The detrimental effect of poor early graft function after laparoscopic live donor nephrectomy on graft outcomes.

We undertook this study to assess the rate of poor early graft function (EGF) after laparoscopic live donor nephrectomy (lapNx) and to determine whether poor EGF is associated with diminished long-term graft survival. The study population consisted of 946 consecutive lapNx donors/recipient pairs at our center. Poor EGF was defined as receiving hemodialysis on postoperative day (POD) 1 through POD 7 (delayed graft function [DGF]) or serum creatinine >/= 3.0 mg/dL at POD 5 without need for hemodialysis (slow graft function [SGF]). The incidence of poor EGF was 16.3% (DGF 5.8%, SGF 10.5%), and it was stable in chronologic tertiles. Poor EGF was independently associated with worse death-censored graft survival (adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 2.15, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.34-3.47, p = 0.001), worse overall graft survival (HR 1.62, 95% CI 1.10-2.37, p = 0.014), worse acute rejection-free survival (HR 2.75, 95% CI 1.92-3.94, p < 0.001) and worse 1-year renal function (p = 0.002). Even SGF independently predicted worse renal allograft survival (HR 2.54, 95% CI 1.44-4.44, p = 0.001). Risk factors for poor DGF included advanced donor age, high recipient BMI, sirolimus use and prolonged warm ischemia time. In conclusion, poor EGF following lapNx has a deleterious effect on long-term graft function and survival.

Warm ischemia time does not correlate with recipient graft function in laparoscopic donor nephrectomy.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic donor nephrectomy (LDN) has been shown to be a safe and effective option for renal procurement. Studies comparing open nephrectomy and hand-assisted laparoscopy have emphasized decreased warm ischemia time when compared with "pure" laparoscopic retrieval. However, no data exist that define exactly what constitutes a prolonged warm ischemia time in terms of recipient graft function. The aim of this study was to use a large, single-institution experience with LDN to determine if warm ischemia time correlates with recipient graft function as measured by serum creatinine levels. METHODS: A total of 640 LDNs were performed from March 1996 to August 2001. Warm ischemia times were prospectively collected and were defined as the time from renal artery occlusion to immersion in iced saline. Serial recipient creatinine levels were measured at 1 week and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months (when possible) from the transplant. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation analysis at a confidence interval of 95%. RESULTS: Mean warm ischemia time was 151 s with a standard error of 3.4 s and ranged from 35 to 720 s. Recipient creatinine mean at 1 week was 1.94 mg/dl with a standard error of 0.06 mg/dl and ranged from 0.5 to 10.5 mg/dl. Recipient creatinine mean at 1 month was 1.68 mg/dl with a standard error of 0.06 mg/dl and ranged from 0.6 to 8.5 mg/dl. Recipient creatinine mean at 3 months was 1.60 mg/dl with a standard error of 0.04 mg/dl and ranged from 0.6 to 8.8 mg/dl. Recipient creatinine mean at 6 months was 1.63 mg/dl with a standard error of 0.06 mg/dl and ranged from 0.7 to 13.5 mg/dl. Recipient creatinine mean at 12 months was 1.70 mg/dl with a standard error of 0.07 mg/dl and ranged from 0.5 to 14.5 mg/dl. No correlation was found between warm ischemia time and recipient creatinine levels at 1 week (p = 0.4737), 1 month (p = 0.9180), 3 months (p = 0.6227), 6 months (p = 0.8349), or 12 months (p = 0.2835). CONCLUSIONS: Warm ischemia time does not correlate with recipient graft function in LDN within the range of times studied. Shorter warm ischemia time associated with open donor nephrectomy and hand-assisted LDN does not necessarily offer a measurable advantage in recipient graft function. During extraction of the kidney, expediency to minimize warm ischemia time should not supersede controlled and safe maneuvers in renal vessel division and extraction of the kidney.

Perspectives on care at the close of life. Caring for bereaved patients: "all the doctors just suddenly go".

Despite the frequency with which physicians encounter bereaved patients, medical training offers little guidance in the provision of bereavement ("after") care. Physicians are often uncertain of how to distinguish between normal and pathological grief reactions in their bereaved patients, and how to manage their health care. Bereavement is associated with declines in health, inappropriate health service use, and increased risk of death. Identifying and intervening on behalf of bereaved patients could help address those increased risks. We examine the experience of a woman widowed for 2 years to illustrate distinctions between symptoms and outcomes of uncomplicated and complicated grief, recommend approaches to physician interactions with bereaved patients, and offer guidelines for professional intervention in aftercare.

Reduction of human prostate tumor vascularity by the alpha1-adrenoceptor antagonist terazosin.

BACKGROUND: We previously demonstrated that the quinazoline-derived a1-adrenoceptor antagonists doxazosin and terazosin suppress prostate cancer growth via apoptosis induction. The aim of this study was to determine the potential effect of a1-adrenoceptor antagonists on tumor vascularity of the human prostate. METHODS: A total of 34 men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) who have been on terazosin treatment (for the obstructive symptoms) were pathologically diagnosed with prostate cancer following surgery. These patients were stratified according to the length of treatment periods with terazosin into two groups, 1 week-6 months, and 6-17 months. The control group consisted of prostatectomy specimens from 25 untreated prostate cancer patients undergoing surgery for localized disease. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded prostate specimens were analyzed for apoptosis (TUNEL assay), cell proliferation (Ki-67), microvessel density (MVD) (von Willebrand factor/Factor VIII), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression, and prostate specific antigen (PSA) immunoreactivity. RESULTS: A significant induction of apoptosis was observed among cancerous prostatic epithelial cells in the terazosin-treated, as compared to the untreated prostate cancer specimens, while there was no significant change in the proliferative index of the same tumor cell populations after treatment. Furthermore, terazosin resulted in a significant decrease in prostate tissue MVD compared with the untreated group (P < 0.01), that correlated with the increased apoptotic index of the cancerous areas. Tissue PSA expression in the prostatic tumor foci was also markedly reduced after terazosin treatment, while no significant changes in VEGF expression were detected. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide the first evidence that terazosin, a quinazoline-based a1-blocker decreases prostate tumor vascularity. Our study has significant clinical implications in identifying selected alpha1-adrenoceptor antagonists as potential anti-tumor agents with apoptotic and anti-angiogenic effects in the human prostate that can be exploited for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer.

Apoptosis and bcl-2 expression in prostate cancer: significance in clinical outcome after brachytherapy.

PURPOSE: Radiation induced apoptosis of prostate cancer cells may have therapeutic and prognostic significance in patients treated with radiotherapy. We determined whether the ability of prostate tumor cells to undergo apoptosis has potential value for predicting the clinical response of patients with prostate cancer to brachytherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 76 patients with clinical stages T1 to 2 disease who were not receiving adjuvant therapy underwent transperineal implantation with 125iodine or 103palladium seeds and biopsy 7 to 23 months (median 12) after therapy. Nonresponders were classified using the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology criteria. The apoptotic index was analyzed using the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end-labeling assay in archived biopsy specimens from 76 treated and 19 matched pretreatment control patients. Serial sections of prostatic tumors were also evaluated for the expression of bax and bcl-2 proteins (apoptosis regulators) by immunohistochemical testing. RESULTS: A significant increase in the apoptotic index was detected in post-brachytherapy compared with pretreatment prostate specimens (3.1% versus 2%, p <0.05), as well as in patients with negative biopsy at followup compared with those with persistent malignancy (3.4% versus 1.8%, p = 0.02). In addition, there was a significant elevation in bcl-2 expression in prostatic tissue in patients with treatment failure compared with responders (30.5% versus 13.1%, p <0.05). CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge this is the first study to establish a correlation of apoptosis induction and bcl-2 over expression with treatment outcome in patients with prostate cancer after brachytherapy. Our findings have significant clinical implications for identifying the value of the apoptotic index and bcl-2 expression in prostatic tumors for predicting the therapeutic response to brachytherapy.

Use of in situ spermatic cord patch for inguinal lymph node dissection.

Inguinal lymph node dissection for diagnosis of metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the penis can cause significant morbidity and mortality for patients due to local wound breakdown, lymphedema, and vascular erosion. Various methods have been described to cover exposed femoral vessels to preserve their integrity, the most common being transposition of the sartorius muscle. We describe the successful use of in situ spermatic cord for coverage of the femoral artery and vein after inguinal lymph node dissection for squamous cell carcinoma of the penis in two patients. To our knowledge, this has not been previously described and is a simple and successful alternative way to cover the femoral vessels after inguinal lymphadenectomy.

Combined effect of terazosin and finasteride on apoptosis, cell proliferation, and transforming growth factor-beta expression in benign prostatic hyperplasia.

BACKGROUND: Medical treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) targets relief of symptoms by causing either relaxation of the prostatic smooth muscle with alpha1 adrenergic blockade, or shrinkage of the gland with 5alpha-reductase inhibitors. We recently demonstrated that alpha1-blockers, such as terazosin, induce apoptosis in prostatic cells. In this study, we examined the combined effect of finasteride and terazosin on the rate of apoptosis and cellular proliferation to investigate their potential synergy at the cellular level. METHODS: Prostate specimens were obtained from men who were treated with either finasteride (n = 24), terazosin (n = 42), or combination therapy (n = 10) for varying time periods (1 week to 36 months) for the relief of the symptoms of BPH. The proliferative and apoptotic indices of both stromal and epithelial prostatic cell populations were determined. Antibodies against TGF-beta1 and TbetaRII were used to examine the immunoreactivity of TGF-beta1 and TbetaRII, respectively, in all prostate tissue sections. RESULTS: The apoptotic index in both prostate cell populations was significantly higher following the combination treatment compared to terazosin or finasteride alone. There were no significant changes in the rate of cellular proliferation with any treatment. Furthermore, there was a significant increase in TGF-beta1 expression in the prostates of patients treated with terazosin or combination therapy, while there was no change in TbetaRII expression. CONCLUSIONS: These results support the concept that induction of prostate apoptosis is a potential molecular mechanism underlying the combination effect of alpha1 blockade with 5alpha-reductase inhibitors in the effective treatment of BPH. The upregulation of TGF-beta1 implies a role for this ligand as an effector of apoptosis induction in response to alpha1-blockade or finasteride therapy of BPH patients.

Laparoscopic right donor nephrectomy: technique and comparison with left nephrectomy.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic donor nephrectomy (LDN) preferentially involves the left kidney to optimize vessel length, but occasionally, right nephrectomy is preferred. Right LDN differs markedly in anatomic relations and the need for a fourth port. This retrospective study compares donor outcomes and graft function of right and left LDN and describes the technique. METHODS: Consecutive patients undergoing right LDN from March 26, 1996 to December 31, 2000 were compared with those undergoing left LDN. Age, height, weight, body mass index, creatinine, creatinine clearance, operative time, warm ischemia time, analgesic requirements, serial postoperative creatinine, time to diet resumption, and hospital stay were compared. A second cohort matched for age, gender, race, and temporal left LDN also were compared with the group undergoing right LDN. RESULTS: No significant differences were found for any of the parameters measured. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that despite substantial differences in the procedures, donor outcome and graft survival are similar for right and left LDN.

Laparoscopic live donor nephrectomy: the University of Maryland 3-year experience.

PURPOSE: We determined whether laparoscopic living donor nephrectomy decreases the morbidity of renal donation for the donor, while providing a renal allograft of a quality comparable to that of open donor nephrectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a 3-year period laparoscopic donor nephrectomy was performed via the transperitoneal approach. We evaluated donor and recipient medical records for preoperative donor characteristics, intraoperative parameters and complications, and postoperative recovery and complications. RESULTS: Of the 320 laparoscopic donor nephrectomies performed the left kidney was removed in 97.5%. Intraoperative complications, which developed in 10.4% of cases, tended to occur early in the experience and required conversion to open nephrectomy in 5. Average operative time was 31/2 hours and warm ischemia time was 21/2 minutes. As the series progressed, blood loss as well as laparoscopic port size and number decreased but extraction site size remained constant at 7 cm. Urinary retention, prolonged ileus, thigh numbness and incisional hernia were the most common postoperative complications. Postoperative analgesic requirements were low and average hospitalization was 66 hours. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic donor nephrectomy appears to be safe and decreases morbidity in the renal donor. Allograft function is comparable to that in open nephrectomy series. The availability of laparoscopic harvesting may be increasing the living donor volunteer pool.

Quality of life impairments associated with diagnostic criteria for traumatic grief.

BACKGROUND: This study examined the association between a diagnosis of traumatic grief and quality of life outcomes. METHOD. Sixty-seven widowed persons were interviewed at a median of 4 months after their loss. The multiple regression procedure was used to estimate the effects of a traumatic grief diagnosis on eight quality of life domains, controlling for age, sex, time from loss and diagnoses of major depressive episode and post-traumatic stress disorder. RESULTS: A positive traumatic grief diagnosis was significantly associated with lower social functioning scores, worse mental health scores, and lower energy levels than a negative traumatic grief diagnosis. In each of these domains, traumatic grief was found to be a better predictor of lower scores than either major depressive episode or post-traumatic stress disorder. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that a traumatic grief diagnosis is significantly associated with quality of life impairments. These findings provide evidence supporting the criterion validity of the proposed consensus criteria and the newly developed diagnostic interview for traumatic grief the Traumatic Grief Evaluation of Response to Loss (TRGR2L).

Isolated visceral leishmaniasis presenting as an adrenal cystic mass.

A 69-year-old woman presented with a large left retroperitoneal suprarenal mass. Radical resection of the left kidney and the mass revealed a cystic adrenal tumor with a weight of 1500 g. Histologic examination showed that the cyst was composed mostly of partially organized clotted blood. The periphery of the mass consisted of a thin rim of cortical and medullary adrenal tissue with superimposed granulomatous chronic inflammation. The infectious nature of the process was manifested by the scattered intracellular and extracellular Leishmania amastigotes that were found throughout the lesion. The differential diagnosis of cystic adrenal masses and the unusual presentation of visceral leishmaniasis are discussed in this context.

Bilateral nephrectomy with concomitant renal graft transplantation for autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease.

PURPOSE: There has been controversy about pre-transplant nephrectomy in patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. Kidneys may be removed in these patients when they cause respiratory compromise, early satiety, increased abdominal girth, pain, hematuria or recurrent infection. We determined whether concomitant bilateral nephrectomy at renal transplantation is safe and efficacious. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between December 1996 and January 1999, 10 patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease underwent bilateral nephrectomy with concomitant renal grafting (group 1). We compared these patients to 9 with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease matched for age and gender who underwent transplantation only (group 2) and 4 with the same condition who underwent bilateral nephrectomy and renal transplantation as staged procedures (group 3). RESULTS: No patients died perioperatively. There was a lower rate of complications in group 1 than in groups 2 or 3. The only significant differences in intraoperative and perioperative parameters were operative time and intraoperative blood loss, which were greater in group 1 than in group 2. We noted no significant differences in groups 1 and 3. Patient satisfaction analyzed by a survey revealed that the 70% of group 1 patients who responded were satisfied with kidney removal and 7 of the 9 in group 2 desired native kidney removal. All group 3 patients already had a functioning renal graft but were satisfied with native kidney removal, although they would rather have undergone bilateral nephrectomy at transplantation. CONCLUSIONS: Our data imply that there is no higher morbidity or mortality when performing concomitant bilateral nephrectomy at renal transplantation in patients with renal failure due to autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. There was a higher rate of satisfaction in patients who underwent nephrectomy and transplantation simultaneously, while those who did not undergo concomitant procedures strongly desired to have had that option. Bilateral nephrectomy may alleviate symptoms while providing greater room for renal graft placement. When done without transplantation, bilateral nephrectomy resulted in the highest number of complications. Our data indicate that if bilateral nephrectomy is performed as an adjunct to transplantation, it should be done at renal grafting.

The cost value of medical versus surgical hormonal therapy for metastatic prostate cancer.

PURPOSE: The cost of luteinizing hormone releasing hormone analogue and antiandrogen for prostate cancer is being scrutinized by the Health Care Finance Administration and other insurers. We compared the discounted present value cost of medical hormonal therapy to that of orchiectomy as well as the value created by these treatments from the insurer and patient perspectives. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a telephone survey of 42 patients receiving hormonal therapy to estimate the value created by medical versus surgical castration from the patient perspective. The cost of medical hormonal therapy was discounted back to the present value and compared with the cost of bilateral orchiectomy. RESULTS: The total cost of bilateral orchiectomy was $2,022, while the discounted present value cost using the average wholesale price for 30 months of medical hormonal therapy was $13,620. Therefore, medical hormonal therapy costs $11,598 more than orchiectomy ($13,620 - $2,022). A discounted payment of $386 per month for 30 months is necessary to recoup the $11,598 difference. All surveyed patients on medical hormonal therapy stated that avoiding orchiectomy was worth $386 per month and it was an appropriate insurer expense. If patients paid $386 per month out-of-pocket, 22 of the 42 (52%) would pay the additional monthly expense, while 20 (48%) indicated that they could not afford the additional expense. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that medical hormonal therapy costs significantly more than bilateral orchiectomy but creates positive value for men with prostate cancer by enabling them to avoid orchiectomy.

Psychiatric residency training, managed care, and contemporary clinical practice.

Managed care has transformed the health care environment that residents encounter on completion of their training. Unfortunately, residency education has not kept pace with changes in the field, leaving graduates inadequately prepared. The authors identify necessary changes in the residency training tasks of instilling values, imparting required knowledge, building core skills, selecting appropriate training sites, and offering a diversity of instructors and supervisors. They also discuss the obstacles that have impeded the evolution of academic clinical services and clinical training. They suggest strategies of change that may lead to more relevant educational programs that provide residents with a balanced perspective on the strengths and weaknesses of both traditional and contemporary approaches to delivering care.

Adverse life events and cognitive-personality characteristics in the prediction of major depression and antidepressant response.

OBJECTIVE: Stressful life events are known to precipitate major depression. However, it remains unclear why some individuals who experience adverse events develop depression whereas others do not, and how the occurrence of life events affects treatment outcome. Emerging models posit that the effect of adverse life events varies by cognitive-personality style. This study examines the direct and interactive effects of stressful life events and cognitive-personality style in predicting 1) episode onset in patients with DSM-IV unipolar depression versus community comparison subjects and 2) depressive symptom severity at the completion of a 6-week standard antidepressant regimen. METHOD: Multivariate models were used to test the effects of adverse life events, cognitive-personality style, and the congruence of event type (interpersonal versus achievement) with cognitive-personality style on depressive onset and treatment outcome in 43 patients with major depression and 43 healthy comparison subjects. Cognitive-personality characteristics were assessed by using Beck's measures of sociotropy (interpersonal dependency) and autonomy (need for independence and control). RESULTS: Adverse life events, sociotropy, and an autonomy factor need for control were each significantly related to depressive onset and predicted group status for 88% of the subjects. Event types affected outcome differently, and specific life event types interacted with cognitive-personality styles in predicting response to treatment. A multivariate model accounted for 65% of the variance in predicting outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Adverse life events are a potent factor in predicting depression. However, cognitive-personality characteristics also confer susceptibility to depression. Better outcome is associated with occurrence of adverse interpersonal events (e.g., death of a loved one) rather than adverse achievement events (e.g., loss of job) and occurs when the event type is congruent with cognitive-personality style.

Laparoscopic nephrectomy in the markedly obese living renal donor.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether laparoscopic living donor nephrectomy is safe and efficacious in markedly obese renal donors. METHODS: From 1996 to 1999, 431 laparoscopic living donor nephrectomies were performed. The markedly obese group consisted of 41 patients with a body mass index (BMI) greater than 35. Forty-one controls with a BMI less than 30 were matched to the obese donors by sex, age, race, and date of surgery. RESULTS: The markedly obese and control groups were closely matched in sex, race, age, serum creatinine level, creatinine clearance, HLA match to recipient, side of donated kidney, and experience level of the surgeons. The obese patients had a BMI range of 35.2 to 53.9 (mean 39.3), and the control patients had a BMI range of 18.4 to 29.0 (mean 24.3). Donor operations in the markedly obese were significantly longer by an average of 40 minutes. The greater intraoperative blood loss and longer extraction incision length seen in the markedly obese did not reach statistical significance. More and larger laparoscopic ports were used in the markedly obese. Obese donors were more likely to require conversion from laparoscopic nephrectomy to open nephrectomy than ideal-sized donors. The postoperative recovery of the gastrointestinal tract, hospitalization time, analgesic requirements, and total complications were equal in the two groups, although the obese donors' complications tended to be cardiopulmonary problems. The recipient graft function was equivalent between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic living donor nephrectomy is more difficult to perform in the markedly obese but is associated with an equivalent donor morbidity and recipient renal outcome.

Vaccinia virus recombinants encoding the truncated structural gene region of Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) give solid protection against peripheral challenge but only partial protection against airborne challenge with virulent VEEV.

Vaccinia virus (VV) recombinants that contain the genes encoding the Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) structural gene region (C-E3-E2-6 K-E1) solidly protect mice against peripheral challenge with virulent VEEV, but provide only partial protection against airborne challenge. To improve upon these results we focussed on the principal antigens involved in protection. VV recombinants encoding the structural genes E3-E2-6 K-E1, E3-E2-6 K or 6 K-E1 were prepared and evaluated for their ability to protect Balb/c mice after a single dorsal scarification with 10(8) PFU against peripheral or airborne challenge with virulent VEEV. The antibody response was also examined. Our experiments provide new evidence that truncates of the VEEV structural region (E3-E2-6 K-E1, E3-E2-6 K), cloned and expressed in VV, protect against challenge with virulent virus. They also confirm the important role of E2 in protection. However, we were unable to improve upon previously reported levels of protection against airborne challenge. A substantial level of circulating antibodies and the presence of local IgA (not always induced by mucosal immunization) (Greenway et al., 1992) appear essential for protection against the airborne virus. Current VV-VEEV recombinants seem unable to elicit this level of immune response and further improvements are therefore required to increase the immunogenicity of VV-VEEV vaccines.

Induction of apoptosis in the prostate by alpha1-adrenoceptor antagonists: a novel effect of "old" drugs.

Advances in our understanding of the integrated functions governing prostate cell proliferation and cell death imply that effective therapies for prostate neoplasia should not only be molecularly targeted, but should be customized to take into account the delicate balance of opposing growth influences. Evidence from studies on the dynamics of prostate growth in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer established that disruption of the molecular mechanisms that regulate apoptosis and cell proliferation among the stroma and epithelial cell populations may underlie the neoplastic development that characterizes the aging gland. Our own efforts have been focused on investigating whether a1-adrenoceptor antagonists clinically used for the relief of the obstructive symptoms associated with BPH affect prostate pathophysiology via mechanisms other than smooth muscle contraction. Such efforts led to the identification of a novel effect of two alpha1-adrenoceptor antagonists, doxazosin and terazosin. More recent in vitro experiments examined the potential anti-tumor action of three clinically used alpha1-adrenoceptor antagonists--doxazosin, terazosin and tamsulosin--against prostate cancer cell growth. These findings demonstrate the ability of doxazosin and terazosin, but not tamsulosin, to suppress prostate growth by inducing apoptosis among the epithelial cells in the benign and malignant prostate. Thus, evidence indicates that rather than just causing pure relaxation of the smooth muscle, certain alpha1-blockers can also affect the dynamics of prostate growth by changing the balance between prostate cell proliferation and apoptosis at the expense of the proliferative process.

Influence of traumatic grief on suicidal ideation among young adults.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of traumatic grief on suicidal ideation. METHOD: The Beck-Kovacs Scale for Suicidal Ideation was administered to 76 young adult friends of suicide victims. RESULTS: Traumatic grief was associated with a 5.08 times greater likelihood of suicidal ideation, after control for depression. Comorbid traumatic grief and depression were not associated with a greater likelihood of suicidal ideation. CONCLUSIONS: Syndromal traumatic grief heightens vulnerability to suicidal ideation.