Background: Internal medicine resident education and exposure to subspecialty care is an important component of the residency curriculum.Here we describe our nephrology division's experience implementing a revised resident didactic curriculum and its impact on internal medicine in-training examination (ITE) performance and satisfaction with curriculum.Methods: ITE exam results were reviewed, and areas of weakness were identified.Educational objectives were created based on historical ITE questions and cross referenced with American College of Physicians' learning objectives in nephrology.We defined fifteen domains of competence in nephrology and associated didactic sessions were created.Protected didactic time was scheduled to maximize resident participation.Historical methods of teaching within our division, namely Socratic and beside teaching, were continued unchanged.ITE performance and ACGME survey responses pre-and post-implementation of curriculum changes were assessed.Results: ITE performance from 2013-2019 showed a mean percentile rank of 63rd among UNMC internal medicine residents compared to national.The year immediately prior to curriculum revision (2019) was at the 64th percentile.Following implementation, percentile ranks improved to 75th (2020), 87th (2021), 85th (2022) and 86 th (2023) percentiles.ACGME survey data revealed resident satisfaction with the quality of didactic and clinical experience was scored as "good" or "excellent" both pre-and post-intervention.Discussion: Strategic revision of a didactic curriculum, along with continuing traditional Socratic and bedside teaching, can improve resident ITE performance without compromising resident satisfaction.Identifying protected didactic time that does not interfere with resident patient care responsibilities likely was an important factor in promoting participation in didactics and maintaining high resident satisfaction with the curriculum.

Objective Return of sufficient renal function to discontinue dialysis following acute renal failure is an important clinical and patient-oriented outcome. Our study sought to develop a model using the Nutritional Risk Index (NRI) to predict 90-day dialysis dependence. Methods We retrospectively analyzed 77 patients with acute renal failure admitted to a single university medical center's intensive care units between January 2015 and January 2019 with the need for continuous renal replacement therapy. We assessed the predictive ability of the NRI for 90-day dialysis dependence using age, serum total protein, number of vasopressor days, baseline predialysis estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score as covariates. Results Of the analytic group, 20 (25.9%) had severe nutritional risk, and 16 (20.8%) recovered from acute renal failure at 90 days. The mean age was 57.1 years. The clinical model comprising the NRI, age, serum total protein, number of vasopressor days, SOFA score, and baseline predialysis eGFR had an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.89 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.81-0.97), sensitivity 56.3%, and specificity 95%. Exclusion of baseline predialysis eGFR and SOFA score did not significantly decrease model discrimination, AUC 0.87 (95% CI, 0.78-0.97). The AUC was least when serum total protein was dropped from the final model, 0.79 (95% CI, 0.66-0.92). Conclusions The NRI when used together with other clinical parameters, including serum total protein, may improve the accuracy of predicting renal recovery and independence from dialysis at 90 days.

Background: Oftentimes, obese dialysis patients develop a viable dialysis access but the access is too deep for cannulation and needs a superficialization procedure. Methods: We present our 14-patient cohort in whom we performed liposuction to superficialize viable but deep vascular accesses. Out of 14 patients, 12 had arteriovenous fistulas and 2 arteriovenous grafts. The primary end points were the ability to superficialize a completely unusable access and to remove the hemodialysis catheter (3patients), or to significantly extend the useful length of a deep access in which only a very short segment was used and to continue to use the access post-surgery without the need to place a dialysis catheter (11 patients). Results: The study goal was met in 13 out of 14 patients. In two of three patients, the catheters were removed and their access usable length was 14 and 13 cm, respectively. The accesses could be used immediately after liposuction in all patients in which this applied—11 patients. The usable access length increased from a mean of 5 to 12.7 cm. The access mean depth decreased from 10.8 mm pre-surgery to 7 mm post-surgery and 5.3 mm 4 weeks after surgery. The mean volume of fat removed was 43.8 cc. We had only one surgical complication: bleeding that was readily controlled with manual pressure. All patients were discharged to home the same day. Postoperative pain was mild. Conclusion: Liposuction is effective, safe, and seems to be the least invasive technique of superficialization.

Kidney-alone transplant (KAT) candidates may be disadvantaged by the allocation priority given to multi-organ transplant (MOT) candidates. This study identified potential KAT candidates not receiving a given kidney offer due to its allocation for MOT. Using the Organ Procurement and Transplant Network (OPTN) database, we identified deceased donors from 2002 to 2017 who had one kidney allocated for MOT and the other kidney allocated for KAT or simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplant (SPK) (n = 7,378). Potential transplant recipient data were used to identify the "next-sequential KAT candidate" who would have received a given kidney offer had it not been allocated to a higher prioritized MOT candidate. In this analysis, next-sequential KAT candidates were younger (p < .001), more likely to be racial/ethnic minorities (p < .001), and more highly sensitized than MOT recipients (p < .001). A total of 2,113 (28.6%) next-sequential KAT candidates subsequently either died or were removed from the waiting list without receiving a transplant. In a multivariable model, despite adjacent position on the kidney match-run, mortality risk was significantly higher for next-sequential KAT candidates compared to KAT/SPK recipients (hazard ratio 1.55, 95% confidence interval 1.44, 1.66). These results highlight implications of MOT allocation prioritization, and potential consequences to KAT candidates prioritized below MOT candidates.

Abstract Background Zero balance ultrafiltration (Z-BUF) utilizing injectable 8.4% sodium bicarbonate is utilized to treat hyperkalemia and metabolic acidosis associated with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). The nationwide shortage of injectable 8.4% sodium bicarbonate in 2017 created a predicament for the care of cardiac surgery patients. Given the uncertainty of availability of sodium bicarbonate solutions, our center pro-actively sought a solution to the sodium bicarbonate shortage by performing Z-BUF with dialysate (Z-BUF-D) replacement fluid for patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass. Methods Single-center, retrospective observational evaluation of the first 46 patients at an academic medical center who underwent Z-BUF using dialysate over a period of 150 days with comparison of these findings to a historical group of 39 patients who underwent Z-BUF with sodium chloride (Z-BUF-S) over the preceding 150 days. The primary outcome was the change in whole blood potassium levels pre- and post-Z-BUF-D. Secondary outcomes included changes in pre- and post-Z-BUF-D serum bicarbonate levels and the amount of serum bicarbonate used in each Z-BUF cohort (Z-BUF-D and Z-BUF-S). Results Z-BUF-D and Z-BUF-S both significantly reduced potassium levels during CPB. However, Z-BUF-D resulted in a significantly decreased need for supplemental 8.4% sodium bicarbonate administration during CPB (52 mEq ± 48 vs. 159 mEq ± 85, P < 0.01). There were no complications directly attributed to the Z-BUF procedure. Conclusion Z-BUF with dialysate appears to be analternative to Z-BUF with sodium chloride with marked lower utilization of intravenous sodium bicarbonate.

Systemic capillary leak syndrome (SCLS) is a disorder characterized by increased vascular permeability with intermittent acute episodes of profound capillary leak that may result in hypotension or shock. A rarely described chronic form of SCLS (cSCLS) presents as refractory edema, with pleural and/or pericardial effusions and hypoalbuminemia. These entities are differentiated by massive and periodic episodes of capillary leak, which can result in shock in SCLS, and chronic refractory edema in cSCLS. The etiologies of these disorders are poorly understood, but both acute and chronic forms often present with an associated monoclonal gammopathy. Flares of the SCLS have been reduced by treatment with intravenous immune globulin (IVIG). Only six cases of cSCLS have been reported, and previous treatments have included steroids, terbutaline, and theophylline. Based upon the reported responses of SCLS to IVIG, we present the case of a 54-year-old man with cSCLS where ongoing treatment with IVIG resulted in a marked and sustained improvement in the signs and symptoms of the capillary leak syndrome.

Systemic capillary leak syndrome (SCLS) is a disorder characterized by increased vascular permeability with intermittent acute episodes of profound capillary leak that may result in hypotension or shock. A rarely described chronic form of SCLS (cSCLS) presents as refractory edema, with pleural and/or pericardial effusions and hypoalbuminemia. These entities are differentiated by massive and periodic episodes of capillary leak, which can result in shock in SCLS, and chronic refractory edema in cSCLS. The etiologies of these disorders are poorly understood, but both acute and chronic forms often present with an associated monoclonal gammopathy. Flares of the SCLS have been reduced by treatment with intravenous immune globulin (IVIG). Only six cases of cSCLS have been reported, and previous treatments have included steroids, terbutaline, and theophylline. Based upon the reported responses of SCLS to IVIG, we present the case of a 54-year-old man with cSCLS where ongoing treatment with IVIG resulted in a marked and sustained improvement in the signs and symptoms of the capillary leak syndrome. .