Hepatitis C donor positive to recipient negative solid organ transplants: Early direct acting antiviral insurance approval rates with and without documented viremia.

Background: Current guidelines support early initiation of direct-acting antivirals (DAA) in hepatitis C virus (HCV) donor positive and recipient negative (D+/R-) solid organ transplants (SOTs). According to experts, access to DAA therapy is a key barrier to early treatment.

Methods: This single-center, retrospective study assessed the rate of DAA prescription approval with or without confirmed HCV viremia, time to approval, and reasons for denial in HCV D+/R- SOTs.

A systematic review of direct acting antiviral therapies in hepatitis C virus-negative liver transplant recipients of hepatitis C-viremic donors.

The introduction of safe and highly effective direct acting antivirals (DAAs) has significantly improved hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment outcomes after transplant. The solid organ transplant community has sought to identify strategies aimed at increasing the donor pool including the utilization of HCV-viremic organs in HCV-negative recipients. We will review the existing literature to evaluate DAA use for the treatment of HCV viremia post-liver transplant in patients who receive HCV-viremic allografts.

Narrative review of current and emerging pharmacological therapies for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is the most common cause of chronic liver disease today, and it has now emerged as the leading etiology of end-stage liver disease requiring liver transplantation. It is a progressive form of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease which can not only progress to cirrhosis of liver and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but is associated with increased cardiovascular risks too. Despite all the advances in the understanding of the risk factors and the pathogenetic pathways involved in the pathogenesis and progression of NASH, an effective therapy for NASH has not been developed yet.

Evaluation of Medications Used for Hospitalized Patients With Sleep Disturbances: A Frequency Analysis and Literature Review.

Purpose: Poor sleep during hospitalization is common and implicated in worse patient outcomes. Despite implementation of non-pharmacologic techniques, medications are still frequently required. The study objective is to assess the frequency of new medications administered for sleep in hospitalized patients and to review literature evaluating these drug therapies in the inpatient setting.

Hepatitis C Virus in the Elderly in the Direct-Acting Antiviral Era: from Diagnosis to Cure.

Purpose Of Review: Hepatitis C (HCV) is the most common cause of viral hepatitis in elderly individuals. This patient population previously experienced suboptimal outcomes with interferon-based regimens. Unfortunately, patients aged 65 years and older were underrepresented in phase 2 and 3 clinical trials with newer direct acting antiviral (DAA) therapies.

Transplantation of kidneys from hepatitis C-infected donors to hepatitis C-negative recipients: Single center experience.

Our aim was to evaluate the safety of transplanting kidneys from HCV-infected donors in HCV-uninfected recipients. Data collected from 53 recipients in a single center, observational study included donor and recipient characteristics, liver and kidney graft function, new infections and de novo donor-specific antibodies and renal histology. Treatment with a direct-acting antiviral regimen was initiated when HCV RNA was detected.

Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Review of Anti-diabetic Pharmacologic Therapies.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), the most common cause of liver disease, affects approximately 75 to 100 million Americans. Patients with concurrent NAFLD and type 2 diabetes mellitus have a higher risk of progressing to advanced fibrosis and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis compared to non-diabetics. Lifestyle modifications, including weight loss, remain the mainstay of treatment for NAFLD, as there are no medications currently indicated for this disease state.

Efficacy and Safety of Sofosbuvir-Based Direct Acting Antivirals for Hepatitis C in Septuagenarians and Octogenarians.

Background/aims: Treatment of chronic hepatitis C (HCV) with newer direct acting antiviral (DAA) agents has been highly effective. Unfortunately, patients over 70 years old are underrepresented in studies. Given current recommendations to screen patients born between 1945 and 1965 for HCV, it is essential to determine the efficacy and safety of DAAs within the elderly population.

Pharmacologic Treatment of Alcoholic Hepatitis: Examining Outcomes Based on Disease Severity Stratification.

Objectives: Maddrey discriminant function (MDF) score is a measure of disease prognosis in alcoholic hepatitis (AH) used to identify patients at highest risk of mortality and determine the need for initiation of pharmacologic treatment. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of pharmacologic therapy for hospitalized AH patients as stratified by MDF score.

Methods: A retrospective review of patients with an AH diagnosis admitted to a Methodist LeBonheur Healthcare adult hospital between 06/2009 and 06/2014 was conducted.

Belatacept conversion in African American kidney transplant recipients with severe renal dysfunction.

Objectives: Conversion from calcineurin inhibitor-based maintenance immunosuppression to belatacept in kidney transplant recipients has been demonstrated to improve renal function while maintaining efficacy against rejection. However, conversion studies to date have excluded patients with an estimated glomerular filtration rate < 35 mL/min/1.73 m.