Philippine Nephrology

This article explores the impact of a partnership program involving the International Society of Nephrology-The Transplantation Society, the Southern Philippines Medical Center, and the University of Barcelona. The program included capacity building and partnership with the Donation and Transplant Institute, leading to the creation of 5 Intermediate Transplant Procurement Management courses for Southern Philippines Medical Center's healthcare professionals. The study analyzed organ donation activity and training records from 2016 to 2022, dividing the periods pre- and postSister Transplant Center partnership, and further subdividing to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic...

Chronic kidney disease is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the Philippines. It is associated with a growing health burden as many patients progress to end-stage renal disease. Until recently, therapeutic options for the management of chronic kidney disease were limited. Sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors offer an alternative therapeutic approach for patients with chronic kidney disease. Several trials have shown renal benefits with sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors in patients with cardiovascular disease with and without type 2 diabetes and across a range of estimated glomerular filtration rate levels...

We report the case of metformin-associated lactic acidosis (MALA) exacerbated by acute kidney injury (AKI) in a 65-year-old Asian American woman who was an overseas traveler. She had vomiting and diarrhea before arriving in Osaka, Japan, from the Philippines. She suffered from worsening respiratory distress, consciousness loss and anuria the day after coming to Japan. When she arrived at our emergency room via ambulance, she appeared to be in a state shock. Arterial blood gas analysis revealed severe lactic acidosis (pH 6...

AIM: Data published on COVID-19 in the Filipino population, particularly those with end stage kidney disease (ESKD) are still lacking. METHODS: We performed a retrospective, observational study of 68 ESKD patients admitted with COVID-19 infection at a tertiary hospital in Metro Manila, Philippines from April 1, 2020 to July 31, 2020. We compared the clinical features, baseline laboratory data, treatment strategies and short-term outcomes between those who survived and those who died...

BACKGROUND: Some sea anemone toxins cause renal injuries resembling hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). To date, only a few cases of HUS caused by sea anemone stings have been reported. In this case report, we have described an HUS case caused by a sea anemone sting. CASE PRESENTATION: In November 2019, a 37-year-old man with no underlying disease was admitted to our hospital. He presented with intense pain, a rash on, and swelling in his right thigh. Two days prior, he had been stung by a sea anemone while scuba diving in Cebu, Philippines...

AIM: Kidney failure patients in the Philippines have free choice on their kidney replacement therapy (KRT), with a majority choosing haemodialysis (HD) over peritoneal dialysis (PD) and transplantation despite the inadequate coverage of HD. Although national health insurance coverage is limited, KRT remains to be one of the top benefits pay-outs in the country. The study aims to identify the most cost-effective policy strategy for financing KRT in the Philippines, in the context of a universal healthcare policy...

BACKGROUND: Implementing evidence-based management of dyslipidaemia is a challenge worldwide. OBJECTIVES: To understand physician beliefs and behaviour and identify uncertainties in dyslipidaemia management across four world regions. METHODS: Web-based survey of 1758 physicians in Japan, Germany, Colombia and the Philippines who were selected randomly from existing databases. Key inclusion criteria were 1) for cardiologists and diabetes/endocrinology specialists: ≥50 dyslipidaemia patients examined in the last month; 2) for specialists in neurology/neurosurgery/stroke medicine: ≥50 dyslipidaemia patients and ≥ 20 patients with a history of ischaemic stroke examined in the last month; and 3) for specialists in nephrology and general medicine: based at centres with ≥20 beds and ≥ 50 dyslipidaemia patients examined in the last month...

Erythrodermic psoriasis is a severe, life-threatening condition with additional complications, when occurring in hemodialyzed patients, as the majority of treatments are contraindicated. A 44-years-old man, of Philippine origins, with a 15-years-history of psoriasis treated with cyclosporine developed progressive hypertension and renal insufficiency. Despite drug dismission, renal function worsen to end-stage, and hemodialysis was necessary three times a week. Phototherapy was not able to control the skin condition, progressing to erythroderma, and after nephrology consultation, the patient consent to the off-label secukinumab treatment, at the standard regimen (300 mg subcutaneously once weekly at weeks 0-4 followed by 300 mg every 4 weeks)...

By 2005, human organ trafficking, commercialization, and transplant tourism had become a prominent and pervasive influence on transplantation therapy. The most common source of organs was impoverished people in India, Pakistan, Egypt, and the Philippines, deceased organ donors in Colombia, and executed prisoners in China. In response, in May 2008, The Transplantation Society and the International Society of Nephrology developed the Declaration of Istanbul on Organ Trafficking and Transplant Tourism consisting of a preamble, a set of principles, and a series of proposals...

BACKGROUND: In the Philippines, 86% of incident dialysis patients are started on hemodialysis (HD) and 14% are treated with peritoneal dialysis (PD), representing a decline over a 2-year period. One important factor which affects patients' choice of dialysis modality is the input of their physicians. Our objective was to identify the factors affecting attitudes and recommendations of Filipino nephrologists regarding HD and PD. METHODS: Attendees of the annual national nephrology meeting completed an anonymous self-administered questionnaire...

BACKGROUND: Transplant tourism is the term used for patients who travel abroad for transplantation. Transplant tourism has always been surrounded with controversy regarding how these organs were obtained, the donor's care after transplantation, and the recipient outcome. Many authors have found that the outcome of the recipients in transplant tourism is inferior to those transplanted in their own countries. However, most these studies were small, with the latest one including only 33 patients...

This hospital-based case-control study was conducted from September 1998 to January 1999 in Metro Manila, Philippines. General objective of the study is to determine the association between selected hygiene behavior and urinary tract infection (UTI) among children aged 6-12 years. Specifically, the study is designed to examine the relationship between UTI and urination, defecation, washing and bathing habits. Twenty-three cases of children with UTI and an equal number of controls were recruited in four tertiary hospitals...