Complete removal of a ruptured pulmonary hydatid cyst during conscious sedation bronchoscopy: A case report and literature review.

The complete removal of a pulmonary hydatid cyst by bronchoscopy occurs rarely in clinical practice. We describe a 22-year-old male originally from Lebanon, with suspected hydatid cyst rupture on computed tomography chest after experiencing sudden onset fevers and cough whilst taking empiric anthelmintic therapy. Bronchoscopy revealed white gelatinous material in the posterior segment of the left lower lobe.

Video Education and Behavior Contract to Improve Outcomes After Renal Transplantation (VECTOR): A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Sub-optimal adherence to immunosuppressant medications reduces graft survival for kidney transplant recipients and adherence-enhancing interventions are resource and time intensive. We performed a multi-center randomized controlled trial to investigate the impact of an electronically delivered intervention on adherence. Of 203 adult kidney transplant recipients who received a de novo kidney transplant n = 173 agreed to participate (intent-to-treat population) and were randomized to the intervention (video education plus behavior contract n = 91) or the control (standard education, n = 82).

Multidisciplinary Support To Access living donor Kidney Transplant (MuST AKT): A Clinical Research Protocol for a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial to Increase Living Kidney Donation.

Background: Living donor kidney transplantation (LDKT) is the optimal treatment for eligible patients with kidney failure, although it is underutilized. Contextually tailored patient- and family-centered interventions may be effective to increase LDKT.

Objective: We outline a protocol to test the feasibility of the Multidisciplinary Support To Access living donor Kidney Transplant (MuST AKT) intervention designed to increase LDKT.

Pleural procedures: an audit of practice and complications in a regional Australian teaching hospital.

Background: Pleural procedures are essential for the investigation and management of pleural disease and can be associated with significant morbidity and mortality. There is a lack of pleural procedure complication data in the Australian and New Zealand region.

Aims: To review pleural procedure practices at Wollongong Hospital with an emphasis on the assessment of complications, use of thoracic ultrasound (TUS), pathology results and comparison of findings with international data.

Micro- and Nanoplastics Breach the Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB): Biomolecular Corona's Role Revealed.

Humans are continuously exposed to polymeric materials such as in textiles, car tires and packaging. Unfortunately, their break down products pollute our environment, leading to widespread contamination with micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs). The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is an important biological barrier that protects the brain from harmful substances.

Designing an App for Immunosuppression Adherence and Communication: A Qualitative Approach.

Background: Immunosuppression nonadherence may be the most important factor limiting long-term allograft survival.

Objective: Following user-centered design, we explored the essential priorities and preferences of kidney transplant recipients and healthcare providers (HCP) to inform development of a smartphone app to improve immunosuppression adherence and communication.

Design: A qualitative descriptive research design was used.

Global Estimates of Capacity for Kidney Transplantation in World Countries and Regions.

Background: Kidney transplantation (KT) is the optimal treatment for kidney failure and is associated with better quality of life and survival relative to dialysis. However, knowledge of the current capacity of countries to deliver KT is limited. This study reports on findings from the 2018 International Society of Nephrology Global Kidney Health Atlas survey, specifically addressing the availability, accessibility, and quality of KT across countries and regions.

Incidence, Risk Factors, and Outcomes of Kidney Transplant Recipients Treated With Both Basiliximab and Antithymocyte Globulin.

Background: Kidney transplant recipients are given induction therapy to rapidly reduce the immune response and prevent rejection. Guidelines recommend that an interleukin-2 receptor antibody (basiliximab) be the first-line agent and that a lymphocyte-depleting agent (antithymocyte globulin [ATG]) be reserved for those at high immunologic risk.

Objective: To determine the incidence, risk factors, and outcomes for patients who receive both basiliximab and ATG for induction compared to either agent alone.

Reduced myocardial blood flow reserve in kidney transplant candidates may hamper risk stratification.

Background: Vasodilator nuclear stress testing is frequently ordered for risk stratification prior to kidney transplantation. Since Rb-positron emission tomography-computed tomography can measure myocardial blood flow (MBF), the response to vasodilator stress can be verified rendering the results of the scan more reliable.

Methods: We reviewed the MBF response to dipyridamole infusion in 328 patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) prior to transplant (188 hemodialysis-HD, 120 peritoneal dialysis-PD, and 20 pre-dialysis patients-CKD5) and in 100 controls with normal kidney function.

Prevalence and Correlates of Accelerometer-Based Physical Activity and Sedentary Time Among Kidney Transplant Recipients.

Background: Physical activity is recommended for kidney transplant recipents as it may improve outcomes including mortality, exercise capacity, muscle strength, and health-related quality of life.

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine accelerometer-based physical activity and sedentary time profiles among kidney transplant recipients and examine possible demographic and clinical correlates of physical activity and sedentary time.

Design: Cross-sectional.

Acute Kidney Injury in Pregnant Patient With Pancreas-Kidney Transplant Caused by Abdominal Compartment Syndrome: A Case Presentation, Review of Literature, and Proposal of Diagnostic Approach.

Rationale: With increasing number of complex medical patients with renal transplant who get pregnant, clinicians need to be aware of abdominal compartment syndrome which may masquerade as acute renal allograft injury in pregnancy.

Presenting Concerns Of The Patient: A 34-year-old nulliparous Caucasian female with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) due to type 1 diabetes mellitus who received a simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplant (SPK) in 2006 and then after rejection of renal allograft another, kidney-only allograft from a donation after circulatory death became pregnant in May 2013 with dichorionic, diamniotic twins without reproductive technology, and during pregnancy, she developed two episodes of acute injury to the renal allograft.

Diagnoses: End-stage renal disease secondary to type I diabetes, acute renal allograft injury, tacrolimus toxicity, abdominal pain.

Outcomes Following Macrolide Use in Kidney Transplant Recipients.

Background: Calcineurin inhibitors (CNI; cyclosporine, tacrolimus) are critical for kidney transplant immunosuppression, but have multiple potential drug interactions, such as with macrolide antibiotics. Macrolide antibiotics (clarithromycin, erythromycin, and azithromycin) are often used to treat atypical infections. Clarithromycin and erythromycin inhibit CNI metabolism and increase the risk of CNI nephrotoxicity, while azithromycin does not.

Albuminuria and posttransplant chronic kidney disease stage predict transplant outcomes.

In 2012, the KDIGO guidelines updated the classification system for chronic kidney disease to include albuminuria. Whether this classification system predicts adverse clinical outcomes among kidney transplant recipients is unclear. To evaluate this, we conducted a retrospective study using linked databases in Alberta, Canada to follow kidney transplant recipients from 2002-2011.

Anderson-Fabry cardiomyopathy: prevalence, pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment.

Anderson-Fabry disease (AFD) is a lysosomal storage disease caused by the inappropriate accumulation of globotriaosylceramide in tissues due to a deficiency in the enzyme α-galactosidase A (α-Gal A). Anderson-Fabry cardiomyopathy is characterized by structural, valvular, vascular and conduction abnormalities, and is now the most common cause of mortality in patients with AFD. Large-scale metabolic and genetic screening studies have revealed AFD to be prevalent in populations of diverse ethnic origins, and the variant form of AFD represents an unrecognized health burden.

Evaluating the utility of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in kidney transplant recipients.

Hypertension is a major risk factor for graft dysfunction and cardiovascular disease in kidney transplant recipients (KTX). Accurate monitoring is therefore essential to provide optimal therapy. We evaluated whether 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) is superior to clinic blood pressure (CBP) measurement in prevalent KTX.

Accurate estimation of viral abundance by epifluorescence microscopy.

Virus enumeration by epifluorescence microscopy (EFM) is routinely done on preserved, refrigerated samples. Concerns about obtaining accurate and reproducible estimates led us to examine procedures for counting viruses by EFM. Our results indicate that aldehyde fixation results in rapid decreases in viral abundance.