Acute kidney injury in patients with COVID-19: a retrospective cohort study from Switzerland

Original article
Diebold M, Schaub S, Landmann E, Steiger J, Dickenmann M
Swiss Med Wkly. 2021;151:w20482

Data about patients in Europe with corona virus disease-2019 (COVID-19) and acute kidney injury (AKI) are scarce. The authors examined characteristics, presentation and risk factors of AKI in patients hospitalised with COVID-19 in a tertiary hospital in Switzerland. AKI is common in hospitalised patients with COVID-19 and more often seen in patients with severe COVID-19 illness. It is associated with a high in-hospital mortality.

Adherence to, and patient convenience of, prolonged-release tacrolimus in stable kidney and liver transplant recipients after conversion from immediate-release tacrolimus in routine clinical practice in Switzerland

Original article
Bonani M, Balaphas A, Bedino G, Bühler L, Dutkowski P, Fausch K, Gluderer S, Graf N, Hirt-Minkowski P, Müllhaupt B, Schönholzer C, Schulz MM, Venzin R, Wüthrich RP
Swiss Med Wkly. 2021;151:w20453

Non-adherence to immunosuppressive therapy in patients following solid organ transplantation is associated with an increased risk of transplant rejection and graft loss. A high pill burden can adversely affect patients’ implementation of their treatment regimens and may lead to omitting doses of medication. The aim of this study was to investigate medication implementation adherence in liver and kidney transplant recipients converted from twice-daily, immediate-release tacrolimus to once-daily, prolonged-release tacrolimus.

Expert recommendation from the Swiss Amyloidosis Network (SAN) for systemic AL-amyloidosis

Review article: Medical guidelines
Schwotzer R, Flammer AJ, Gerull S, Pabst T, Arosio P, Averaimo M, Bacher VU, Bode P, Cavalli A, Concoluci A, Dirnhofer S, Djerbi N, Dobner SW, Fehr T, Garofalo M, Gaspert A, Heimgartner R, Hübers A, Jung HH, Kessler C, Knöpfel R, Laptseva N, Manka R, Mazzucchelli L, Meyer M, Mihaylova V, Monney P, Mylonas A, Nkoulou R, Pazhenkottil A, Pfister O, Rüfer A, Schmidt A, Seeger H, Stämpfli SF, Stirnimann G, Suter T, Théaudin M, Treglia G, Tzankov A, Vetter F, Zweier M, Gerber B
Swiss Med Wkly. 2020;150:w20364

These are the Swiss Amyloidosis Network recommendations which focus on diagnostic work-up and treatment of AL-amyloidosis. One aim of this meeting was to establish a consensus guideline regarding the diagnostic work-up and the treatment recommendations for systemic amyloidosis tailored to the Swiss health care system.

Immunosuppression management in renal transplant recipients with normal-immunological risk: 10-year results from the Swiss Transplant Cohort Study

Original article
Krisl A, Stampf S, Hauri D, Binet I, Mueller T, Sidler D, Hadaya K, Golshayan D, Pascual M, Koller M, Dickenmann M, the Swiss Transplant Cohort Study (STCS)
Swiss Med Wkly. 2020;150:w20354

Primary maintenance immunosuppression with tacrolimus has displaced ciclosporin-based therapies. The tacrolimus-based immunosuppression therapy showed consistently better results across almost all assessed clinically relevant outcomes.

Renal replacement therapy in children and adolescents

Viewpoint
Leumann E
Swiss Med Wkly. 2020;150:w20371

This Viewpoint article discusses a study recently published in Swiss Medical Weekly that describes the incidence of end stage renal disease, the primary diagnosis, modalities of renal replacement therapy and long-term outcomes in patients up to 20 years of age, as well as some aspects that differ from renal disease in adults.

Electrolyte disorders in stable renal allograft recipients

Original article
Beilhack G, Lindner G, Funk GC, Monteforte R, Schwarz C
Swiss Med Wkly. 2020;150:w20366

Acid base and electrolyte disorders are frequently observed in stable renal allograft recipients, but are usually mild. A combination of two or more electrolyte abnormalities often occurs, although no predominant pattern of a unique combination of electrolyte disorder is recognizable.

Incidence of glomerulonephritis in the western part of Switzerland over the last decade

Original article
Nanchen G, Schutzbach K, Rotman S, Winzeler R, Ambühl P, Halfon M, Pruijm M
Swiss Med Wkly. 2020;150:w20353

Glomerulonephritis is a rare yet serious group of diseases with a high risk of progression to end-stage renal disease. For optimal healthcare planning, detailed epidemiological and demographic data are essential.

Use of SGLT2 inhibitors in cardiovascular diseases: why, when and how?

Review article: Biomedical intelligence
Lu H, Meyer P, Hullin R
Swiss Med Wkly. 2020;150:w20341

The authors present an up-to-date narrative literature review of the physiological mechanisms of action, current indications, therapeutic utility and side effects of SGLT2 inhibitors.

Paediatric end-stage renal disease and renal replacement therapy in Switzerland: survival and treatment trends over four decades

Original article
Maurer E, Neuhaus TJ, Weitz M, Kuehni CE, Laube GF
Swiss Med Wkly. 2020;150:w20300

Copeptin-based diagnosis of diabetes insipidus

Review article: Biomedical intelligence
Refardt J, Christ-Crain M
Swiss Med Wkly. 2020;150:w20237

With the establishment of copeptin, a stable and reliable surrogate marker for arginine vasopressin, diagnosis of the polyuria-polydipsia syndrome has been newly evaluated.