Original Article

Safety and Efficacy of Percutaneous Renal Biopsy by Physicians-in-Training in an Academic Teaching Setting

Authors: Tibor Fülöp, MD, Bereket Alemu, MD, Neville R. Dossabhoy, MD, Justin H. Bain, DO, David E. Pruett, MD, Anita Szombathelyi, PhD, Albert W. Dreisbach, MD, Mihály Tapolyai, MD

Abstract

Objectives: The safety and efficacy of percutaneous renal biopsy (PKB) are relatively little studied in a training setting. We sought to review our recent experience with bedside PKB in our training program.

Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort review of our consecutive 2.5-year renal biopsy experience (May 2007–November 2009) at the University of Mississippi Nephrology Fellowship. All of the biopsies were performed exclusively by renal fellows using real-time ultrasound (US) visualization within the framework of a structured US-PKB training course.

Results: A total of 64 patients underwent PKB during the index period; 50 (78.1%) of these procedures were performed on native kidneys. Participant age was 39.8 ± 13.7 years, blood pressures measured 140.1/85.3 ± 21.5/14.9 mm Hg, serum creatinine was 3.05 ± 3.15 mg/dL, and median random urine protein:creatinine ratio was 2.38 (25%–75% interquartile range 0.49–7.32). The biopsied kidneys measured 11.8 (±1.6) cm. We recovered 18.8 ± 11.5 glomeruli per procedure; two biopsies were unsuccessful. Focal glomerular sclerosis and lupus nephritis (22% and 25%, respectively) predominated among the specimens. Only three specimens returned with no diagnostic changes. There was a close correlation between preceding history and recovered diagnoses of diabetic changes and lupus nephritis ( r 0.605 and 0.842; P < 0.0001 for both). Initial hemoglobin of 10.8 ± 1.8 g/dL dropped to 10.2 (1.9) g/dL after the procedure ( P < 0.0001). Five (7.8%) patients needed transfusion; one patient experienced persistent urine leakage; however, none of the patients needed surgical or radiological intervention or died.

Conclusions: In the setting of a well-structured training environment, US-guided PKB is a reasonably safe and valuable component of renal fellowship training.

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