acalculia and left upper limb dysesthesia, progressing to hemiplegic upper motor neuron weakness. Investigations included an MRI with multiple FLAIR hyperintensities, while a lumbar puncture was sterile with negative flow cytometry. Ultimately, PCR testing for John Cunningham virus was positive on cerebrospinal fluid. The diagnosis of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) was confirmed on the basis of the above.Initially, the patient was managed with withdrawal of immunosuppressants and close observation. Mirtazapine was commenced based on case reports of successful use in non-transplant patients; the patient’s recovery was temporally related to withdrawal of immunosuppression and increasing mirtazapine dosage. The patient is currently maintained on prednisolone and mirtazapine with stable graft function and improved mobility and cognitive function.