Living kidney donors with HIV: experience and outcomes from a case series by the HOPE in Action Consortium.

Background: Living kidney donation is possible for people living with HIV (PLWH) in the United States within research studies under the HIV Organ Policy Equity (HOPE) Act. There are concerns that donor nephrectomy may have an increased risk of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in PLWH due to HIV-associated kidney disease and antiretroviral therapy (ART) nephrotoxicity. Here we report the first 3 cases of living kidney donors with HIV under the HOPE Act in the United States. Methods: Within the HOPE in Action Multicenter Consortium, we conducted a prospective study of living kidney donors with HIV. Pre-donation, we estimated the 9-year cumulative incidence of ESRD, performed genetic testing of apolipoprotein L1 (APOL1), excluding individuals with high-risk variants, and performed pre-donation kidney biopsies (HOPE Act requirement). The primary endpoint was ≥grade 3 nephrectomy-related adverse events (AEs) in year one. Post-donation, we monitored glomerular filtration rate (measured by iohexol/Tc-99m DTPA [mGFR] or estimated with serum creatinine [eGFR]), HIV RNA, CD4 count, and ART. Findings: There were three donors with two-four years of follow-up: a 35 year-old female, a 52 year-old male, and a 47 year-old male. Pre-donation 9-year estimated cumulative incidence of ESRD was 3.01, 8.01, and 7.76 per 10,000 persons, respectively. In two donors with APOL1 testing, no high-risk variants were detected. Biopsies from all three donors showed no kidney disease. Post-donation, two donors developed nephrectomy-related ≥grade 3 AEs: a medically-managed ileus and a laparoscopically-repaired incisional hernia. GFR declined from 103 to 84 mL/min/1.73 m2 at four years (mGFR) in donor 1, from 77 to 52 mL/min/1.73 m2 at three years (eGFR) in donor 2, and from 65 to 39 mL/min/1.73 m2 at two years (eGFR) in donor 3. HIV RNA remained <20 copies/mL and CD4 count remained stable in all donors. Interpretation: The first three living kidney donors with HIV under the HOPE Act in the United States have had promising outcomes at two-four years, providing proof-of-concept to support living donation from PLWH to recipients with HIV. Funding: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health.

Protocol-based anticoagulation management for mechanical circulatory support patients can be safe and efficient.

BACKGROUND: Achieving optimal anticoagulation remains a significant challenge in managing patients on left ventricular assist device (LVAD) support. Maintaining tight control of anticoagulation can be time-consuming but essential in preventing serious complications such as pump thrombosis and bleeding. OBJECTIVES: The efficacy and safety of a nurse coordinator-driven outpatient protocol (NCDOP) was evaluated for managing anticoagulation for LVAD patients. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed as part of a single-center quality improvement project. The primary outcome was time in therapeutic range (TTR), a measure of anticoagulation target efficacy before and after the implementation of the protocol. RESULTS: Among 47 patients, who served as their own control, there was no significant change in TTR or proportion of hospitalizations following institution of the protocol. Pre-NCDOP, there were six major bleeding and two thrombotic events, and none during the post-NCDOP period. CONCLUSIONS: A NCDOP is a reliable method to manage anticoagulation in LVAD patients and facilitates efficient care delivery. Future multicenter studies with larger patient cohorts are warranted to expand on the findings outlined in this manuscript.

Single-Dose Anti-Thymocyte Globulin Compared With Divided-Dose for Induction Therapy in Kidney Transplantation in a Predominantly Black Population.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to compare single-dose rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin (rATG) with a divided dose in kidney transplant recipients within a majority Black patient population. METHODS: We analyzed the outcomes before and after a change in protocol from divided-dose (1.5 mg/kg/day over 4 days) to single-dose (6 mg/kg over 24 hours) rATG in a retrospective cohort study. All patients who received rATG for kidney transplant induction between December 2015 and July 2018 were included. RESULTS: A total of 197 patients (n = 98 in the divided-dose group, n = 99 in the single-dose group) received rATG. There was no difference in time to rejection at 1 year (P = .82) or incidence of rejection (P = .80). There was also no difference in delayed graft function, serum creatinine, or survival at 1 year. Patients in the single-dose group were more likely to leave the hospital by postoperative day 3 (12% vs 2%, P = .006). The cytomegalovirus infection rate was higher in the single-dose group (P = .031). CONCLUSIONS: Use of a single-dose rATG regimen is an acceptable accelerated induction compared with the standard divided dose for induction therapy in kidney transplant in a predominantly Black population.

Family travel: an overview.

Paediatric travel medicine involves the education of parents about the numerous health and safety issues related to traveling with infants and young children--whether overseas or a weekend at a local lake. It includes providing children with vaccines and medications, giving telephone advice to parents while they are traveling, and treating children should they come home ill. Practitioners must be knowledgeable about such varied topics like avoiding diarrhoea, infant safety seats for air travel, altitude sickness, sun exposure, waterfront safety, insect protection, dealing with hot and cold environments, and at what age it is safe to begin scuba diving, to name just a very few. Practitioners must also know when adult recommendations can--and cannot--be adapted for children; that vaccine doses, needle size, and injection site may vary with the size of the child; and the answers to hundreds of everyday questions such as how to administer an essential but bitter tasting medication to an uncooperative child--and what to do when the child refuses to take the medication or vomits it.

Early bactericidal activity of moxifloxacin in treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis: a prospective, randomized study.

Moxifloxacin is the most active fluoroquinolone against Mycobacterium tuberculosis in vitro. However, data about the efficacy in patients are not available. We enrolled 17 patients with tuberculosis in a prospective, randomized study. After 5 days of monotherapy with either moxifloxacin or isoniazid, we detected significant decreases in mean CFU per milliliter in sputum in both groups. The calculated early bactericidal activities for isoniazid and moxifloxacin were 0.209 and 0.273 log(10) CFU per ml of sputum per day, respectively. According to the data from our study, moxifloxacin exhibits an early bactericidal activity that is comparable to that of isoniazid.