Large differences exist in chronic kidney disease (CKD) rates between countries, but differences within diverse populations living in the same setting with universal healthcare are not well understood.

To compare dialysis prevalence, CKD risk factors and control, and CKD progression by ethnicity and birth country in an ethnoculturally diverse setting with high rates of kidney disease and universal healthcare.

Scarborough, Toronto’s most diverse region and site of Canada’s largest regional dialysis programme.

Double observational cohort study of 2397 participants: a retrospective cohort of 1116 residents who received dialysis between 2016–2019, and a prospective cohort of 1281 individuals with non-dialysis CKD followed for 3 years between 2010–2015 in Scarborough.

Dialysis prevalence, calculated by comparing frequencies of birth countries and ethnicities in the dialysis cohort with census-derived community frequencies. Secondary outcome measurements were traditional CKD risk factor prevalence (diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease) and control (haemoglobin A1c, blood pressure); and CKD progression (estimated glomerular filtration rate decline, proteinuria) adjusted for socioeconomic status in the non-dialysis cohort.

Dialysis prevalence was 4.2 times higher in immigrants (p

Despite universal healthcare access, marked disparities in CKD risks and rates exist within ethnoculturally diverse immigrants living in this Canadian kidney disease hotspot. More focused research and tailored interventions are required.

Process evaluation provides insight into how interventions are delivered across varying contexts and why interventions work in some contexts and not in others. This manuscript outlines the protocol for a process evaluation embedded in a hybrid type 1 effectiveness-implementation randomised clinical trial of incremental-start haemodialysis (HD) versus conventional HD delivered to patients starting chronic dialysis (the TwoPlus Study). The trial will simultaneously assess the effectiveness of incremental-start HD in real-world settings and the implementation strategies needed to successfully integrate this intervention into routine practice. This manuscript describes the rationale and methods used to capture how incremental-start HD is implemented across settings and the factors influencing its implementation success or failure within this trial.

We will use the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) and the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation and Maintenance (RE-AIM) frameworks to inform process evaluation. Mixed methods include surveys conducted with treating providers (physicians) and dialysis personnel (nurses and dialysis administrators); semi-structured interviews with patient participants, caregivers of patient participants, treating providers (physicians and advanced practice practitioners), dialysis personnel (nurses, dieticians and social workers); and focus group meetings with study investigators and stakeholder partners. Data will be collected on the following implementation determinants: (a) organisational readiness to change, intervention acceptability and appropriateness; (b) inner setting characteristics underlying barriers and facilitators to the adoption of HD intervention at the enrollment centres; (c) external factors that mediate implementation; (d) adoption; (e) reach; (f) fidelity, to assess adherence to serial timed urine collection and HD treatment schedule; and (g) sustainability, to assess barriers and facilitators to maintaining intervention. Qualitative and quantitative data will be analysed iteratively and triangulated following a convergent parallel and pragmatic approach. Mixed methods analysis will use qualitative data to lend insight to quantitative findings. Process evaluation is important to understand factors influencing trial outcomes and identify potential contextual barriers and facilitators for the potential implementation of incremental-start HD into usual workflows in varied outpatient dialysis clinics and clinical practices. The process evaluation will help interpret and contextualise the trial clinical outcomes’ findings.

The study protocol was approved by the Wake Forest University School of Medicine Institutional Review Board (IRB). Findings from this study will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences.

NCT05828823.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects over 850 million people globally, with nearly 80% residing in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Despite this high prevalence, there is limited understanding of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among patients with CKD in these resource-constrained settings. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to quantify HRQOL scores across CKD stages and treatment modalities in LMICs.

We will conduct a comprehensive search of electronic databases including PubMed, Medline, Scopus and Web of Science, for observational studies published from January 2000 onwards in English or Russian. Eligible studies will include adult patients (≥18 years) with CKD stages 1–5, those on dialysis or kidney transplant recipients in LMICs. Two independent reviewers will screen studies, extract data and assess methodological quality using the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal checklist. We will perform random-effects meta-analyses to pool HRQOL scores, stratified by CKD treatment groups. Heterogeneity will be assessed using I² statistics, with subgroup analyses and meta-regression conducted to explore potential sources of heterogeneity. The primary outcome will be pooled estimates of HRQOL scores across different CKD stages and treatment modalities in LMICs. Secondary outcomes will include subgroup analyses by income classification, geographical region and CKD stage depending on the availability of the data.

Ethical approval is not required for this study. Results will be submitted to a peer-reviewed, open-access journal and presented at scientific conferences.

CRD420251016382.

To describe screening programmes for early chronic kidney disease (CKD) in the USA and other English-speaking countries (Canada, Australia and UK) involving patients with diabetes or hypertension, in addition to high-risk racial or ethnic groups.

Systematic literature review.

Embase and MEDLINE (both via Ovid) between 1 January 2018 and 17 October 2023.

CKD screening programmes in patients with diabetes and/or hypertension in the targeted countries were included.

Publications meeting the review objectives and prespecified population, intervention, comparator, outcome and eligible study design types were identified. Full-text publications were assessed for quality by two independent reviewers. For randomised controlled trials, quality/risk of bias (ROB) was assessed using version 2 of the Cochrane ROB tool for randomised trials; for observational longitudinal or prospective studies and non-randomised trials, quality/ROB was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale.

Of 5542 records identified from database searches, 21 studies were included. Of these, the majority (13 studies) screened patients with diabetes and/or hypertension. Screening programmes were described in 16 studies; the remaining 5 reported CKD prevalence. Of 30 643 162 pooled participants, 6 413 466 (weighted mean: 21%) received complete screening for CKD (ie, evaluation of albumin-to-creatinine ratio plus estimated glomerular filtration rate). The weighted mean prevalences of any type of CKD testing in patients with diabetes or hypertension were 33% and 12%, respectively. For the pooled population of 24 608 indigenous persons or underserved communities, the weighted mean prevalence of CKD screening was 91%. Weighted mean prevalences for any type of CKD testing were 22% (n=30 705 837) in primary care and 93% (n=26 640) in community outreach settings. Follow-up testing was infrequent or not reported in most studies.

These findings indicate a low prevalence of CKD screening of high-risk patients, particularly in primary care. Contrary to Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) guidelines, most high-risk patients studied received incomplete screening. Lack of adherence to KDIGO guidelines on CKD screening may result in delays in CKD diagnosis and missed opportunities for therapy.

CRD42023492433.

Glucosamine is a commonly used ‘over the counter’ dietary supplement. Previous research has identified an association between glucosamine use and several positive health outcomes. However, a plausible biological mechanism for these associations has not yet been identified, meaning the causality of these relationships remains unclear. A protective effect of glucosamine on the vascular endothelium has been suggested as one such possible mechanism. Albuminuria is an early marker of endothelial dysfunction within the kidney and is associated with progression of kidney disease and adverse cardiovascular outcomes. In order to provide insights into the potential biological mechanisms underlying a protective association of glucosamine use with health outcomes, we evaluated evidence for an association between glucosamine use and albuminuria in UK Biobank (N=436 200).

Univariable and multivariable ordinal logistic regression were performed to evaluate evidence for an association between self-reported glucosamine use and albuminuria (measured as urine albumin creatinine ratio (uACR) categories). As a secondary analysis, we performed Mendelian randomisation (MR) to demonstrate the difficulties in inferring causality in this relationship using currently available data, using summary genetic data from UK Biobank and CDKGen (N=67 452).

We found that people who used glucosamine were more likely to be in a lower uACR group (OR 0.81, 95% CI 0.80 to 0.83, px10^–16). This association was robust to sensitivity analyses and was maintained after adjustment for age, sex and measures of obesity. In our MR analysis, we found little evidence for an association of genetically proxied glucosamine use on albuminuria (change in log uACR (mg/g) per SD change in genetic liability=1.11, 95% CI –3.01 to 5.23, p=0.60).

We found that detectable albuminuria was common in UK Biobank participants and we are the first to show that use of glucosamine supplements was associated with lower levels. Though this fits with a plausible biological role of the vascular endothelium in a potential protective effect of glucosamine use on many health outcomes, whether this relationship is causal or confounded remains unclear. We further discuss the inherent difficulties in using genetic instruments to proxy supplement use in MR analyses and highlight the need for a genome-wide association study of measured circulating glucosamine levels.

Haemodialysis (HD) is an essential treatment for end-stage renal disease patients to improve their quality of life. However, conventional HD may not effectively remove medium and large molecules and protein-bound toxins, leading to the occurrence of various complications. Haemoadsorption (HA), on the other hand, can address this limitation. Therefore, a multicentre, open-label, randomised, parallel controlled study will be conducted to compare HA combined with HD (HAHD) with HD alone in maintenance haemodialysis (MHD) patients. The primary endpoint is the change in serum β2-MG, PTH and CRP values.

We plan to enrol 410 MHD patients from 10 participating medical centres in Shanghai. Patients will experience a 4-week washout period and a 52-week observation period. After the washout period, the eligible patients will be randomised in a 1:1 ratio to the two groups: the control group, 3 times/week conventional HD treatment; and the experiment group, 3 times/week conventional HD treatment+1 time/week HA treatment. The baseline and follow-up data at 0, 4, 12, 24, 36 and 52 weeks were collected from both groups, including the following: medical history, routine physical examination, dialysis regimen, laboratory tests, dialysis adequacy as defined by standard Kt/V, chest X-ray, ECG, cardiac ultrasound and three scales. Comorbidities, combined medications and adverse events will also be captured. The primary outcomes will include change in serum β2-MG, PTH and CRP values. Secondary outcomes will include change values for serum protein-bound toxins, improvement in patient quality of life, sleep disturbance and pruritus.

The protocol has been approved by the Ethics Committees of 10 participating medical centres. Shanghai Changhai Hospital Ethics Committee will oversee the study. The results will be presented at national and international academic meetings, and publications will be submitted to peer-reviewed journals.

NCT05639010.

To externally validate and subsequently repurpose/recalibrate the easily accessible kidney failure risk equation (KFRE) for a prevalent transplant population with an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR)

Retrospective cohort study using UK Renal Registry data.

68 adult UK kidney centres.

4092 patients with grafts at least 2 years old and eGFR2 from 2009 to 2018.

Death-censored allograft failure at 2 years, defined as dialysis initiation, re-transplantation or, in the absence of the former two, the recorded date of transplant failure.

The KFRE was calculated at baseline using the 2-year, 8-variable non-North American KFRE, and performance was assessed using Harrell’s C-statistic and calibration plots. The model was recalibrated using Cox Regression (2009–2013 cohort) and temporally validated using the 2014–2018 cohort. Clinical utility was assessed using decision-curve analysis, estimating per-100-patient gains in timely planning and reductions in unnecessary interventions compared with eGFR triggers.

The original KFRE had excellent discrimination but was miscalibrated, underpredicting graft failure. Temporal validation demonstrated that the performance of the recalibrated KFRE could be maintained across time periods (Harrell’s C-index of 0.81 (95% CI 0.80 to 0.83); O/E (Observed/Expected events) ratio 1.00 (95% CI 0.93 to 1.07). It identified 9/100 more patients for timely intervention and 13/100 more for whom intervention could be delayed compared with a late clinical trigger of an eGFR2.

While there are other prognostic models, this is the first study to focus on the understudied and clinically important cohort of patients with an eGFR

To determine progression in adult patients with early-stage chronic kidney disease (CKD) attending tertiary hospitals in Dodoma, Tanzania.

Prospective longitudinal study.

This study was conducted in two tertiary hospitals in Dodoma, Tanzania.

The population in this study was adult patients aged ≥18 years with early-stage CKD who were attending nephrology and medical outpatient clinics at Benjamin Mkapa Hospital and Dodoma Regional Referral Hospital, which are tertiary hospitals in Dodoma, Tanzania, from November 2020 to March 2022. Inclusion criteria included: patients aged ≥18 years of age, attending the clinic for at least 3 months with baseline clinical data on their files, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≥30 mL/min/1.73 m² and who gave a written informed consent. A total of 352 patients were enrolled, of whom 182 were males and 170 were females.

The dependent variable in this study was CKD progression, which was assessed after 12 months of follow-up.

A total of 352 participants with a median age of 54 (47–59) years were enrolled; the prevalence of progression of early-stage CKD was 28.0% (97/346). For patients with CKD progression, the baseline median eGFR was 43 (41–49) mL/min/1.73 m², urine protein creatinine ratio was 0.099 (0.025–0.158) mg/g, and haemoglobin was 11.7 (9.7–12.6) g/L. Of the patients with CKD progression, 75.3% (73/97) had diabetes mellitus, 72.2% (70/97) of the patients had hypertension, 58.8% (57/97) of the patients had significant proteinuria, and 58.8% (57/97) of the patients had anaemia. Variables associated with CKD progression after multivariate logistic regression analysis were; diabetes mellitus (OR=7.02, 95% CI 3.01 to 16.39, p=0.001), use of local herbs (OR=27.98, 95% CI 11.08 to 70.70, p=0.001), anaemia (OR=2.49, 95% CI 1.32 to 4.68, p=0.005), proteinuria (OR=7.51, 95% CI 3.49 to 16.19 p=0.001). Half, 52.5% (51/97) of the patients with CKD progression were found to have left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), 26.8% (26/97) of the patients had evidence of coronary artery disease (CAD) on non-invasive testing, and 11.3% (11/97) of the patients died during the study period.

A substantial portion of adult patients with early-stage CKD were found to have progression after 12 months of follow-up. Diabetes mellitus, proteinuria, anaemia and use of local herbal medicines were significant predictors for CKD progression. Of the patients with CKD progression, more than half of the patients were found to have LVH, almost one third of the patients had evidence of CAD on non-invasive testing, and few patients died.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects 1 in 10 people worldwide and can progress towards kidney failure, which is best predicted by the severity of kidney fibrosis. Currently, kidney fibrosis can only be detected by invasive kidney biopsy which carries procedural risks with limitations on repeat testing. MRI techniques have emerged as potential surrogate markers for kidney fibrosis, though data remain limited. To date, no studies have examined postgadolinium contrast T1 mapping in kidney fibrosis despite its proven utility in assessing myocardial fibrosis. This study aims to develop a multiparametric MRI biomarker including postcontrast imaging to quantify kidney fibrosis in individuals with CKD.

In this observational cohort study, a control group of 20 healthy adult volunteers will establish healthy kidney MRI parameters. Two adult non-dialysis CKD cohorts (each n=24) who have undergone kidney biopsy within the last month will derive and validate the MRI models, respectively. Tubulointerstitial fibrosis on kidney biopsy will be assessed by Masson trichrome staining and quantified based on the percentage of cortex affected by blinded pathologists. All participants will undergo a single multiparametric kidney MRI including kidney volumetry, T1 mapping (pre-low-dose and post-low-dose contrast), T2 mapping, T2* mapping, diffusion weighted imaging and phase-contrast MRI of renal artery flow. The primary outcome will be the association between a composite multiparametric MRI marker and tubulointerstitial fibrosis with a minimum variance of 50%. The association between the multiparametric MRI marker and individual MRI variables, and tubulointerstitial fibrosis, estimated glomerular filtration rate and albuminuria will also be studied.

Ethics approval has been obtained by the Northern Sydney Local Health District Human Research Ethics Committee (2022/ETH00972). Results will be disseminated in relevant peer-reviewed journals and presented at academic conferences.

ACTRN12622000855729p (Pre-results).

Frequent haemodialysis creates close-knit communities within treatment units, where high patient mortality contributes to significant grief among patients and staff. Despite the emotional toll, support for grief and bereavement in these settings remains limited, and recent data are lacking. This scoping review aims to explore how patients and nursing staff within haemodialysis units experience and cope with bereavement, and to identify support strategies currently used or desired to inform future, culturally sensitive approaches, particularly in Australia.

Scoping review conducted in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology.

A comprehensive search was conducted using the Clinical Information Access Portal, supplemented by grey literature and the Elicit AI Research Assistant tool.

We included literature exploring patient and nurse perspectives on grief and bereavement in haemodialysis units. Studies outside the haemodialysis setting and non-English studies were excluded. There were no geographical or publication year limitations.

Two reviewers independently screened titles, abstracts and full texts, with discrepancies resolved by consensus. A data extraction table was used to collect study characteristics and key findings. Thematic analysis was applied to synthesise data across studies.

17 publications from 1998 to 2021 were identified across five countries. Grief and bereavement following patient death profoundly shape haemodialysis unit dynamics. Patients form familial bonds and experience deep grief when peers die, while nurses face emotional stress and burnout. Reported support strategies include memorial services, peer and staff support, counselling and debriefing and spiritual care.

This study describes grief experiences, support strategies and cultural implications in haemodialysis units, which serve a culturally diverse group of people. By consolidating available knowledge, this review provides a critical platform for future empirical work and calls for culturally sensitive support and larger, diverse samples in future research.

To evaluate the patterns of abnormal estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and urine albumin–creatinine ratio (UACR) follow-up testing for the detection of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in Australian general practices.

Retrospective, population-based observational study.

2 717 966 adults who visited a MedicineInsight participating general practice between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2020, had ≥1 serum creatinine measurement (with or without a UACR measurement) and did not have CKD at baseline.

‘Guideline-concordant follow-up’ was defined as having a record of a repeat eGFR or UACR testing (assessed separately) within 6 months following the abnormal (eGFR2; UACR≥2.5 mg/mmol in males, ≥3.5 mg/mmol in females) incident result. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify patient factors associated with receiving appropriate follow-up testing.

A total of 220 841 and 114 889 patients with an abnormal incident eGFR and UACR result, respectively, were identified. Nearly half (45.0%) of the patients with an abnormal eGFR result and over two-thirds (69.7%) of the patients with an abnormal UACR result did not have a follow-up test within 6 months. Patient factors associated with a higher likelihood of follow-up eGFR testing included indicators of poorer baseline health and greater CKD risk, such as comorbid diabetes (adjusted OR 1.36, 95% CI 1.32 to 1.40) or more severe incident eGFR (adjusted ORs for eGFR categories 30–44, 15–29 and

In this large, population-based study, we observed substantial gaps in the follow-up of abnormal eGFR and UACR for the detection of CKD in primary care settings. Effective strategies to optimise follow-up testing for CKD detection are needed.

The mortality of critical acute kidney injury (AKI) patients requiring continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) is estimated to be as high as 50%. Fluid overload (FO) is a leading factor contributing to poor prognosis. CRRT, aimed at removing excessive water and toxins from the body, is an efficient method to address FO. However, accurate ultrafiltration is challenging because of the difficulty of quantifying fluid status, which usually relies on traditional examinations and clinicians’ perceptions. Both overultrafiltration and underultrafiltration are associated with adverse events. Critical care ultrasound (CCUS), introduced as a non-invasive tool, might be promising for assessing the volume status of AKI. However, there has been no solid evidence on the application of bedside CCUS in directing CRRT ultrafiltration among AKI patients. Therefore, in this randomised controlled trial (RCT), we aimed to investigate the efficacy and reliability of BEdside ultraSound-guided ultrafiltration (BEST) in comparison with conventional methods for AKI patients receiving CRRT.

This study is a single-centre, prospective, parallel-group, open-label RCT involving AKI patients who receive CRRT due to FO in the intensive care unit of a university-affiliated medical centre from September 2024. A total of 132 patients will be enrolled and randomly assigned to receive either bedside CCUS via an integrated score combining vascular, lung and cardiac ultrasonography or traditional methods to assess the volume status and guide CRRT ultrafiltration. The FO status will be quantified using a novel BEST score, where 1 point will be given if the inferior vena cava diameter >2.1 cm, 2 or more positive lung regions (B-line score >3) are identified under lung ultrasound, or E/e' >14 under echocardiography, with a total score of 3. The primary outcome is the rate of resuming euvolaemic status at the 72nd hour, on day 7 and at the end of CRRT. The secondary outcomes encompass the rates of FO correction, in-hospital events, renal outcomes, patient mortality and rehospitalisation.

The Institutional Review Board of West China Hospital, Sichuan University, granted ethical approval for this study (protocol version 2 dated 3 June 2024; Approval No. of the ethics committee: 2024-919). All participants or their legal representatives will sign the informed written consent. We intend to disseminate these findings to participants, medical practitioners, the public and other interested parties via conference presentations and publications without imposing any restrictions.

ChiCTR2400087833.

Patients receiving haemodialysis are at very high risk of fragility fracture, yet there are no proven treatments for fracture prevention. We will advance a pilot study on the feasibility of a large, pragmatic, randomised controlled trial (RCT) of denosumab for fragility fracture prevention in haemodialysis.

PRevEnting FracturEs in REnal Disease-1 is a pragmatic, open-label, pilot study of an RCT of a denosumab care pathway embedded in routine care haemodialysis centres.

We will recruit at least 60 participants at high risk of fracture from at least 6 haemodialysis centres in Ontario, Canada. They must be aged 40 years or older, have access to provincial drug coverage, have appropriate baseline calcium and parathyroid hormone levels and be deemed suitable for denosumab by their kidney care provider. Participants will be randomised 1:1 to denosumab (with supports to mitigate hypocalcaemia) versus usual care using block randomisation by a central statistician (computer-generated sequence). Primary outcomes include recruitment feasibility and adherence. Secondary outcomes include safety (hypocalcaemia) and participant satisfaction with our protocol and processes. Study investigators and data analysts will be blind to treatment allocation.

We will present results descriptively. The trial was approved by Clinical Trials Ontario and local research ethics boards across study sites.

Primary and secondary outcomes will be published on trial completion.

This pilot will inform the feasibility of conducting a large-scale, efficiently run, pragmatic RCT to test whether a denosumab care pathway safely reduces the risk of fragility fracture in patients receiving haemodialysis. Results have the potential to transform fracture care in real-world patients with kidney and metabolic bone disease.

NCT05096195.

Renal failure is a serious public health concern, and its prevalence has been steadily increasing in recent years. This study aims to use data from a nationally representative sample of adults in the USA to investigate the association between inflammatory markers derived from complete blood counts and the prevalence of renal failure.

This study is a cross-sectional study.

The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007–2020.

A total of 13 193 participants aged 20–80 years (renal failure n=443, non-renal failure n=12 750) were included in this study.

The outcome variable in this study was based on the questionnaire responses in which participants reported having experienced kidney failure.

This study included a total of 13 193 participants, with 3.36% of the study population experiencing renal failure. After adjusting for confounding variables, the systemic inflammatory response index (SIRI) was positively correlated with the prevalence of renal failure (model III OR=1.21, 95% CI 1.12 to 1.30, p

Our research indicates that elevated levels of inflammation biomarkers, as measured by complete blood counts, in the adult population of the USA are associated with an increased risk of renal failure. However, this association needs to be further validated in other prospective studies, and the underlying mechanisms also require further investigation. These findings may help individuals reduce the risk of renal failure and better manage the disease by modulating inflammatory responses.

Fatigue is a common and debilitating symptom that is associated with an increased risk of mortality, dialysis initiation and hospitalisation among patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The aim of this study was to identify the characteristics, content and psychometric properties of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) used to measure fatigue in patients with CKD not requiring kidney replacement therapy (KRT).

Systematic review. The characteristics, dimensions of fatigue and psychometric properties of these measures were extracted and analysed.

We searched MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO and CINAHL from database inception to February 2023.

All studies that reported fatigue in patients with CKD stages 1–5 not receiving KRT.

We identified 97 studies (20 (21%) randomised trials, 2 (2%) non-randomised trials and 75 (77%) observational studies). 27 different measures were used to assess fatigue, of which three were author-developed measures. The 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) and Kidney Disease Quality of Life – Short Form (KDQOL-SF) were the most frequently used measures (41 (42%) and 24 (25%) studies, respectively). Six (22%) measures were specific to fatigue (Chalder Fatigue Questionnaire, Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy – Fatigue Scale, Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Fatigue, Fatigue Severity Scale, and author developed Chen & Ku 1998, and Hao et al 2021) while 21 (78%) included a fatigue subscale or item within a broader construct for example, quality of life. Various content domains assessed included tiredness, ability to think clearly, level of energy, muscle weakness, ability to concentrate, verbal abilities, motivation, memory, negative emotions and life participation. Only two measures (Chronic Kidney Disease Symptom Index – Sri Lanka, Kidney Symptom Questionnaire) were developed specifically for CKD, but they were not specific to fatigue. Six measures (Chronic Kidney Disease Symptom Index – Sri Lanka, Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy – Anemia, Revised Illness Perception Questionnaire, Kidney Symptom Questionnaire, Short Form 6 Dimension and 36-Item Short Form Health Survey) had been validated in patients with CKD not requiring KRT.

PROMs used to assess fatigue in patients with CKD vary in content and few were specific to fatigue in patients with CKD not requiring KRT. Data to support the psychometric robustness of PROMs for fatigue in CKD were sparse. A validated and content-relevant measure to assess fatigue in patients with CKD is needed.

To assess the incidence, progression and predictors of chronic kidney disease among adult patients living with HIV/AIDS who are receiving antiretroviral therapy.

An institution-based, multicentre retrospective follow-up study was conducted among a randomly selected sample of 535 adult patients. Data were entered into Epi Data version 4.6.0 and analysed using STATA version 14.0. A Cox proportional hazards regression model was fitted to identify independent predictors of chronic kidney disease incidence. Variables with p

The study was conducted at comprehensive specialised hospitals in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia. Adult patients with HIV/AIDS receiving follow-up antiretroviral therapy between 1 April 2012 and 31 September 2022 were the cohort participants.

Of the 528 adult patients included in the final analysis, 15 (2.84%) developed chronic kidney disease during the follow-up period, resulting in an overall incidence rate of 4.1 per 1000 person-years of observation. Significant predictors of chronic kidney disease included baseline age (adjusted HR (AHR)=1.053; 95% CI, 1.001 to 1.108), serum creatinine (AHR=1.698; 95% CI, 1.302 to 2.215), blood urea nitrogen (AHR=1.031; 95% CI, 1.001 to 1.061) and baseline viral load ≥1000 copies/mL (AHR=3.464; 95% CI, 1.104 to 10.871).

The incidence of chronic kidney disease among adult patients with HIV was clinically significant. Older age, baseline viral load ≥1000 and high blood urea nitrogen and creatinine levels were significant predictors of higher risk. Proactive measures, such as closer kidney monitoring, targeted care for older patients and ensuring optimal viral suppression with effective antiretroviral therapy, can delay or prevent the development of chronic kidney disease.

We explored the experiences of treatment strategies for steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome (SSNS) and care priorities among children living with the condition and their caregivers.

A qualitative study using semistructured interviews. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. We coded transcripts in duplicate and developed themes that integrate key concepts across roles.

Southern Alberta, Canada.

A purposive sample of children aged 8–18 years, with SSNS and their caregivers from a paediatric nephrotic syndrome cohort.

28 individuals (10 children and 18 caregivers) participated in this study. All had experienced a relapse after initial diagnosis and steroid treatment. Participants identified how their experiences with SSNS treatments influenced their willingness to accept further steroids and other second-line agents. Findings are elaborated across the following four themes: (1) reluctant acceptance of steroids (steroid aversion, lack of personalised steroid dosing, altered self-regulation and acknowledging steroid effectiveness); (2) coping with unexpected relapses (repeating the cycle, restricted life participation and tempered optimism); (3) uncertainty about second-line therapies (striving for stability, cumulative burden of adverse effects and exploring alternatives) and (4) directing attention to unmet treatment needs and priorities (mechanistic approaches to therapy, steroid minimisation, child and family involvement and enhanced social supports).

Children with SSNS and their caregivers expressed a dislike of steroids and a desire for individualised treatment protocols. Investigation into therapeutic alternatives for SSNS should integrate patients’ preferences, values and care priorities.