Pre-transplant: All the donors and recipients of kidney transplants (both living and deceased) should be tested for status of CMV by CMV IgG in the blood. If there is history of recent transfusion, pre-transfusion status should be regarded…
There have been a number of studies reported in the past month which broaden our understanding of the complexity of alloantibodies post kidney transplant. It is well recognized that the presence of donor specific anti-HLA antibodies (DSA) infers a…
Currently there is huge variation in the number patients receiving a kidney transplant at the time of their liver transplant across the US; Combined Liver Kidney Transplant (CLK). The rate of good quality (standard criteria) kidneys being transplanted…
Vascular rejection has been traditionally considered a severe form of acute rejection characterized by infiltration of mononuclear cells beneath the endothelium or by the presence of arteritis. Though initially reported as an aggressive form of T-cell mediated rejection…
Obituary from the NYT. In 2010, RFN on the passing of Ronald Herrick.
In 2007, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was granted the authority to require pharmaceutical manufacturers to develop risk evaluation and mitigation strategies (REMS), if deemed necessary. This was made possible by the FDA Amendment Act, which also…
When I got my US driving license, I was asked whether or not I would like to be an organ donor. To me, having seen the positive effects of donation on the lives of my patients down through…
We have previously discussed cardiovascular mortality after transplantation. But one controversial aspect in the evaluation of potential kidney recipients is the performance of stress tests for risk stratification. With the cost of stress tests ranging from U$2,500-5,000 and the…
It is surprising how high the nonadherence rates for immunosuppressants is among renal transplant recipients, ranging from 15 to 40%, despite the potential impact of nonadherence and the degree of education provided to transplant recipients. Nonadherence to immunosuppressive…
