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Anticoagulation is an important component of haemodialysis treatment in all settings. The therapeutic options available for anticoagulation of home haemodialysis are similar to those for haemodialysis in other settings. However, dialysis sessions with a wide range of treatment durations are undertaken at home, which can require different approaches to anticoagulation. Conference delegates were asked about the types of anticoagulation used in home dialysis and about surveillance strategies for monitoring vascular access, and the results are presented and discussed.

Background. There is strong evidence from a range of long-term conditions of improved outcomes where patients are involved in self-management. Against this background, the international trend for home dialysis continues to decline, with centre-based haemodialysis continuing its dominance. Methods. An opinion-based commentary exploring practice patterns and drivers for home dialysis internationally. Data are drawn from a number of sources including the 2010 United States Renal Data System report. Results. Drivers behind the use of home dialysis are complex including factors relating to the patient and their carers, health care team, health care system, geography and cultural factors. There are important examples where local champions or public health initiatives have had a positive impact on the use of home dialysis; however, in many settings significant barriers remain. Better systems for giving patient information, shared decision making and involving patients in their own care may have the potential to act as a driver for change. Conclusion. Centre-based haemodialysis continues to dominate renal replacement therapy internationally with notable exceptions. Such dominance suggests that most patients worldwide do not get much choice when it comes to modality selection.

Scorpion envenomations are ubiquitous, but nephropathy is a rare manifestation, reported mainly from the Middle East and North Africa. Rapid venom redistribution from blood, delayed excretion from the kidneys, direct toxicity of venom enzymes, cytokine release and afferent arteriolar constriction have been seen in experimental animals. Haemoglobinuria, acute tubular necrosis, interstitial nephritis and haemolytic-uraemic syndrome have been documented in human victims of scorpion envenomation. Epidemiology, venom components and toxins, effects on the laboratory mammals especially the kidneys and reports of renal failure in humans are reviewed in this article.

Health care policy is encouraging expansion of home haemodialysis, aiming to improve patient outcomes and reduce cost. However, most patient outcome data derive from retrospective observational studies, with all their inherent weaknesses. Conventional thrice weekly home haemodialysis delivers a 22-51% reduction in mortality, but why should that be? Frequent and/or nocturnal haemodialysis reduces mortality by 36-66%, with comparable outcomes to deceased donor kidney transplantation. Approaches which might improve the quality of future observational studies are discussed. Patient-relevant outcomes other than mortality are also discussed.

Gitelman's syndrome is an autosomal recessive salt losing nephropathy caused by inactivated mutations of the SLC12A3 gene, encoding the NaCl cotransporter of the distal convoluted tubule. We report a French family with five affected members over two generations suggesting a dominant transmission. After SLC12A3 sequencing of seven individuals, four mutations were detected. Pseudo-dominant transmission was explained by the union of a compound heterozygous woman (two mutations on one allele and one mutation on the other) with a heterozygous healthy man. This study shows the importance of complete genetic analysis of families with unusual presentation.

Spina bifida (SB) is associated with chronic kidney disease as a result of vesicoureteric reflux. A proportion of patients progress to end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). Haemodialysis (HD) is probably the most common modality in ESKD, as intra-abdominal malformations and previous surgery can make peritoneal dialysis more challenging. The Chiari malformations also frequently occur in these patients. We report a case of recurrent syncope induced by HD in a patient with SB and the Chiari II malformation. Sparse data exist on the complications of HD in this patient population and on the approach to the management of dialysis-induced syncope in these individuals.

Acute salicylate overdose in pregnancy is potentially fatal for both the mother and fetus and presents a unique challenge in intensive care management. While suggested thresholds exist for hemodialysis in adults with toxic salicylate ingestion, it is unclear if these thresholds remain appropriate for the gravid patient, particularly given that medications such as acetylsalicylic acid may cross the placental barrier and accumulate in the fetal bloodstream. We describe a case of a gravid patient at ∼37 weeks gestational age with a self-reported acetylsalicylic acid ingestion of 32.5 g and review prior cases of both acute and chronic salicylate ingestion in pregnancy in order to determine the clinical precedent for hemodialysis in this situation.

We report an unusual case of fibrillary glomerulonephritis (FGN) presenting as rapidly progressive renal failure and extensive crescent formation along with linear staining of capillary walls of the glomeruli on immunofluorescence, mimicking anti-glomerular basement membrane (anti-GBM) antibody-mediated disease. Laboratory results for circulating anti-GBM antibodies were negative. The subsequent electron microscopic findings were that of presence of electron-dense deposits in the glomerular mesangium and capillary walls, comprising of non-branching fibrils with an average diameter of 16 nm consistent with a diagnosis of FGN. This case illustrates the crucial role of electron microscopy in differential diagnosis of crescentic glomerulonephritis.

Diabetic nephropathy is the most common aetiology of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). Strict glycaemic control reduces the development and progression of diabetes-related complications, and there is evidence that improved metabolic control improves outcomes in diabetic subjects with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD). Glycaemic control in people with kidney disease is complex. Changes in glucose and insulin homeostasis may occur as a consequence of loss of kidney function and dialysis. The reliability of measures of long-term glycaemic control is affected by CKD and the accuracy of glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) in the setting of CKD and ESKD is questioned. Despite the altered character of diabetes in CKD, current guidelines for diabetes management are not specifically adjusted to this patient group. The validity of indicators of longer term glycaemic control has been the focus of increased recent research. This review discusses the current understanding of commonly used indicators of metabolic control (HbA1c, fructosamine, glycated albumin) in the setting of advanced CKD (Stages 4 and 5, glomerular filtration rate <30 mL/min/1.73m(2)).