Consultant leadership and specialty ownership of the process were perceived to be critical in the success of the intervention. Antibiotic stewardship programs which address social factors may have greater efficacy to optimize antimicrobial prescribing.

Introduction: Colchicine is an anti-inflammatory drug prescribed for numerous medical conditions. Side effects are frequently encountered, particularly gastrointestinal symptoms. Caution and dose reduction are advised in patients with renal impairment because of a presumed increased risk of side effects. This systematic review intends to summarise the available literature to define the adverse effect profile of colchicine used in patients with kidney disease. Methods: We conducted a systematic review of randomised clinical trials seeking to evaluate the association between renal impairment and colchicine toxicity. We limited our search to randomised studies in humans in the English language. We allowed colchicine prescribed for any duration, dose or indication. Results: Our literature search identified a total of 7707 records. Only a single randomised trial was ultimately identified as meeting the inclusion criteria and addressing our research question. In patients with renal impairment, colchicine was not associated with an increased risk of dialysis, time until dialysis, or the incidence of liver function test derangement. We found no data for adverse events such as leukopenia, thrombocytopenia or diarrhoea in the kidney disease subgroup. Data was sparse and of poor quality. Conclusion: It is widely recommended that colchicine dose be reduced in patients with renal impairment due to an increased risk of drug accumulation and side effects. In our study, we failed to identify any robust clinical research substantiating this association. This is the first systematic review of randomised trials to investigate this link. Further research is required before the safety and tolerability of colchicine in renal disease can be confirmed.

Background Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of mortality in kidney failure (KF). Patients with KF from atheroembolic disease are at higher risk of cardiovascular disease than other causes of KF. This study aimed to determine survival on dialysis for patients with KF from atheroembolic disease compared with other causes of KF. Methods All adults (≥ 18 years) with KF initiating dialysis as the first kidney replacement therapy between 1 January 1990 and 31 December 2017 according to the Australia and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant registry were included. Patients were grouped into either: KF from atheroembolic disease and all other causes of KF. Survival outcomes were assessed by the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression analysis adjusted for patient-related characteristics. Results Among 65,266 people on dialysis during the study period, 334 (0.5%) patients had KF from atheroembolic disease. A decreasing annual incidence of KF from atheroembolic disease was observed from 2008 onwards. Individuals with KF from atheroembolic disease demonstrated worse survival on dialysis compared to those with other causes of KF (HR 1.80, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.61–2.03). The respective one- and five-year survival rates were 77 and 23% for KF from atheroembolic disease and 88 and 47% for other causes of KF. After adjustment for patient characteristics, KF from atheroembolic disease was not associated with increased patient mortality (adjusted HR 0.93 95% CI 0.82–1.05). Conclusions Survival outcomes on dialysis are worse for individuals with KF from atheroembolic disease compared to those with other causes of KF, probably due to patient demographics and higher comorbidity.

Background: Disordered metabolism of bone and minerals is a problem frequently encountered in patients with chronic kidney disease. Early biochemical changes include altered calcium and phosphate balance, while advanced disease produces reduced bone strength and extraskeletal calcification. The syndrome describing this constellation of findings is termed chronic kidney disease mineral and bone disorder. Case Report: This report details a rare and extreme manifestation of chronic kidney disease mineral and bone disorder in a patient on long-term hemodialysis for end-stage renal failure. Progressive abnormalities of the thoracic skeleton were ultimately severe enough to produce restrictive lung physiology and symptomatic respiratory failure. Conclusion: Cases of chronic kidney disease mineral and bone disorder with pronounced clinical sequelae occur uncommonly in contemporary practice because of early detection and effective therapies. To our knowledge, this report is the first case in the literature of severe thoracic involvement manifesting as respiratory failure.

Resistant hypertension is a common presentation of renal artery stenosis. Hypertension secondary to renal artery stenosis is typically managed with lifestyle and pharmacological interventions and less commonly with angioplasty or stenting, although exact treatment varies depending on the cause. In select cases refractory to these measures, kidney autotransplantation may be a valuable last-line approach. This case report demonstrates the successful use of kidney autotransplant for managing resistant hypertension in a young male with Takayasu’s arteritis and renal artery stenosis of a solitary kidney. We review the literature on the indications for kidney autotransplantation in renal artery stenosis, including the outcomes on blood pressure control and renal function and also the potential complications.