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Steven D Weisbord

Publications and source records attributed to Steven D Weisbord.

14 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Associations of race with depression and symptoms in patients on maintenance haemodialysis.

BACKGROUND: Although studies have shown that African American haemodialysis patients report better overall quality of life than Whites, racial differences in depression and symptom burden remain less well characterized. The aim of this study was to compare these domains between African American and White patients on chronic haemodialysis. METHODS: We surveyed African American and White maintenance haemodialysis patients. Depression was assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Cognitive Depression Index (CDI). Symptoms were evaluated using the Dialysis Symptom Index (DSI). RESULTS: Among the 82 Whites and 78 African Americans enrolled, there were no racial differences in the prevalence of depression (27% in African Americans vs 27% in Whites, P = 1.0), BDI Scores (11.2 vs 10.9, P = 0.6) or CDI scores (6.0 vs 6.0, P = 0.9). Symptom burden was substantial in both African Americans and Whites (median number of symptoms 8.5 and 9.0, respectively) with no racial differences in the overall burden or severity of symptoms. However, based on a single item, African Americans were more likely to describe their religious/spiritual beliefs as "very important". Adjustment for demographic and treatment characteristics had no impact on the associations of race with depression or symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Depression and symptoms are highly prevalent in both African American and White haemodialysis patients, without racial differences in these health-related domains. In exploratory analyses, spiritual/religious beliefs appear to be of greater importance to African Americans. The relevance of these observations to the advantages in quality of life and survival among African Americans on haemodialysis warrants further investigation.

Black or African American↗
PubMed2006

Associations of increases in serum creatinine with mortality and length of hospital stay after coronary angiography.

The absence of a universally accepted definition of radiocontrast nephropathy (RCN) has hampered efforts to characterize effectively the incidence and the clinical significance of this condition. The objective of this study was to identify a clinically relevant definition of RCN by assessment of the relationships between increases in serum creatinine (Scr) of varying magnitude after coronary angiography and clinical outcomes. An electronic medical database was used to identify all patients who underwent coronary angiography at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center during a 12-yr period and abstract Scr levels before and after angiography, as well as demographic characteristics and comorbid conditions. Changes in Scr after angiography were categorized into mutually exclusive categories on the basis of absolute and relative changes from baseline levels, with a separate category denoting "unknown" change. Discrete proportional odds models were used to examine the association between increases in Scr and 30-d in-hospital mortality and length of stay. A total of 27,608 patients who underwent coronary angiography were evaluated. Small absolute (0.25 to 0.5 mg/dl) and relative (25 to 50%) increases in Scr were associated with risk-adjusted odds ratios for in-hospital mortality of 1.83 and 1.39, respectively. Larger increases in Scr generally were associated with greater risks for these clinical outcomes. Small increases in Scr after the administration of intravascular radiocontrast are associated with adverse patient outcomes. This observation will help guide the post-procedure care of patients who undergo coronary angiography and has important implications for future studies that investigate RCN.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

The effect of coronary angiography on residual renal function in patients on peritoneal dialysis.

BACKGROUND: The risk of intravascular radiocontrast to residual renal function (RRF) in patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD) remains largely unknown. HYPOTHESIS: This study sought to estimate the effect of coronary angiography on RRF in patients on PD. METHODS: All patients at the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System and University of Pittsburgh who underwent coronary angiography between 1993 and 2005 while on PD and who had RRF measured prior to angiography were identified retrospectively. For patients without a postprocedure RRF recorded, medical records were reviewed to determine whether anuria had developed. The longer-term rate of loss of RRF among cases was compared with a composite rate of decline in RRF among cases before angiography and matched controls. RESULTS: Twenty-nine patients with a mean preprocedure RRF of 4.4+/-3.2 ml/min/1.73m(2) were evaluated. Of these patients, 23 (79%) had postangiography RRF assessments (mean clearance 3.4+/-3.0 ml/min/1.73m(2)). One of the remaining six patients definitely became permanently anuric following angiography, one was lost to follow-up, and there was no postprocedure RRF assessment in four others. The rate of decline in RRF in the cases was similar to the composite rate (0.07 ml/min/1.73m(2)/month vs. 0.09 ml/min/1.73m(2)/month, p=0.53) CONCLUSION: The risk for permanent anuria in patients on PD undergoing coronary angiography appears to be quite small. Patients who do not develop anuria following coronary angiography have the same gradual rate of loss of RRF as other patients on PD. Providers should be vigilant in protecting RRF in patients on PD undergoing coronary angiography.

Anuria↗
PubMed2006

Acute renal failure in the intensive care unit.

Acute renal failure (ARF) is a common complication in critically ill patients, with ARF requiring renal replacement therapy (RRT) developing in approximately 5 to 10% of intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that ARF is an independent risk factor for mortality. Interventions to prevent the development of ARF are currently limited to a small number of settings, primarily radiocontrast nephropathy and rhabdomyolysis. There are no effective pharmacological agents for the treatment of established ARF. Renal replacement therapy remains the primary treatment for patients with severe ARF; however, the data guiding selection of modality of RRT and the optimal timing of initiation and dose of therapy are inconclusive. This review focuses on the epidemiology and diagnostic approach to ARF in the ICU and summarizes our current understanding of therapeutic approaches including RRT.

Acute Kidney Injury↗
PubMed2006

Renal palliative care.

Patients with chronic kidney disease have a shortened life expectancy and carry a high symptom burden. Clinicians need sophisticated expertise in pain and symptom management and skills in communication to meet the many needs of this population. This article reviews the literature and discusses prognosis, ethical and legal considerations, symptoms, treatment, and end-of-life issues. The field of nephrology is shifting from an exclusive focus on increasing survival to one that provides greater attention to quality of life. There is an opportunity to integrate many of the advances of palliative medicine into the comprehensive treatment of these patients.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Prevalence, severity, and importance of physical and emotional symptoms in chronic hemodialysis patients.

The prevalence, severity, and clinical significance of physical and emotional symptoms in patients who are on maintenance hemodialysis remain incompletely characterized. This study sought to assess symptoms and their relationship to quality of life and depression. The recently developed Dialysis Symptom Index was used to assess the presence and the severity of 30 symptoms. The Illness Effects Questionnaire and Beck Depression Inventory were used to evaluate quality of life and depression, respectively. Correlations among symptom burden, symptom severity, quality of life, and depression were assessed using Spearman correlation coefficient. A total of 162 patients from three dialysis units were enrolled. Mean age was 62 y, 48% were black, 62% were men, and 48% had diabetes. The median number of symptoms was 9.0 (interquartile range 6 to 13). Dry skin, fatigue, itching, and bone/joint pain each were reported by > or =50% of patients. Seven additional symptoms were reported by >33% of patients. Sixteen individual symptoms were described as being more than "somewhat bothersome." Overall symptom burden and severity each were correlated directly with impaired quality of life and depression. In multivariable analyses adjusting for demographic and clinical variables including depression, associations between symptoms and quality of life remained robust. Physical and emotional symptoms are prevalent, can be severe, and are correlated directly with impaired quality of life and depression in maintenance hemodialysis patients. Incorporating a standard assessment of symptoms into the care provided to maintenance hemodialysis patients may provide a means to improve quality of life in this patient population.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

Development of a symptom assessment instrument for chronic hemodialysis patients: the Dialysis Symptom Index.

Little is known about the prevalence, severity, or impact of symptoms in hemodialysis patients because of the lack of a validated symptom assessment instrument. We systematically developed an index to assess physical and emotional symptom burden in this patient population. We employed four steps in the generation of this index: a review of dialysis quality-of-life instruments, three focus groups, experts' content validity assessment, and test-retest reliability measurement. Seventy-five symptoms were identified. Of these, 46 appeared in > or = 4 of the instruments/focus groups and were considered for inclusion. Twelve were grouped into other symptom constructs and experts judged four of the remaining items not to be pertinent, leaving 30 items in the new index. Overall kappa statistic was 0.48+/-0.22. These steps allowed the systematic development of a 30-item symptom assessment index for hemodialysis patients. Additional reliability and validity testing is needed prior to its widespread use.

Health Status Indicators↗
PubMed2004

Provider use of preventive strategies for radiocontrast nephropathy in high-risk patients.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Radiocontrast nephropathy (RCN) is a common and costly form of acute renal failure. Current preventative strategies include the use of intravenous (IV) fluids and the discontinuation of nephrotoxic medications at the time of radiocontrast administration. We sought to determine whether providers employ these strategies in high-risk patients to limit the development of RCN. METHODS: High-risk patients undergoing procedures using radiocontrast media over a 12-month period were identified. Medical records were reviewed for all subjects who developed RCN and a randomly selected 25% of patients without RCN. Patients with a contraindication to IV volume expansion were excluded. Medical records of the remaining patients were reviewed to determine whether IV fluids were administered and whether NSAIDs or COX-2 inhibitors were prescribed at the time of contrast administration. RESULTS: RCN developed in 8% of patients overall. Of 144 patients eligible for IV volume expansion, 16% failed to receive any IV fluids. When IV fluids were employed, their dose and timing of administration varied significantly by treating specialty and procedure. NSAIDs and COX-2 inhibitors were prescribed to 8% of patients. CONCLUSIONS: Commonly accepted strategies for the prevention of RCN are underutilized. Quality improvement efforts are needed to increase the use of these two simple prophylactic measures.

Acute Kidney Injury↗
PubMed2003

Symptom burden, quality of life, advance care planning and the potential value of palliative care in severely ill haemodialysis patients.

BACKGROUND: There has been little research on the potential value of palliative care for dialysis patients. In this pilot study, we sought (i) to identify symptom burden, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and advance directives in extremely ill haemodialysis patients to determine their suitability for palliative care and (ii) to determine the acceptability of palliative care to patients and nephrologists. METHODS: Nineteen haemodialysis patients with modified Charlson co-morbidity scores of > or =8 were recruited. Each completed surveys to assess symptom burden, HRQoL and prior advance care planning. Palliative care specialists then visited patients twice and generated recommendations. Patients again completed the surveys, and dialysis charts were reviewed to assess nephrologists' (i) compliance with recommendations and (ii) documentation of symptoms reported by patients on the symptom assessment survey. Patients and nephrologists then completed surveys assessing their satisfaction with palliative care. RESULTS: Patients reported 10.5 symptoms, 40% of which were noted by nephrologists in patients' charts. HRQoL was significantly impaired. Thirty-two percent of patients had living wills. No differences were observed in symptoms, HRQoL or number of patients establishing advance directives as a result of the intervention. Sixty-eight percent of patients and 76% of nephrologists rated the intervention worthwhile. CONCLUSIONS: Extremely ill dialysis patients have marked symptom burden, considerably impaired HRQoL and frequently lack advance directives, making them appropriate candidates for palliative care. Patients and nephrologists perceive palliative care favourably despite its lack of effect in this study. A more sustained palliative care intervention with a larger sample size should be attempted to determine its effect on the care of this population.

Advance Care Planning↗
PubMed2003

Monoclonal gammopathy and spurious hypophosphatemia.

BACKGROUND: Spuriously low levels of plasma phosphate have been reported previously in patients with multiple myeloma and polyclonal gammopathy. We report 2 cases of spurious hypophosphatemia in patients with elevated concentrations of serum monoclonal immunoglobulins, 1 of whom had monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance and the other multiple myeloma. METHODS: Plasma phosphate concentrations were measured using nondeproteinized and deproteinized plasma samples from patients with monoclonal gammopathies. RESULTS: In 2 patients with monoclonal gammopathy, the levels of plasma inorganic phosphate were reported as <1.0 mg/dL when the phosphate concentration was determined using an analyzer that employs nondeproteinized plasma. When the samples were reanalyzed using a laboratory method that removes serum proteins, normal or elevated concentrations of phosphate were found. Plasma levels of phosphate in 4 other patients with monoclonal gammopathy were normal by both methods. CONCLUSIONS: These data confirm previous reports that spurious hypophosphatemia occurs in some patients with increased levels of serum monoclonal immunoglobulins when laboratory methods using nondeproteinized samples are employed. The occurrence of unusually low plasma phosphate concentrations in patients without symptoms or clinically apparent causes of hypophosphatemia should alert physicians to search for monoclonal gammopathy.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Health-related quality of life in nephrology research and clinical practice.

Physical, psychosocial, and lifestyle disturbances, along with physical and emotional symptoms, have been shown to impact the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of those dependent on renal replacement therapy. The value of HRQOL measurement as a tool to improve clinical care has been recognized by patients, clinical investigators, and health care providers. The potential importance of HRQOL assessment lies in the additional information it provides and the impact it has on the clinical decision-making process between a patient and a physician. There remain a multitude of challenges facing renal providers who wish to incorporate HRQOL measurement to improve patient care. These challenges include the clinician's understanding of the conceptual model of HRQOL, the quality of the scientific process that contributed to the current literature on HRQOL, a willingness of the clinician to incorporate HRQOL information into clinical practice, and the logistic difficulties of collecting and applying HRQOL data in a busy practice setting. Arguably, optimizing HRQOL may be the most substantial impact the health care team will have on the person with kidney failure. In order to implement HRQOL assessment at the point of care, providers may consider using computer adaptive testing and scoring algorithms using item response theory, which will allow adequate reliability for interpretation of change among individuals. Moreover, the effective assessment and interpretation of HRQOL will be aided by continued publication of norms, outcomes of randomized controlled trials, and continued experience of investigators and clinicians.

Biomedical Research↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Radiocontrast-induced acute renal failure.

The intravascular administration of iodinated radiocontrast media can lead to acute renal dysfunction. Even small changes in renal function have been associated with increased morbidity and mortality, making the prevention of radiocontrast nephropathy of paramount importance. This review summarizes the principal risk factors for radiocontrast nephropathy and evidence-based preventive strategies that should be used to limit its occurrence. Risk factors for radiocontrast nephropathy include preexistent kidney disease, diabetes mellitus, dose of radiocontrast used, advanced congestive heart failure, and intravascular volume depletion. Proven preventive measures include volume expansion with intravenous saline or sodium bicarbonate and the use of low-osmolar or iso-osmolar radiocontrast media. Studies evaluating N-acetylcysteine have been conflicting, with meta-analyses suggesting a small beneficial effect. Studies of other pharmacologic agents have not demonstrated clinical benefit.

Acetylcysteine↗