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Background and Objective: Acquired kidney cysts usually occur in end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients undergoing long-term hemodialysis. Increasing growth of cysts is also seen in asymptomatic patients and they can cause complications such as retroperitoneal and intrarenal bleeding, Erythrocytosis, infection of cysts and renal cell carcinoma with distant metastases. This study was designed to evaluate the prevalence of acquired kidney cysts and its related factors in hemodialysis patients.
Methods: In this descriptive-analytical study, 123 patients (mean age 55.22+13.23 years) were selected from hemodialysis patients referred to dialysis center. Patients with autosomal polycystic kidney disease, medullary sponge kidney and medullary cystic kidney disease were not included. Diagnosis of acquired kidney cysts of Patients was performed by ultrasonography.
Results: The overall prevalence of kidney cysts was 44.6%. 30 percent of diabetic patients had kidney cysts, while kidney cysts were present in 51.2% of nondiabetic patients. 32.4% of patients were received twice a week dialysis and 42.4% of patients were received three times a week dialysis had kidney cysts. Mean±SD of duration of dialysis history in patients with cystic kidneys was 22.02±22.65 months, while these measures in patients with noncystic kidneys were 22.65±14.65 months. There was a relationship between kidney cysts and the numder of hemodialysis per week (P<0.05). There was a relationship between prevalence of kidney cysts and the qulity of hemodialysis (P<0.05)
Conclusion: This study showed that there was a relationship between prevalence of kidney cysts and the qulity of hemodialysis and the numder of hemodialysis per week.

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Background and Objective: Hemodialysis is an important replacement therapy for 70-90% of patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is the vascular access of choice in these patients due to its higher efficiency and lower risk of mortality compared to arteriovenous grafts. This study was conducted to determine the frequency of vascular access types used in hemodialysis centers of Gorgan, Iran.
Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was done on 200 hemodialysis patients (101 men and 99 women) at 5 Azar and Sayyad Shirazi hospitals in Gorgan, north of Iran, during April 2020 to July 2021. The subjects were selected by the census method. Information including age, sex, education level, duration of dialysis, the initial and current types of vascular access, site of vascular access, history of diabetes or hypertension, race, and history of smoking were recorded in a checklist.
Results: The mean age of women and men was 58.34±4.71 and 57.95±13.76 years, respectively. In addition, 61.5% of the patients were under 3 years old. The most commonly used vascular access to initiate dialysis was non-cuffed temporary catheters (69%) and AVF (24%). Smoking, ethnicity, diabetes, hypertension, and gender had no significant association with the type of vascular access used. In addition, there was no significant relationship between the duration of dialysis and the type of vascular access.
Conclusion: Considering the diversity of catheters and fistulas, it is necessary to emphasize that the use of AVF in patients undergoing dialysis for the first time and the timely placement of AVF in ESRD patients can improve the quality of life of the patients. It is also recommended to use jugular catheters instead of subclavian catheters when required.
 

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Background and Objective: Considering hypertension as the most prevalent comorbidity among patients diagnosed with COVID-19, this study intended to investigate clinical characteristics and in-hospital mortality risk factors among COVID-19 patients with hypertension history.
Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 527 hypertensive patients (277 male and 250 female) a mean age of 64.73±13.13 years infected with COVID-19 and hospitalized at Sayyad Shirazi Hospital, Gorgan Iran from February to September 2020. The patients’ data were extracted from the hospital information system and completed by patients’ medical records and telephone calls. The association between the risk factors and in-hospital mortality was identified by employing the logistic regression analysis in three various models, including model 1 (demographic data and patients’ history), model 2 (model 1 plus vital signs and pulse oximetry measurement at hospital admission) model 3 (model 2 plus laboratory findings at hospital admission). Each model individually described the odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for every risk factor. Furthermore, a corrected area under the receiver-operating characteristics curve (AUC) was estimated to evaluate the model’s discriminatory power.
Results: Among 527 hospitalized patients, 88 patients (16.6 %) died during 6.48 days of hospitalization, of which 47 patients were men. In model 1, opium consumption (CI95%=1.16-3.85, OR=2.11) and cognitive impairment at admission (CI95%=0.98-5.40, OR=2.30) were significantly associated with higher mortality (AUC=0.65). In model 2, after adding vital signs and oxygen saturation, cognitive impairment association lost its association, and only opium consumption (CI95%=1.09-3.19, OR=1.87) and oxygen saturation (CI95%=0.90-0.95, OR=0.93) were associated with in-hospital mortality. (AUC=0.73). In model 3, after incorporating laboratory findings, with an AUC of 0.79 (CI95%=0.70-0.90), each percent higher oxygen saturation at admission was associated with a 7% decrease in in-hospital mortality (CI95%=0.88-1.00, OR=0.93). Although opium consumption and higher creatinine level lead to higher mortality, the associations were not significant.
Conclusion: Regarding the association of oxygen saturation at admission with in-hospital mortality among hypertensive patients diagnosed with COVID-19, the pulse oximetry measurement data upon admission would be crucial in evaluating these patients.

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Background and Objective: Ensuring suitable access to hemodialysis, which provides high-quality dialysis over an extended period, is a significant challenge for patients with End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). One crucial aspect of this is maintaining the performance of hemodialysis catheters. Our study, which aimed to evaluate the one-year performance of long-term catheters in chronic hemodialysis patients in Golestan Province, is a critical step toward improving patient care in this population.
Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 99 patients (34 men and 65 women) with ESRD who were candidates for starting or continuing dialysis with a catheter in the educational and therapeutic centers of Golestan Province, Iran during 2021-22. Transjugular catheters were placed for the patients, and after one year, variables such as age, gender, history of diabetes, history of hypertension, catheter placement site (right or left jugular), and antiplatelet medication use were evaluated concerning the performance of long-term catheters in providing adequate flow for hemodialysis.
Results: In 91 patients (91.9%), the one-year catheter performance was assessed as satisfactory. The age of 61.6% of the patients were over 60 years old. Sixty-nine patients (69.7%) had a history of hypertension, and 58 patients (58.6%) had a history of diabetes. Fifty-seven patients (57.6%) received antiplatelet medication. The catheters were placed on the right side in 82 patients (82.8%). Catheter performance in patients taking antiplatelet medication was non-significantly higher than in those not taking antiplatelet medicines.
Conclusion: The performance of long-term catheters in chronic hemodialysis patients with ESRD showed no significant correlation with age, gender, diabetes, hypertension, antiplatelet medication use, or the side of the jugular vein where the catheter was placed.