Patient population (n) Episodes per Country Reference Year Adults Children Centers year at risk (n) Scotland Kavanaugh (1) 2004 1205 a 0.62 Japan Hoshii (2) 2006 130 0.17 Canada Mujais (3) 2006 26 0.43 United States Mujais (3) 2006 35 a 0.37 Japan Nakamoto (4

Our objective was to study the impact of peritoneal catheter configuration on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPO)-related infections, mechanical complications, and patient dropout in a prospective randomized trial. Forty consecutive patients who were commencing CAPO were randomized to receive either a double-cuff, Swan neck coiled catheter or a double-cuff, straight Tenckhoff catheter, implanted by surgical technique. There was no significant difference in the peritonitis rate between the two groups. There was a lower rate of exit-site infection in the Swan neck group compared to the straight catheter group (0.29 vs 0.60 eplsodes/patientyear, p < 0.05). Catheter-tip migration occurred in 3 patients with the straight catheters compared to one patient with the Swan neck catheter. No patient had to discontinue CAPO because of mechanical complications. The number of CAPO patient dropouts was not significantly different between the two groups. The Swan neck configuration resulted in a significant reduction in the rate of exit-site infections. The coiled component of the catheter may lead to fewer episodes of catheter-tip migration. However, catheter configuration did not influence the number of technique failures.

No abstract

The prevalence of histological gastritis was lower in uraemic patients when compared with patients with functional dyspepsia and healthy volunteers. Peptic ulcers in uraemic subjects have different clinical characteristics from peptic ulcer in non-uraemic subjects.

Renal cholesterol embolization is a rare disease occurring usually in elderly men who had undergone an angiographic procedure or vascular surgery. We report a man who developed systemic cholesterol embolic disease and acute renal failure after coronary angiography. A review of the English literature for renal cholesterol embolic disease revealed a high incidence of eosinophila (71 %). Livedo reticularis and digital infarcts occurred in more than 30% of patients. Forty percent of patients required dialysis for acute renal failure of whom only one fifth recovered sufficient renal function to stop dialysis. The overall mortality was high at 64%. Skin, muscle and kidney biopsies remain the main tools for diagnosis.