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Andrés Cárdenas

Publications and source records attributed to Andrés Cárdenas.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2007

Management of ascites and hepatic hydrothorax.

The natural course of patients with cirrhosis is frequently complicated by the accumulation of fluid in the peritoneal or pleural cavities and interstitial tissue. Functional renal abnormalities that occur as a consequence of decreased effective arterial blood volume are responsible for fluid accumulation in the form of ascites and hepatic hydrothorax. Ascites is the most common complication of cirrhosis and poses an increased risk for infections, renal failure and mortality. Patients have a poor prognosis and it is estimated that nearly half will die in approximately 2 years without liver transplantation. Hepatic hydrothorax is defined as a pleural effusion greater than 500 mL (mostly right-sided) in patients with cirrhosis without cardiopulmonary disease; the estimated prevalence is approximately 5-10%. Liver transplantation is the most definitive cure for both conditions in those patients that are suitable candidates. However, the mainstay of therapy for minimizing fluid accumulation in both conditions includes sodium restriction and administration of diuretics. This article reviews the most current concepts of pathogenesis, clinical findings, diagnosis, and treatment of these complications of cirrhosis.

Ascites↗
PubMed2006

Hepatorenal syndrome.

Among the many causes of renal failure in patients who have advanced liver disease, functional renal failure occurring in the absence of parenchymal kidney disease, better known as hepatorenal syndrome (HRS), is the most frequent cause of renal dysfunction in patients who have cirrhosis. This article focuses on the pathogenesis, clinical features, diagnostic approach, and current treatment of HRS in cirrhosis.

Hepatorenal Syndrome↗
PubMed2006

Therapy insight: Management of hepatorenal syndrome.

Hepatorenal syndrome (HRS), a feared complication of advanced cirrhosis, is characterized by functional renal failure, secondary to renal vasoconstriction in the absence of underlying kidney pathology. Extreme underfilling of the arterial circulation, caused by arterial vasodilation of the splanchnic circulation, activates vasoconstrictor systems, which lead to intense renal vasoconstriction and HRS. Factors predictive for the development of HRS include intense urinary sodium retention, dilutional hyponatremia, low blood pressure, decreased cardiac output, and increased activity of systemic vasoconstrictors. The prognosis for patients with HRS is extremely poor, especially for those with the acute, progressive (type 1) form. Liver transplantation is the best treatment for suitable candidates and should always be the management option considered first. Pharmacologic therapies are aimed at improving renal function to enable patients to survive until transplantation is possible. These therapies are based on plasma expansion with albumin, combined with the use of either vasopressin analogs or alpha-adrenergic agonists. Other nonpharmacologic therapies, such as transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts and albumin dialysis show promise, but experience with these treatments is limited. For prevention of HRS, albumin infusion is recommended in patients with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, and pentoxifylline treatment is recommended in patients with acute alcoholic hepatitis.

Adrenergic alpha-Agonists↗
PubMed2006

Acute hepatitis due to shen-min: a herbal product derived from Polygonum multiflorum.

Shen-Min is a herbal product sold as a supplement for women to enhance hair growth. It is widely available across Asia, Europe, and the United States and sold without prescription as a hair nutritional supplement. We describe a case of acute liver injury in a 28-year-old white woman who developed symptomatic hepatitis 8 weeks after starting Shen-Min. All other potential causes of acute hepatitis including viral, hypoxic/ischemic, metabolic, and autoimmune etiologies were excluded. The liver injury slowly resolved over 3 weeks after discontinuing the herbal product. Although the mechanism of Shen-Min hepatotoxicity is unknown, we suspect an idiosyncratic reaction because the patient developed a fine maculopapular rash, mild eosinophilia, and did not overdose. Shen-Min is a Chinese herbal product with a mixture of several plants and vitamins including Polygonum multiflorum, a root that has been previously associated with hepatotoxicity. Nonetheless to our knowledge this is the first reported case of herbal-induced hepatotoxicity in a patient taking Shen-Min per se. Clinicians taking care of patients with acute hepatitis of unclear etiology should be aware that the consumption of Shen-Min, a hair supplement widely available in the United States and Western countries might cause acute hepatitis.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2005

The role of likelihood ratio in clinical diagnosis: applicability in the setting of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis.

Despite imperfect clinical information and uncertainty about clinical course and outcome, the clinician's main task is to make reasonable decisions about patient care. The clinical history and physical examination typically provide information that is useful for making a diagnosis; however, we still rely on laboratory and radiologic tests to confirm a diagnosis in most cases. Understanding the operative characteristic of a test is of key importance because it can change the probability that a patient has a disease before the result of a test is known. This operative characteristic, better known as the likelihood ratio (LR), is a global assessment of the information provided by a test. The LR allows calculating the odds that a patient has a disease after a test is performed. In this article, we explain the meaning of the LR, how it works, and the applicability of this tool in the setting of a challenging scenario in clinical practice, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis.

Bacterial Infections↗
PubMed2005

Hepatorenal syndrome: a dreaded complication of end-stage liver disease.

Hepatorenal syndrome is the dreaded complication of end-stage liver disease characterized by functional renal failure due to renal vasoconstriction in the absence of underlying kidney pathology. The pathogenesis of hepatorenal syndrome is the result of an extreme underfilling of the arterial circulation secondary to an arterial vasodilation located in the splanchnic circulation. This underfilling triggers a compensatory response with activation of vasoconstrictor systems leading to intense renal vasoconstriction. The diagnosis is based on established diagnostic criteria aimed at excluding nonfunctional causes of renal failure. The prognosis of patients with hepatorenal syndrome is extremely poor especially in those who have a rapidly progressive course. Liver transplantation is the best option in suitable candidates, but it is not always applicable due to the short survival expectancy and donor shortage. Pharmacological therapies based on the use of vasoconstrictor drugs (terlipressin, midodrine, octreotide, or noradrenline) are the most promising in the aim of successfully offering a bridge to liver transplantation. Other treatments such as transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts and albumin dialysis are effective but experience is very limited. Although there is limited information on the prevention of hepatorenal syndrome, intravenous albumin infusion in patients with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis and with oral pentoxifylline in patients with acute alcoholic hepatitis seems to effectively prevent hepatorenal syndrome in these two settings.

Hepatorenal Syndrome↗
PubMed2005

Refractory ascites.

Patients with cirrhosis have significant abnormalities in their fluid and electrolyte balance; this is manifested mainly by the development of ascites and edema. Ascites is the most common complication of patients with cirrhosis and its development constitutes the first and most important manifestation of the disease. With disease progression, patients with advanced cirrhosis and severe urinary sodium retention develop refractory ascites, a condition in which patients do not respond to diuretics or develop severe side effects to these that preclude their use. This condition occurs in 5-10% of cases admitted to the hospital for treatment of ascites. Approximately half of these patients will die within 1 year if not transplanted; therefore, the best therapy is liver transplantation in suitable candidates. During the last two decades, significant advances have been made in regard to pathogenesis and treatment of refractory ascites. The re-introduction of therapeutic paracentesis with plasma expansion in the 1980s was a milestone in the treatment of these patients. In addition, the introduction of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts as a therapy for refractory ascites has certainly provided a reasonable alternative for those patients with preserved liver function and unwilling to undergo several taps per month. This article will discuss the pathophysiology, clinical features and therapy of refractory ascites in cirrhosis.

Ascites↗
PubMed2003

Mechanisms of water and sodium retention in cirrhosis and the pathogenesis of ascites.

Patients with advanced cirrhosis and portal hypertension often show an abnormal regulation of extracellular fluid volume, resulting in the accumulation of fluid as ascites, pleural effusion or oedema. The mechanisms responsible for ascites formation include alterations in the splanchnic circulation as well as renal functional abnormalities that favour sodium and water retention. Renal abnormalities occur in the setting of a hyperdynamic state characterized by an increase cardiac output, a reduction in total vascular resistance and an activation of neurohormonal vasoactive systems. This circulatory dysfunction, due mainly to intense arterial vasodilation in the splanchnic circulation, is considered to be a primary feature in the pathogenesis of ascites. A major factor involved in the development of splanchnic arterial vasodilation is nitric oxide (NO), a potent vasodilator that is elevated in the splanchnic circulation of patients with cirrhosis. This event decreases effective arterial blood volume and leads to fluid accumulation and renal function abnormalities which are a consequence of the homeostatic activation of vasoconstrictor and antinatriuretic factors triggered to compensate for a relative arterial underfilling. The net effect is avid retention of sodium and water as well as renal vasoconstriction. The mechanisms of sodium and water retention and ascites formation in patients with cirrhosis are discussed in this review.

Ascites↗
PubMed2002

Increased plasma levels of neuropeptide Y in hepatorenal syndrome.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To investigate the relationship between neuropeptide Y (NPY), a potent renal vasoconstrictor peptide released upon marked stimulations of sympathetic nervous system (SNS), and renal and circulatory function in cirrhosis. METHODS: Plasma levels of NPY (radioimmunoassay) and norepinephrine and renal function parameters were determined in 17 healthy controls, nine patients with cirrhosis without ascites, and 37 patients with cirrhosis and ascites, of whom 12 had hepatorenal syndrome (HRS). RESULTS: Patients with ascites showed circulating levels of NPY similar to those of patients without ascites and controls (73+/-4, +/-4 and 68+/-4 pmol/l, respectively; NS). However, patients with HRS had significantly increased levels of NPY with respect to the other groups (110+/-6 pmol/l; P<0.001). NPY levels correlated inversely with renal plasma flow and glomerular filtration rate and directly with norepinephrine. In patients with HRS (n=6) treatment with terlipressin and albumin was associated with a marked improvement in circulatory and renal function and marked suppression of NPY and norepinephrine levels. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with HRS have increased levels of NPY which are related to circulatory dysfunction and SNS activation and may contribute to renal vasoconstriction.

Ascites↗
PubMed2002

Terlipressin therapy with and without albumin for patients with hepatorenal syndrome: results of a prospective, nonrandomized study.

Vasopressin analogues associated with albumin improve renal function in hepatorenal syndrome (HRS). The current study was aimed at assessing the efficacy of the treatment, predictive factors of response, recurrence of HRS, and survival after therapy. Twenty-one consecutive patients with HRS (16 with type 1 HRS, 5 with type 2 HRS) received terlipressin (0.5-2 mg/4 hours intravenously) until complete response was achieved (serum creatinine level < 1.5 mg/dL) or for 15 days; 13 patients received intravenous albumin together with terlipressin. Twelve of the 21 patients (57%) showed complete response. Albumin administration was the only predictive factor of complete response (77% in patients receiving terlipressin and albumin vs. 25% in those receiving terlipressin alone, P =.03). Treatment with terlipressin and albumin was associated with a remarkable decrease in serum creatinine level, increase in arterial pressure, and suppression of the renin-aldosterone system. By contrast, no significant changes in these parameters were found in patients treated with terlipressin alone. Only 1 patient showed ischemic adverse effects. Recurrence of HRS occurred in 17% of patients with complete response. The occurrence of complete response was associated with an improved survival. In conclusion, terlipressin therapy reverses HRS in a high proportion of patients. Recurrence rate after treatment withdrawal is uncommon. Albumin appears to improve markedly the beneficial effects of terlipressin.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Chylous ascites.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Chylous Ascites↗
PubMed2002

Celiac sprue.

Celiac sprue, celiac disease, or gluten-sensitive enteropathy, is a malabsorption disorder of the small intestine that occurs after ingestion of wheat gluten in genetically susceptible individuals. This disease is characterized by intestinal malabsorption associated with villous atrophy of the small intestinal mucosa, clinical and histological improvement after adherence to strict gluten free diet, and relapse when gluten is reintroduced. Celiac sprue has a high prevalence in Western Europe and North America where it is estimated to affect 1:120 to 1:300 individuals. The pathogenesis of celiac sprue is related to inappropriate intestinal T-cell activation in HLA-DQ2 positive individuals triggered by antigenic peptides from wheat gluten or prolamins from barley and rye. Although previously thought to be mainly a disease of childhood onset, the diagnosis is increasingly being made in adults. There are a wide variety of presentations, which range from asymptomatic forms to severe diarrhea, weight loss and nutritional deficiencies. Extraintestinal manifestations including anemia, osteopenia or neurological disorders and associated conditions such as diabetes or hypothyroidism are commonly present. The availability of highly sensitive and specific serologic markers has dramatically facilitated the diagnosis of celiac sprue. However, the demonstration of characteristic histological abnormalities in a biopsy specimen of the small intestine remains the mainstay of diagnosis. Treatment consists of life-long avoidance of dietary gluten to control symptoms and to prevent both immediate and long-term complications.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Hepatorenal syndrome.

Hepatorenal syndrome is complication of advanced cirrhosis characterized by renal failure, changes in systemic blood pressure, and increased activity of endogenous vasoactive systems. Renal failure is due to severe renal vasoconstriction developing in the late stages of cirrhosis. The pathogenesis of hepatorenal syndrome is the result of an extreme underfilling of the arterial circulation secondary to an arterial vasodilation located in the splanchnic circulation. This underfilling triggers a compensatory response with activation of vasoconstrictor systems. The diagnosis of hepatorenal syndrome is based on established diagnostic criteria aimed at excluding nonfunctional causes of renal failure. The prognosis of patients with hepatorenal syndrome is very poor. Liver transplantation is the best option in selected patients, but it is not always applicable due to the short survival expectancy and donor shortage. Pharmacological therapies based on the use of vasoconstrictor drugs (terlipressin, midodrine, octreotide or noradrenline) are the most promising in aims of successfully offering a bridge to liver transplantation. Prevention of hepatorenal syndrome with albumin infusion is recommended in patients with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis and with pentoxifylline in patients with acute alcoholic hepatitis.

Hepatorenal Syndrome↗