Background and Aims Women with chronic kidney disease are much less likely to become pregnant and pregnany has always been considered as a challenging event both for the mother and the fetus. The challenge is harder in patients undergoing dialysis. The main objective of our work is reporting our experience of pregnancy’s cases in hemodialysis centers in southern Tunisia. Method It was a retrospective study looked at 25 spontaneous pregnancies in 19 patients treated with periodic hemodialysis in different hemodialysis centers in southern Tunisia over a period of 34 years. All pregnancies were spontaneous and are counted even spontaneous or voluntary abortions during the 1st and 2nd trimester of pregnancy Results The maternal age at the onset of pregnancy was, on average, 35.63 years ± 5.62 (between 23 and 44 years). Our study included 19 patients from southern Tunisia, 6 of them belonged to the governorate of Medenine. Hypertension was present in 7 patients (37%). The average duration of hemodialysis before conception is 4.56 years ± 3.55 (1 - 17 years). Seven patients (37%) had residual diuresis of: 1 liter per 24h in 2 cases, 500ml per 24h in other cases and the rest of the patients were anuric. All our patients were anemic before pregnancy with a mean hemoglobin level at 8 ± 1.54 g / dl (5.1 - 10.6 g / dl) with erythropoietin use in 12 (48%), folate in 11 cases (44%), intravenous iron in 11 cases (44%) and transfusion in 6 cases (24%).In our series, the average urea level was 22.19 ± 4.29 mmol / L .The urea level was lower or equal to 20 mmol / L in 8 cases (42%) and greater than 20 mmol / L in 11 cases (58%). Among the 25 pregnancies, 16 (64%) resulted in the birth of a live child: 4 intra-uterine malformations, 4 early abortions and one voluntary termination of pregnancy. There were 2 deaths within 28 days after birth. Pregnancy was considered a success if it resulted in the birth of a newborn surviving at least 28 days. Thus, the success rate was estimated at 56%. Among the maternal complications, hypertension was the most frequently complication (35% of cases). There were 2 cases of hemorrhage’s delivery as obstetrical complication. Among fetal complications, prematurity was frequent and was present in 15 cases (60%): 10 cas (40%) of average prematurity, 4 cases (16%) of great prematurity and 1 case (4%) of extreme immaturity. Hydramnios was found in 3 cases (16%). Intra-uterine growth retardation was found in 13 cases (52%) and 6 cases of death (24%) were described. Conclusion Pregnancy during chronic end stage renal failure is rare but possible. The chance of giving birth to a live child has increased in parallel with advances in hemodialysis techniques and early weight-bearing. Thus, a successful pregnancy in woman on dialysis requires collaboration among nephrologists, dialysis unit staff and obstetricians.

Background and Aims Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has affected the care and outcomes of patients treated with dialysis worldwide. Patients on hemodialysis (HD) are at extremely high risk to develop COVID-19 because of their multiple co-morbidities and immunosuppression. We report throw this work the experience of our unit of HD with the covid-19 infection and its outcomes on our patients. Method We conducted a prospective study since the beginning of the pandemic. We have collected 26 HD patients reached of COVID 19 disease. Results The sex ratio of our population was equal to 1,36 with female predominance. The mean age of our patients was 61, 31 ±14,17 years. The co-morbidities noted among these patients were respectively hypertension, diabetes, heart diseases and obesity in 19, 17, 10 and 10 cases. The causal nephropathy was respectively diabetic, undetermined, glomerular and interstitial nephropathy in 13, 9, 2 and 2 cases. The major symptoms associated to the COVID 19 were respectively dyspnea, cough, asthenia, fever and chills, digestive manifestations, chest pain in 22, 19, 19, 15, 10, and 6 cases. 7 patients have been exposed to covid-19 infested person. Symptoms appeared within an average of 4,3 ± 2 days. Oxygen saturation was less than 92% in 65% of the cases during hospitalization. 84% of the patients are hospitalized including one among them who required the stay in a resuscitation unit and intubation. The scannographic lesions of covid were estimated to more than 50% in 8 cases and less than 50% in 4 cases. A biological inflammatory syndrome has been noted in all of the patients with a mean CRP at 117+/-127 mg/l and the mean leucocytes count at 10248±6592 elt/mm3. Lymphopenia was noted in 14 cases with lymphocytes count less than 1500 elt/mm3. The ratio of neutrophils / lymphocytes was more than 2,5 in 12 cases. The treatment was based on oxygen, corticosteroids, antibiotics, vitamins and anticoagulation for hospitalized patients (22 patients). The mean number of HD sessions realized per patient during hospitalization was 4 ± 2,3 HD sessions. The perdialytic complications noted were alteration of the state of consciousness in 3 cases and heart failure in 5 cases. The outcomes of our patients were marked by death in 38% and a recovery in 62% of the patients. Thus, the forms observed in our series are respectively moderate, severe, pauci-symptomatic and asymptomatic in 12, 10, 2 and 2 cases. Conclusion We highlight throw this study the severe consequences of COVID-19 on HD patients in whom mortality reached 38%. Until the pandemic is controlled and a vaccine or a treatment are valid, we highlight the importance of the compliance with confinement and develop home dialysis among our population.

Background and Aims Sleep disturbances are more common in patients with chronic renal failure and on dialysis than in the general population. They affect their mental health and quality of life. The objective of this study was to evaluate the sleep disorders of patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD). Method We report the results of a descriptive cross-sectional study in 27 patients on PD in order to assess the quality of sleep in these patients and its relation with mental health and quality of life. Sleep quality was performed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) to assess origin and extent of sleep disorders. Anxiety-depressive disorders were assessed using the HAD (Hospital anxiety and depression) scale. The quality of life (QOL) measurement was performed by the SF36 and KDQoL. Results We included 15 men and 12 women with an average age of 45.74 years (21–77). Eleven patients were on automated peritoneal dialysis (APD) and 16 patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). The mean duration of dialysis was 45.77 ± 25 months. Poor quality of sleep was reported in 14 patients. The mean PSQI was 7.22 ± 4.87. The most affected components were sleep duration and usual sleep efficiency. Depression was objectified in 22.22% of patients and 26% of patients had anxiety. Impaired quality of sleep was associated with decreased quality of life. The components of the physical dimension of quality of life: limitation due to physical condition, physical pain were significantly lower in dialysis patients with good quality of sleep (p=0.014, p= 0.033 respectively) The mental dimension component of QOL of SF36: relationship to others, limitation due to mental condition was also lower in patients with sleep disturbances (p=0.039, p= 0.036 respectively). Symptoms and problems, as well as the effects and the burden of kidney disease were not associated with poor quality of sleep. Impaired sleep quality was also not significantly associated with depression or anxiety in our series. Conclusion Sleep disturbances are common in PD patients and are associated with decreased quality of life. Therefore, they must be taken into account in the therapeutic measures recommended in order to improve the quality of life of these patients and reduce morbidity and mortality.