Were present: N. Lameire (President of the Commission), J. Bonventre, D. Humes, R.
Mehta, N. Schor, K. Solez, (members), and the invited guests Drs. G. Porter, Mezzano
(President of the Chilean Society of Nephrology), and W. Finn (editor of the journal Renal
Failure).
1. Organization of the ARF Satellite Symposium in 1999 in Chile
As was explained to the members of the Commission (see report to the ISN Council), it
was decided to organize this satellite in Chile from May 7-9, 1999, in Santiago de Chile.
Dr. Mezzano and the Chilean Society of Nephrology accepted this invitation by the
Commission. Dr. Jennette was present during the discussion of this point and repeated his
very favorable recommendation made after his site visit to Santiago.
The meeting should be organized over two and a half days, probably including a half day
of a social event in the surroundings of Santiago.
Funding of the Satellite will traditionally have to come from a moderate registration
fee and mainly through industrial sponsorship. In this regard the Commission appointed Dr.
George Porter officially as treasurer of the Commission. Dr. Porter will thus become a
member of the ARF Commission.
Following the suggestion of Dr. Mezzano a local organizing committee was approved. The
members are Dr. Mezzano (President), Dr. Roberto Jalil, Dr. Juan Carlos Flores, Dr. Andres
Valdivieso, and Dr. Patricio Downey.
An international scientific program Committee was established as follows: Dr. N. Schor
(President), Dr. E. Burdmann (Bresil), and the following members of the commission:
Dr. J. Bonventre, Dr. D. Humes, Dr. K. Solez, Dr. R. Mehta, Dr. G.
Porter, and Dr. N. Lameire. The suggestion to invite the collaboration in the organization
of the recently founded Latin American Task Force for ARF was enthusiastically approved.
An in-depth discussion of a preliminary program resulted in the following suggestions:
1. ARF related to infectious diseases in South America
2. Basic research in ARF and how to make the bridge to the clinicians
3. How to organize clinical studies in ARF
4. Scoring systems for critical illness in ARF patients
5. Risk assessments for developing countries
6. Post transplant ARF
7. Toxic nephropathies
Further suggestions to the program committee will be awaited.
2. The Bywaters Award and the Journal Renal Failure
Dr. W. Finn explains the willingness of Hoechst-Marion Roussel to co-sponsor the
Bywaters Award. This company is committed to cover the awardees travel to Chile. The
ARF Commission is therefore very grateful and is certainly willing to help in the
selection of future awardees. It is the suggestion of the Commission that the
awardee should give one of the keynote lectures at the Satellite Symposium. The Commission
also agrees with the suggestion that a medal should be given to the awardee, mentioning
the Bywaters Award. The name of the awardee for Chile has been selected by the commission
but will not be disclosed until the final program of the Chile Symposium is ready.
Although for many reasons the journal Renal Failure cannot become the official
journal of the ARF Commission it will in the future continue to print the abstracts and
the Proceedings of the Satellite Symposium.
3. Scientific initiatives of the Commission
It was proposed at the meeting of Sidney that the Commission should explore the
possibility to organize a Forefront in Basic Research in ARF. Several members of the
Commission find however that the time for such an organization is not ready and want to
postpone this for another 2 to 3 years. Although such a Forefront could be organized in
Europe it was felt that the large majority of the basic research takes place in the USA
and therefore that such a meeting would probably be more successful in North America. It
is further suggested that the Commission could establish a forum for CME in ARF through
Nephro-L. Dr. Kim Solez agreed with this suggestion.
4. The Disaster Relief Task Force and the Commission of ARF
Dr. R. Mehta who was previously appointed coordinator of the North American branch of
the Task Force explains that the needs for assistance in developing countries have changed
over the years; the need for a group of nephrologists, nurses and technicians to go into
such countries is much lower than 10 years ago since in several of these countries
dialysis facilities are present. In case of disaster, however, the need for dialysis
equipment and technical assistance in these countries is probably much greater. He
proposes therefore that the Task Forces in different parts of the world should construct a
database of the number, size, and location of each dialysis facility and renal center in
each country. This should be accomplished in collaboration with the Commission of
Informatics and the ISN COMGAN. This planning should further be discussed between N.
Lameire, K. Solez, and R. Mehta.
5. Financial support of the Commission by the ISN Council
The President explained that the support of the Commission by the ISN is set at 15,000
dollar per year, despite the recognition by the Council that the ARF Commission is one of
the most active of the ISN Commissions. The Commission decided to create a Financial
Subcommission and appointed Dr. G. Porter as chairman of this subcommission.
6. Varia
Dr. Schor proposed that the Commission should write a textbook on ARF that besides
basic principles should be designed for the practicing clinician. Dr. Finn announced that
he together with Dr. B. Molitoris is planning such a book and invites the commission to
assist him in this. The president raises the delicate problem of the relationship between
nephrologist and the intensive care specialist. The Commission agrees that perhaps in the
ARF program of Buenos Aires attention should be given to this problem. The Commission will
contact the chairman of the program commission of the ISN meeting to discuss this further.
The meeting concludes at 7:50 p.m..