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Title: Hospitalised Patients With CKD at Higher Risk for Adverse Consequences of Medical Care
URL: http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/22A98A.htm
Doctor's Guide
September 3, 2008

Washington, DC -- September 3, 2008 -- Hospitalised patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are at higher risk for adverse consequences of medical care compared with those without the disease, according to a study appearing in the December issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology.

The findings indicate that steps should be taken to reduce potentially preventable complications of medical care for CKD patients, a population that is frequently under-recognised in most health care settings.

Jeffrey Fink, MD, University of Maryland Medical System, Baltimore, Maryland and colleagues analysed data from approximately 250,000 hospitalised patients in the Veterans' Health Administration from 2004 to 2005.

The researchers found that 29% of the hospitalised veterans had CKD, and had a higher risk of several patient safety indicators, particularly infection due to medical care and death during a hospitalisation for a condition considered to be a low mortality risk.

CKD patients also were more likely to experience complications of anaesthesia, post-operative hip fracture, post-operative physiological or metabolic disturbances, and to have post-operative respiratory failure.

Patients with low pre-admission glomerular filtration rates were at particularly high risk of experiencing a combination of patient safety indicators.

The authors concluded that their study links the presence of CKD with a greater risk of patient safety mishaps during hospitalisation. "Further investigation is needed to examine this association in other health care systems and to define more specific safety measures, with the goal of improving patient safety in CKD patients." they wrote.

According to Dr. Fink, increased recognition of CKD and consideration of this condition when giving medical care may help to reduce the frequency of adverse safety events that occur in the health care setting.


SOURCE: American Society of Nephrology

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