PHYSICAL, CHEMICAL AND MORPHOLOGICAL URINE EXAMINATION: RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE POST ANALYTICAL PHASE FROM THE INTERDISCIPLINARY URINALYSIS GROUP (GIAU)

Abstract

With these recommendations the Interdisciplinary Urinalysis Group (GIAU) aims to stimulate the following aspects:

  • improvement and standardization of the post analytical approach to physical, chemical and morphological urine examination (ECMU).
  • Emphasize the value added to ECMU by selection of clinically significant parameters, indication of analytical methods, of units of measurement, of reference values
  • Improvement of interpretation of dip stick urinalysis with particular regard to the reconsideration of the diagnostic significance of the evaluated parameters together with an increasing awareness of the limits of sensitivity and specificity of this analytical method. Accompanied by the skills to propose and carry out in-depth investigations with analytical methods that are more sensitive and specific.
  • Increase the awareness of the ‘importance of professional skills in the field of urinary morphology and their relationships with the clinicians. through the introduction, in the report, of descriptive and interpretative comments depending on the type of request, the complexity of the laboratory, the competence of the pathologist.
  • Implement a policy of evaluation of the analytical quality by using, in addition to traditional internal and external controls, a program for the evaluation of morphological competence.

The hope is to revalue the enormous potential diagnostic of ‘ECMU, implementing a urinalysis on personalized diagnostic needs that each patient brings with it.

 

Key Words: Recommendations, Post Analytical Phase, Urinalysis

Sorry, this entry is only available in Italian.

Introduzione

Il Referto

Per la medicina di Laboratorio il referto è la traduzione di accertamenti diagnostici in un’informazione utilizzabile clinicamente. Nel classico schema del “Brain-to-brain loop” di Lundberg (1), accanto al cervello del clinico, Burlina (2) inseriva un secondo cervello, quello del laboratorista a simboleggiare il processo di professionalità e di competenze che guidava una catena di eventi caratterizzati da una forte matrice culturale e organizzativa, a snodarsi dalla fase pre-pre-analitica, fino alla fase post-postanalitica sintetizzando una risposta sotto forma di referto.

 

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Practical approach to patient therapy affected by Autosomal Dominant Autosomic Polycystic Kidney Disease

Abstract

The Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease(ADPKD) is the most frequent renal genetic condition and involves 7 to 10% of subjects undergoing renal replacement therapy. It is estimated that between 24,000 and 34,000 subjects in Italy are affected by this condition. For an illness that has long been neglected due to a lack of treatment options, an attractive treatment possibility is now available: tolvaptan has shown clinical efficacy regarding disease progression in two clinical trials (ADPKD patients with mild renal failure and ADPKD patients with advanced renal failure). The possible liver toxicity expressed in about 4% of the subjects exposed to the drug and an important aquaretic effect suggest prudence and attention in the use of this new molecule. Based on these critical points, some clinicians with direct experience in the use of the drug have briefly collected in the pages to follow the main clinical recommendations for the treatment of ADPKD patients. The recommendations concern the general approach to the patient affected by ADPKD but with particular attention to the aspects related to the new treatment. The delicate task of introducing the opportunities and limitations of the offered therapy to the patient will be deepened. Finally, the document wants to suggest how best to organize a clinic dedicated to this condition.

Keywords: Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease, Renal failure, Cyst, Aneurysm, tolvaptan

Sorry, this entry is only available in Italian.

INTRODUZIONE

Riccardo Magistroni

 

Il Rene Policistico Autosomico Dominante (ADPKD) è la più frequente patologia genetica di interesse nefrologico e coinvolge dal 7 al 10% dei soggetti in trattamento sostitutivo renale (13).

 

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New scenarios in secondary hyperparathyroidism: etelcalcetide. Position paper of Nephrologists form Lombardy

Abstract

Bone mineral abnormalities (defined as Chronic Kidney Disease Mineral Bone Disorder; CKD-MBD) are prevalent and associated with a substantial risk burden and poor prognosis in CKD population. Several lines of evidence support the notion that a large proportion of patients receiving maintenance dialysis experience a suboptimal biochemical control of CKD-MBD. Although no study has ever demonstrated conclusively that CKD-MBD control is associated with improved survival, an expanding therapeutic armamentarium is available to correct bone mineral abnormalities. In this position paper of Lombardy Nephrologists, a summary of the state of art of CKD-MBD as well as a summary of the unmet clinical needs will be provided. Furthermore, this position paper will focus on the potential and drawbacks of a new injectable calcimimetic, etelcalcetide, a drug available in Italy since few months ago.

 

Keywords: secondary hyperparathyroidism, etelcalcetide, cinacalcet, CKD-MBD, PTH

Sorry, this entry is only available in Italian.

Introduzione

L’iperparatiroidismo secondario (secondary hyperparathyroidismSHPT) è una frequente, grave e costosa complicanza dell’insufficienza renale cronica (Chronic Kidney DiseaseCKD), con effetti negativi sugli esiti dei pazienti, in particolar modo di quelli in emodialisi (13) (l’elenco delle abbreviazioni e degli acronimi con le spiegazioni è riportato in Tabella 1).

Nonostante i numerosi approcci terapeutici disponibili, una notevole percentuale di pazienti presenta livelli sierici inappropriati di paratormone (PTH), fosforo e calcio, con valori spesso lontani da quanto raccomandato dalle linee guida per il trattamento delle alterazioni del metabolismo minerale nella CKD (Chronic Kidney Disease Mineral Bone Disorder – CKD-MBD) (1, 46). Nello studio COSMOS (4), che analizza i dati di circa 4.500 soggetti afferenti a 227 centri dialisi europei, il 70% dei pazienti in dialisi aveva fosforemia superiore ai limiti normali e il 41% superiore a 5.5 mg/dl. Negli US, in base ai dati della rilevazione del 2015 del Dialysis Outcomes Practice Patterns Study (DOPPS), più del 60% dei pazienti prevalenti in emodialisi (in trattamento emodialitico per più di 180 giorni) presentava una fosforemia superiore a quanto raccomandato dalle linee guida sulla gestione della CKD-MBD  (6). Per quanto riguarda i livelli plasmatici di PTH, in base ai dati DOPPS, si è osservato, negli ultimi anni, un progressivo aumento dei livelli mediani sia in Europa che negli USA  (5). In particolare, nella rilevazione 2012-2014, più del 25% dei pazienti in trattamento in USA presentavano un quadro di SHPT mal controllato (definito come livelli di PTH >500 pg/ml)  (5). Oltre a descrivere l’adeguatezza terapeutica del SHPT in Italia ed a livello internazionale, i dati dello studio DOPPS riportano, nei pazienti in dialisi, un incremento del rischio di morte cardiovascolare e per tutte le cause associato con livelli sierici di calcio >10 mg/dl, livelli di fosforo >7 mg/dl, e livelli di PTH >600 pg/ml  (7), sottolineando come il controllo del SHPT e della CKD-MBD rappresenti un bisogno clinico ancora oggi insoddisfatto. 

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