Active clinical trials for "Renal Insufficiency, Chronic"

Background: Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is under-recognized and under-treated in primary care offices and primary care physicians are generally not familiar with treatment guidelines. Even when diagnosed properly, as a chronic condition CKD is frequently associated with co-morbidities that make effective treatment difficult due to complexity of care. Availability of Clinical Decision Support (CDS) for CKD may help promote effective, evidence-based care, but evidence suggests that CDS alone may not be sufficient for quality improvement and other interventions such as CDS plus practice facilitation may be needed. Purpose: The project aims to: 1) assess the viability of CDS in implementing evidence-based guidelines for Primary Care Practices (PCPs) and 2) to develop evidence-based practice guidelines that PCPs may use to enhance the care they provide to a difficult to manage segment of the healthcare population. Methods: This is a randomized controlled trial of point-of-care CDS plus full TRANSLATE model of practice change, versus CDS alone. The study aims to analyze differences in promoting evidence-based care in primary care practices. Thirty-six practices will be recruited for this study. Patient inclusion criteria: adult patients with estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR) of <60 and >15ml/min/1.73m2 confirmed with repeat testing over three or more months. A process evaluation will be conducted between the CDS practices with facilitation and the CDS only practices to assess clinical outcomes of CKD progression and all-cause mortality. Lastly, a cost-effective analysis will compare the cost-to-benefit ratio of CDS alone to that of CDS plus TRANSLATE (i.e. practice facilitation) in relation to cost per quality adjusted years of life. This study is funded by NIH NIDDK under R01 mechanism starting on 07/01/2011 and ending on 06/30/2016.

Patients with severe kidney failure require dialysis or transplantation to survive. For those in whom a transplant is not an option, there are two main dialysis options: hemodialysis (either incenter or at home) or home peritoneal dialysis. Home-based therapies (peritoneal and home hemodialysis) are under-utilized in many Canadian jurisdictions with the proportion of home-based therapies varying between 10 and 40% across centres. Studies show that the low use of home dialysis is due to a variety of factors, though patient and provider awareness and knowledge of home dialysis are major factors. In this cluster randomized trial, the investigators will determine whether a standardized modality education program directed at patients, in combination with a provider-directed intervention, can increase the use of home dialysis in incident dialysis patients in Canada.

The goal of this study is to evaluate the impact of a chronic care model (CCM) based quality improvement program on 1) outcomes for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and 2) adherence to CKD guidelines. This pilot study will evaluate the feasibility of a CCM based quality improvement program for patients with CKD and assess potential mechanisms for the intervention's effect. Hypothesis: Implementing a CCM based quality improvement program including system level support in the form of collaborative care, a CKD registry, and provider education will 1) reduce systolic BP in patients with poorly controlled hypertension, 2) increase the percentage of patients appropriately monitored for metabolic complications, and 3) decrease the rate of catheter use in patients initiating dialysis.

Primary outcome: Serum creatinine change at 4 hours and 48 hours following 4 doses of N-acetylcysteine (total 4800 mg) compared to baseline serum creatinine. Secondary outcome: Serum Cystatin C change at 4 hours and 48 hours post 4 doses of N-acetylcysteine compared to baseline serum Cystatin C.

N-acetylcysteine is used to reduce the risk of injury to the kidney after the administration of contrast dye. The mechanism and effectiveness of this intervention is not substantiated in the literature. The investigators hypothesize that serum creatinine will be lower in patients who receive NAC compared to those who receive the placebo but serum cystatin C will not change in patients who receive NAC compared to those who receive the placebo. Also urine creatinine will increase after the administration of NAC compared to before the administration of NAC.

ABSTRACT Background: It is well recognized that excess dietary salt intake plays a major role in the development of hypertension. Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is associated with excess salt and water retention (excess volume) which is associated with hypertension. Hypotheses: Hypothesis 1: Dietary salt restriction will improve volume status in subjects with CKD stages 3-4 as assessed by Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA). Hypothesis 2: Dietary salt restriction will result in improved blood pressure control in patients with CKD stages 3-4. Hypothesis 3: Dietary salt restriction will decrease albuminuria in patients with CKD stages 3-4. Patients and Trial Design: This randomized crossover pilot study is designed to assess the effect of salt restriction on volume status in patients with CKD stages 3 and 4. Subjects will be randomized to a treatment order: (1) 4 weeks of salt restriction of <85 mmol sodium per day, a 2 week washout period, and 4 weeks of usual salt diet, OR (2) 4 weeks of usual diet, 2 weeks washout, and 4 weeks of salt restriction. Patients will receive dietary counseling in person at each study visit and at weekly intervals by phone calls from study dieticians. At weeks 0, 4, 6 and 10, patients will undergo assessments for (i) physical examination with assessments for weight, blood pressure, pulse, anthropometrics and a standardized clinical assessment of volume status. (ii) volume status using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) (iii) 24-hour urine testing for, albumin, creatinine and aldosterone Every 2 weeks throughout the study, a 24-hour urine sodium will be measured for compliance, and serum electrolytes will be assessed for safety. Data Analysis: BIA measurements in the low salt group will be compared with the regular diet group using the standard linear model analysis for 2x2 crossover trials. Additionally, 24-hour ambulatory and static blood pressure and 24-hour urine aldosterone levels will be compared between the two groups. Future Implications: A significant reduction in the degree of volume expansion (as assessed by BIA) and blood pressure as a result of a salt restricted diet would have implications for renal and cardiovascular protection and would warrant confirmation by a larger randomized trial.

The main purpose of this study is to learn which educational method is most helpful to patients and their family members when they consider whether to pursue live donor kidney transplantation. Patients who are eligible for a kidney transplant usually get information in the transplant clinic about two types of kidney transplants - one where the kidney comes from a dead donor and one where the kidney comes from a healthy living donor. Patients are given this information by a transplant nurse or doctor and then encouraged to discuss it with family members and friends. In this study, we are trying to see if changing how and where we give patients this information makes a difference in how patients and their family members think about live donor kidney transplantation. So, we are looking at whether getting the information in the transplant clinic - either alone or in a group - is the same or different than getting the same information in your home. The study is only recruiting African American patients. This is being done because African Americans have a higher likelihood of developing chronic kidney disease and needing a kidney transplant than patients of other races. However, they wait longer for a kidney transplant and die at a higher rate on the waiting list because they are less likely than other patients to receive a live donor kidney transplant. We want to see which educational approach works best with African American patients and their families.

An open-label, single-dose study to evaluate the safety and pharmacokinetics of DIC075V in subjects with mild or moderate chronic renal insufficiency and in patients with mild chronic hepatic impairment compared. Additionally, the healthy adult volunteers will participate in a randomized, open-label, crossover study in which they will receive Sporanox® to compare the safety and pharmacokinetics of HPβCD when administered in DIC075V compared to Sporanox®.

Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are commonly deficient in vitamin D, with low levels of both calcidiol (25 hydroxy vitamin D) and calcitriol (1,25-hydroxy vitamin D). Patients with CKD are also known to have abnormalities in their immune cells, increased susceptibility to infection and increased prevalence of malignancies. In patients without kidney disease, repletion of vitamin D appears to help some immune mediated diseases. Thus it is logical that patients with CKD who are vitamin D deficient may benefit from repletion of vitamin D, in either its native form (cholecalciferol/ergocalciferol) or in the form of calcitriol or its analogues. However, no interventional data demonstrates that repletion positively impacts immune status in CKD patients. To test this hypothesis, a large interventional study will be required. However, prior to conducting this study, several important steps are needed. The present proposal aims to generate the necessary data to appropriately plan and conduct a future multi center interventional study. Specifically, we will examine the following specific aims in a population of CKD stage 3 and 4 subjects from Indiana University Affiliated Nephrology Clinics and determine if abnormalities in immune cells and immune blood tests are related to abnormalities in vitamin D. how reproducible these changes are on repeat testing and if repletion of vitamin D changes these cells and immune blood tests in a small pilot study.

The aim of the proposed study is to implement and evaluate Outreach Facilitation as a means to increase the uptake of evidence-based practice for secondary prevention and management of patients with established CVD and cardiovascular risk factors, in primary care practices throughout the Champlain LHIN. This initiative centers on the use of an Outreach Facilitation Model, in which skilled health professionals known as facilitators (Practice Change Consultants) serve as an expert resource to primary care practices in three areas: a) practice performance assessment, feedback, and consensus building towards goal setting and implementation; b) clinical, technical, organizational resources and practical advice; and c) encouragement to face and move through the challenges associated with implementing system change.