Blood Purif 2013;36:151 DOI: 10.1159/000357194
Published online: December 20, 2013
Preface The 16th International Conference on Dialysis, Advances in CKD 2014, January 22–24, 2014, in Las Vegas, Nev., USA, of the Renal Research Institute (RRI) emphasizes recent developments in operational areas, technology, biology of uremia, and epidemiology. The first three papers in this special issue of Blood Purification are related to population management and ‘big data’. Maddux, McMurray, and Nissenson review the population management in an integrated care model. The paper by Terry Ketchersid ‘Big data in nephrology: friend or foe’ is one of the first about this topic in the renal field. He presents a 30,000 foot view of the current status of big data and their potential future applications. An example of multinational big data is the MONDO (Monitoring Dialysis Outcomes) initiative, the world’s largest multinational dialysis database. von Gersdorff and his group describe in detail the structure of MONDO, its potentials and limitations. Loss of residual renal function is a welldocumented predictor of a poor outcome in dialysis patients. Betjes and colleagues relate loss of renal function and uremia to the aging of the immune system, a dominant feature of end-stage kidney disease. Cerebrovascular disease, including stroke, is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in chronic kidney disease (CKD). Albert Power reviews the epidemiology of stroke in CKD and therapeutic options in CKD stages 3–5D. Zoccali et al. review the problem of lung congestion and its diagnosis in end-stage renal disease and the importance of chest ultrasound to diagnose this condition, which may be clinically hidden. Basso and colleagues apply bioimpedance as a means to diagnose fluid overload in patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). Their results indicate that 70% of ICU patients are fluid overloaded on ICU admission. Clementi et al. review the epidemiology and management of cardiorenal syndrome type 4, a condition in which CKD leads to cardiac disease. Williams et al. raise thought-provoking questions in their paper about the role of whole grains in the diet of CKD patients and © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel 0253–5068/13/0364–0151$38.00/0 E-Mail [email protected] www.karger.com/bpu
suggest re-evaluating their role. Judy Weintraub gives a thoughtful account of a patient’s history ‘off the bell curve’, showing the multitude of aspects affected by CKD. Broca and colleagues present novel data of the effects of p-cresol on renal tubular cells and underscore the importance to manage the levels of this key uremic toxin. Callegari et al. describe the successful development of a peritoneal dialysis program for patients with acute kidney injury in Kumasi, Ghana. Bianco et al. explore in their paper the effect of gender on quality-of-life indicators in patients following liver transplant. RRI is dedicated to advancing therapy options for dialysis patients to provide the highest caliber of care based on advanced clinical technology. RRI is committed to research and innovation that will lead to improved patient outcomes and quality of life. It has active national and international research programs with strong academic alliances with the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich.; University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, N.C.; University of Rochester and Beth Israel Medical Center, New York, N.Y.; St. Raphael Hospital/Yale, New Haven, Conn., and University of Massachusetts, Lowell, Mass., USA; Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil; the University of Maastricht, Maastricht, the Netherlands, the Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC, and the San Bartolo Hospital, Vicenza, Italy, among others. RRI has a long history of generating over 20 peer-reviewed publications annually with dozens of abstracts accepted and presented at national and international scientific conferences. We hope that you will enjoy the wide range of papers published in this issue of Blood Purification and that you will consider attending next year’s 17th International Conference on Dialysis, Advances in Kidney Disease 2015, January 28–30, 2015, in New Orleans, La., USA. Peter Kotanko, New York, USA Nathan W. Levin, New York, USA Claudio Ronco, Vicenza, Italy
Copyright: S. Karger AG, Basel 2014. Reproduced with the permission of S. Karger AG, Basel. Further reproduction or distribution (electronic or otherwise) is prohibited without permission from the copyright holder.
Published online: December 20, 2013
Preface The 16th International Conference on Dialysis, Advances in CKD 2014, January 22–24, 2014, in Las Vegas, Nev., USA, of the Renal Research Institute (RRI) emphasizes recent developments in operational areas, technology, biology of uremia, and epidemiology. The first three papers in this special issue of Blood Purification are related to population management and ‘big data’. Maddux, McMurray, and Nissenson review the population management in an integrated care model. The paper by Terry Ketchersid ‘Big data in nephrology: friend or foe’ is one of the first about this topic in the renal field. He presents a 30,000 foot view of the current status of big data and their potential future applications. An example of multinational big data is the MONDO (Monitoring Dialysis Outcomes) initiative, the world’s largest multinational dialysis database. von Gersdorff and his group describe in detail the structure of MONDO, its potentials and limitations. Loss of residual renal function is a welldocumented predictor of a poor outcome in dialysis patients. Betjes and colleagues relate loss of renal function and uremia to the aging of the immune system, a dominant feature of end-stage kidney disease. Cerebrovascular disease, including stroke, is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in chronic kidney disease (CKD). Albert Power reviews the epidemiology of stroke in CKD and therapeutic options in CKD stages 3–5D. Zoccali et al. review the problem of lung congestion and its diagnosis in end-stage renal disease and the importance of chest ultrasound to diagnose this condition, which may be clinically hidden. Basso and colleagues apply bioimpedance as a means to diagnose fluid overload in patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). Their results indicate that 70% of ICU patients are fluid overloaded on ICU admission. Clementi et al. review the epidemiology and management of cardiorenal syndrome type 4, a condition in which CKD leads to cardiac disease. Williams et al. raise thought-provoking questions in their paper about the role of whole grains in the diet of CKD patients and © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel 0253–5068/13/0364–0151$38.00/0 E-Mail [email protected] www.karger.com/bpu
suggest re-evaluating their role. Judy Weintraub gives a thoughtful account of a patient’s history ‘off the bell curve’, showing the multitude of aspects affected by CKD. Broca and colleagues present novel data of the effects of p-cresol on renal tubular cells and underscore the importance to manage the levels of this key uremic toxin. Callegari et al. describe the successful development of a peritoneal dialysis program for patients with acute kidney injury in Kumasi, Ghana. Bianco et al. explore in their paper the effect of gender on quality-of-life indicators in patients following liver transplant. RRI is dedicated to advancing therapy options for dialysis patients to provide the highest caliber of care based on advanced clinical technology. RRI is committed to research and innovation that will lead to improved patient outcomes and quality of life. It has active national and international research programs with strong academic alliances with the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich.; University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, N.C.; University of Rochester and Beth Israel Medical Center, New York, N.Y.; St. Raphael Hospital/Yale, New Haven, Conn., and University of Massachusetts, Lowell, Mass., USA; Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil; the University of Maastricht, Maastricht, the Netherlands, the Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC, and the San Bartolo Hospital, Vicenza, Italy, among others. RRI has a long history of generating over 20 peer-reviewed publications annually with dozens of abstracts accepted and presented at national and international scientific conferences. We hope that you will enjoy the wide range of papers published in this issue of Blood Purification and that you will consider attending next year’s 17th International Conference on Dialysis, Advances in Kidney Disease 2015, January 28–30, 2015, in New Orleans, La., USA. Peter Kotanko, New York, USA Nathan W. Levin, New York, USA Claudio Ronco, Vicenza, Italy
Copyright: S. Karger AG, Basel 2014. Reproduced with the permission of S. Karger AG, Basel. Further reproduction or distribution (electronic or otherwise) is prohibited without permission from the copyright holder.
