Outcome of second kidney transplant: a single center experience.

Nowadays, a repeat transplantation is considered to confer a better survival advantage to patients over dialysis. The cost-effectiveness of transplantation for end-stage renal disease patients shows benefits over dialysis even for re-transplanted patients. This retrospective single center ten-year study was undertaken to evaluate patient/graft survival, function vis-à-vis serum creatinine (SCr) and rejection episodes in 62 re-transplanted patients. Sixty-two patients underwent a second renal transplant (24 living related, 38 deceased donors) at our center between 2000 to 2009. The mean recipient age was 41.9 ± 12.27 years. Fifty-three recipients were male and nine recipients were female. Recipients had negative acceptable lymphocyte cross-matching using anti-human globulin complement-dependent cytotoxicity tests and flow cytometric cross-match before transplant. All recipients except those who were hepatitis C virus or hepatitis B surface antigen positive received single-dose rabbit-anti-thymocyte globulin induction and steroids, calcineurin inhibitor ± mycophenolate mofetil/azathioprine for maintenance immunosuppression. Of the 62 patients, 38 patients received kidneys from deceased donors and 24 patients received kidneys from live donors. Over the mean follow-up of 4.03 ± 2.93 years, the 1-year, 5-year and 10-year patient survival rates were 85.33%, 66.7% and 66.7%, respectively, and the graft survival rates were 96.7%, 79.7% and 79.7%, respectively. The acute rejection rates were 17.6%, with a mean SCr of 1.92 ± 0.5 mg/dL. There was unexplained interstitial fibrosis with tubular atrophy in 11.2% patients (n = 7), all leading to graft loss eventually. Overall, 25% (n = 16) of the patients were lost, mainly to infectious complications. Re-transplantation has acceptable graft and patient survival over a ten-year follow-up period and should be encouraged for better quality of life as compared with dialysis.

Drug utilization study of psychotropic drugs in outdoor patients in a teaching hospital.

BACKGROUND: Psychotropic drugs have had a remarkable impact in psychiatric practice. However, their utilization in actual clinical practice, effectiveness and safety in real life situation need continuous study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective cross sectional study was carried out for 6 months. Patients of all ages and both sexes were included in the study while in-patients, referred patients and patients of epilepsy were excluded. Using World Health Organization basic drug indicators, the prescribing pattern was analyzed. RESULTS: The numbers of psychotropic drugs prescribed per patient were 2.96. Anti-anxiety drugs (82.83%) were most frequently prescribed psychotropic drugs in various psychiatric disorders. Usage of antipsychotic drugs was in 70.15% cases. Atypical antipsychotic drugs (43.83%) were prescribed more frequently than the typical antipsychotic drugs (26.32%). Prescribing frequency of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (36.66%) was more than the tricyclic antidepressant (21.96%) and atypical antidepressant drugs (1.83%) in major depression. Use of mood stabilizers was restricted only to bipolar mood disorders. Central anticholinergic drug was co-prescribed in as many as 88.15% patients receiving antipsychotic drugs. CONCLUSION: Anti-anxiety drug (Benzodiazepine (BZD)) usage was extensive in various psychiatry disorders. Rational use of BZD requires consideration/attention to dose and duration of usage as well as drug interactions with other psychotropic drugs. Routine use of central anticholinergic drug along with atypical antipsychotic drugs also, could not be justified.