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May 2008 Issue of Renal And Urology News

World Literature Review

Bladder CIS Extent Predicts Post-BCG Disease Progression

TREATMENT with bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is effective for carcinoma in situ (CIS) of the bladder, according to Japanese researchers.

Alcohol Consumption Cuts ESRD Risk in Chinese Men

Researchers who studied a large cohort of Chinese men found an inverse relationship between alcohol consumption and end-stage renal disease (ESRD).

Some Patients May Receive Renal Transplants Needlessly

It may be reasonable to postpone renal transplantation in patients with certain types of renal failure because late recovery of kidney function might occur, according ...

FDA News

Clearance for Noninvasive Bladder Monitor Approved

Urodynamix Technologies Ltd., of Vancouver, Canada, announced that its worldwide distribution partner, Laborie Medical Technologies Inc., received approval to market their urodynamic equipment with the ...

Agency Reviews Safety of Foot Gel for Diabetics

The FDA issued a communication on March 27 about its ongoing safety review of Regranex (becaplermin gel, Ortho-McNeil), a topical medicine applied directly to the ...

Approval for Continuous Glucose Monitor

Abbott Pharmaceuticals' FreeStyle Navigator Continuous Glucose Monitoring System, which provides minute-by-minute information about the rate and direction of changes in blood sugar levels, has been ...

Insulin Analog Cleared for Use in Pumps by Pediatric Patients

The FDA has cleared NovoLog (insulin aspart [rDNA origin] injection) from Novo Nordisk for continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) by external insulin pump in pediatric ...

Pivotal Study Okayed for Nephropathy Prevention Device

PLC Systems Inc., of Franklin, Mass., has received conditional approval to begin enrollment in a pivotal trial to study the effectiveness of its RenalGuard Therapy ...

Legal Issues

Hospital Ends Privileges for Ambitious Young Doctor

Dr. N was a board-certified general and abdominal surgeon who had bounced around for five years after graduating from his residency program. At last, he ...

Malpractice News

Pilot Mediation Program Launched in Pennsylvania

Doctors, lawyers, and administrators at a suburban Philadelphia hospital are collaborating on a mediation program they hope will keep many malpractice cases out of court.

Surgeon Wins $25 Million from Hospital

A Charleston, W. Va., surgeon recently won a $25 million judgment in a defamation lawsuit against a local hospital.

Two Patients Win Big Judgments in Illinois

Two Illinois juries recently awarded huge verdicts to injured patients in unrelated malpractice cases.

Renal Nutrition Update

Calories Vital to Low-Protein Diets

LOW-PROTEIN diets are a po0tentially useful intervention in slowing CKD progression, though adequate calorie intake is a key to their success.

General News

CKD May Be Underdiagnosed In Inpatients

GRAPEVINE, TEX.—CKD is present in nearly 10% of hospitalized patients but is diagnosed in only half of them.

Complications From Diabetes Hike Fall Risk

OLDER INDIVIDUALS suffering from complications of type 2 diabetes are at increased risk of falling, researchers found.

Egg Whites May Help Lower Phosphorus

GRAPEVINE, TEX.—Substituting egg whites for meat may help dialysis patients control phosphorus, according to a small study.

Elevated PSA Meets with Delayed Response

DELAYED CLINICIAN response to a patient's abnormal PSA level occurs in about 23% of cases, which may be more common than is generally appreciated, according ...

Exercise May Prevent BPH

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY reduces the risk of BPH and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), according to a review of studies including a total of 43,083 men.

Elevated PSA Meets with Delayed Response

DELAYED CLINICIAN response to a patient's abnormal PSA level occurs in about 23% of cases, which may be more common than is generally appreciated, according ...

High-Normal Uric Acid and Lower GFR Linked, a Study Shows

SERUM URIC acid levels in the high-normal range are associated with reduced renal function in patients with type 1 diabetes, according to researchers.

LUTS Extremely Common, Survey Finds

MILAN—Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are highly prevalent among men and women aged 40 years and older, according to an online survey of 27,500 individuals ...

More ESRD Patients Having CABG Surgery

GRAPEVINE, TEX.—More and more patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) are undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery in the United States, according to researchers.

PSA Testing Varies by Race

Black men may be getting the message that they are at increased risk of prostate cancer, according to a study published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers ...

Narcotics Use Common

Hemodialysis patients frequently use narcotics for chronic pain, a study found. The study of 120 patients showed that 32 of them (26.7%) were receiving narcotics ...

Tx Patients at High Zoster Risk

Adult renal transplant recipients are at elevated risk for developing post-transplant herpes zoster, according to researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

Botulinum Toxin Treatment Failure Linked to Antibodies

Antibody responses could explain why some patients fail botulinum toxin type A (BoNT/A) treatment of hyperactive detrusor or sphincter dysfunction, according to German investigators.

PSA Density More Predictive

PSA density is strongly associated with pathological stage and biochemical-free survival after radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer, researchers conclude.

Post-Transplant Diarrhea Probed

Regimens containing tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil increase renal transplant recipients' risk of noninfectious diarrhea by 37%, data suggest.

Study: Prostatitis May Increase BPH Risk

Physician-diagnosed prostatitis is associated with 2.4-fold increased risk of a later diagnosis of BPH and a 70% increased risk of requiring later treatment for that ...

Nocturnal Dialysis Decreases EPO Use

ORLANDO—Many patients receiving nocturnal hemodialysis may have lower erythropoietin (EPO) requirements than other dialysis patients, according to findings reported here at the 2008 Annual Dialysis ...

Novel Anemia Drug Is Safe, Effective

GRAPEVINE, TEX.—Once monthly administration of Hematide, a novel erythropoiesis stimulating agent (ESA), maintains stable hemoglobin (Hb) levels of 11-12 g/dL and is safe and well ...

PE Treatment Means Better Sex for Women

MILAN—Female partners of men with premature ejaculation (PE) seem to benefit when the condition is treated with dapoxetine (DPX), according to findings presented here at ...

PN, RFA May Protect Renal Function Better

SAN FRANCISCO—A new study shows that nephron-sparing techniques for treating renal masses smaller than 4 cm are more effective than radical nephrectomy (RN) in preserving ...

Researcher: Cryoablation Is Safe

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Most, if not all, complications from CT-guided percutaneous cryoablation for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) are either preventable or reversible, investigators say.

Sepsis Plus AKI Increases Death Risk

INTENSIVE CARE unit (ICU) patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) and sepsis are at greater risk of ICU and in-hospital mortality compared with those who ...

Stent May Improve Stenosis Outcomes

WASHINGTON D.C.—A novel stent may have advantages over previous stents in the treatment of renal artery stenosis (RAS).

Study Shows Advantages of Degarelix

MILAN—The investigational agent degarelix provides more rapid and profound testosterone suppression than conventional androgen deprivation therapy in men with advanced prostate cancer, researchers reported. Degarelix ...

Study Supports RP for High-Grade PCa

A STUDY of men with high-grade prostate cancer treated initially with radical prostatectomy (RP) revealed a median overall survival rate of 140 months, which the ...

Technique Clears Obstructed Ureters

WASHINGTON D.C.—The placement of transileal retrograde nephrostomy catheters (rPCN) is a safe and effective treatment for post-surgical ureteral obstruction following non-continent urinary diversion procedures, according ...

Cover Articles

Early Graft Declotting May Be Bad

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Percutaneous declotting of hemodialysis grafts less than 30 days from initial placement may result in shorter secondary patency compared with declotting of older grafts, ...

Using Drugs to Expel Stones

IN 2007, an international panel convened by the American Urological Association (AUA) and the European Association of Urology (EAU) updated the AUA ureteral stone guidelines. ...

Novel Therapy Eases IC/PBS Symptoms

MILAN—Intravesical alkalized lidocaine (PSD597) may be an effective short-term and possibly long-term treatment for patients with interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome (IC/PBS), data suggest.

Review articles

Managing UTIs in Debilitated Patients

INFECTIONS ARE a serious complication and leading cause of death in debilitated patients, including those with cancer, immunosup-pression (e.g., transplantation or AIDS patients), diabetes, chronic ...