Journal article
US-Italy L-carnitine hemodialysis utilization survey
Dialysis & transplantation, Vol.25(6), pp.368-373
01 Jun 1996
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
The objective of this physicians' L-carnitine (carnitine) hemodialysis utilization survey was to characterize the reasons for carnitine administration in clinical practice in both Europe (Italy) min the United States and the consequent clinical effects. A total of 9 dialysis centers (3 in Italy and 6 in the U.S.), 11 physicians, and 171 end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients participated in the survey. The carnitine dose was primarily 2 g administered intravenously 3 times a week after each dialysis session; 1 U.S. dialysis center administered an average intravenous dose of 3.6 g. One Italian center administered ora carnitine. Carnitine was given to those patients who did not respond to standard therapy and were experiencing primarily weakness and cramps. It was also given to help control intradialytic hypotension, cardiomegaly, erythropoietin (EPO) insensitivity, and occasionally for other manifestations such as loss of appetite, chest and other pain, hand tremor; sexual dysfunction, and depression. A statistically significant good-to-excellent overall response for severe weakness (p = 0.03) and severe cramping (p = 0.03) with carnitine supplementation was reported for most of the patients in this survey. Significant improvement of severe EPO insensitivity (p = 0.04) was also noted. A positive trend in the good-to-excellent overall response for severe intradialytic hypotension was observed. There were too few reported instances of cardiomegaly, loss of appetite, pain, hand tremor, sexual dysfunction, depression, and fatigue to evaluate statistically. A statistically, significant relationship (p = 0.0001) between duration-of-benefit and duration-of-treatment was observed. There were significant differences in pre-carnitine compared to during-carnitine serum albumin concentrations (p = 0.0001). A follow-up double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study on the benefits of intravenous L-carnitine on hemodialysis patients will be conducted based on the findings of this physicians' utilization survey.
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Details
- Title
- US-Italy L-carnitine hemodialysis utilization survey
- Creators
- S L DeFeliceP LyonsM C GaffarM J Sheridan
- Publication Details
- Dialysis & transplantation, Vol.25(6), pp.368-373
- Publisher
- Creative Age Publ
- Number of pages
- 6
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Nephrology (and Hypertension)
- Identifiers
- 991019174915704721
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- Web of Science research areas
- Engineering, Biomedical
- Transplantation
- Urology & Nephrology