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Giacomo Forneris

Publications and source records attributed to Giacomo Forneris.

4 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2004

Patient referral is influenced by dialysis centre structure in the Diamant Alpin Dialysis cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Late referral (LR) to the nephrologist of patients with progressing chronic kidney disease (CKD) has numerous deleterious effects and is observed in many countries. The contributing factors associated with LR are controversial and poorly defined. We hypothesized that these factors might be better identified by analysing patients starting dialysis in three distinct European countries within the same area. METHOD: The referral and progression of kidney failure patterns were analysed with demographic, clinical and biological data in 279 non-selected consecutive patients starting dialysis in eight centres of three adjacent regions in France, Italy and Switzerland. RESULTS: Early referral (>6 months before the start of dialysis) was seen in 200 patients (71.6%), intermediate referral (1-6 months) in 42 (15.1%) and LR (<1 month) in 37 (13.3%). However inter-centre variations were between 2 and 19% for LR and 6-50% for combined late and intermediate referral. There were no differences at the national levels, but LR was more frequent in the large city centres than in the private or regional structures, with 31 out of 169 (18.3%), two out of 55 (5.4%) and four out of 55 (7.3%), respectively, of their patients (P<0.01). By multivariate analysis, it appears that, besides the presence of an active cancer and the CKD progression rate, the centre structure and the referring physician (primary care physicians and nephrologists are less responsible for LR than other medical specialists) play a significant role in the practice of LR. CONCLUSIONS: Within a dialysis cohort spread over adjacent regions of three countries, LR has the same global distribution pattern, indicating that different health and social security systems do not play a major role in inducing or preventing this practice. The contributing factors for LR that were identified are the type of the referring physician and the structure of the dialysis unit. Both factors are potential targets for an educational and collaborative approach.

Aged↗
PubMed2002

Prevention of hemodialysis catheter-related bloodstream infection using an antimicrobial lock.

Among currently available vascular access options for hemodialysis, central venous catheters show the poorest reliability, with frequent complications of thrombosis and stenosis impairing patency. The most serious problem, however, is catheter-related bloodstream infection (CRBI), which is typically a cause for removal of the catheter and protracted systemic antibiotic therapy. In our experience, a totally implanted device (Dialock, Biolink Corp.) seems to confer a better global protection against catheter-related infections than standard tunneled catheters, accounting for 0.97 vs. 4.75 infection episodes/1,000 catheter-days, respectively (p < 0.001). Bloodstream infection rates, however, are not statistically different in the two groups (0.85 vs. 0.81 per 1,000 catheter-days; p = n.s.), indicating that the improvement is mainly related to local cutaneous infections. On the other hand, in the Sodemann experience, a new taurolidine-based lock solution (Neutrolin, Biolink Corp.) greatly reduced CRBI rates with both subcutaneous ports and tunneled catheters to 0.29 and 0.20 episodes/1,000 catheter-days, respectively. These promising results await further confirmation from ongoing clinical trials.

Anti-Infective Agents, Local↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Do central venous catheters have advantages over arteriovenous fistulas or grafts?

Central venous accesses have become an integral component of vascular access procedures for hemodialysis. Although the DOQI guidelines recommend that less than 10% of chronic hemodialysis patients should be maintained on catheters, in some countries higher prevalences are reported, as in the United States and the United Kingdom (18% and 24%, respectively, according to the DOPPS). The native arteriovenous fistulas are still the best suited accesses for hemodialysis. However, this option is impractical in many situations, so that several justifiable reasons exist for protracted dialysis catheter use; these include the catheter as a bridge angioaccess device, while the patient is awaiting living-related kidney donor transplantation or maturation of an autologous fistula or graft or, increasingly, as the permanent vascular access for patients with unsuitable vascular anatomy who have exhausted all other options. Moreover, the surgical creation of an AVF is felt to be impossible or at least seems to entail significant risks in situations of high output cardiac failure, myocardial ischaemic events and steal syndrome. In these cases, the dialysis access catheter brings considerable advantages, but it also carries tremendous drawbacks. In addition to the increased risk of luminal thrombosis, infection, unreliable blood flows, central venous stenosis, shorter use life and patient cosmetic concern, tunneled catheters are associated with an increased risk of death. Tunnellization, exit site protection, antibiotic-coated or antiseptic-impregnated hemodialysis catheters, antibiotic lock solutions could be helpful in preventing and treating catheter-related bacteremias. Moreover, the development of a subcutaneous port, that is durable, offers a high blood flow and is fully implantable subcutaneously, may become an alternative for chronic use. In our 10-year experience we implanted in our center over 450 central venous catheters with a satisfactory survival (86% at 1 year and 79% at 2 years for the subcutaneous port). In a matched comparison between Tesio twin catheters and Dialock ports (37 vs. 35, respectively), followed for a 2 year period, no significant differences emerged as regards bacteremia incidence, 0.58/1,000 catheter-days in the Tesio catheter group vs. 0.9/1000 catheter-days in the subcutaneous port group, p=0.12; thrombolytic agents needed, 4.5% vs 4.3% of dialysis sessions; or access failure with removal of the device, 8.1% vs 14.2%, p=0.4. The longer duration of antibiotic therapy in the Tesio group (24.6 vs 14.3 days, p=0.006) was due to the higher incidence of cutaneous infectious episodes (3.8 vs 0.16/1,000 catheter-days). In conclusion, although central venous catheter is the vascular access of last choice, in particular cases it can be a useful alternative, provided that strict protocols for nursing care and proper catheter management are implemented in every center.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗