Early donor management increases the retrieval rate of hearts for transplantation in marginal donors.

Objectives: Organ donations continue to fall, failing to meet the clinical requirements for heart transplantation. Furthermore, the pathophysiology of brain stem death including hormonal and inflammatory changes may lead to significant donor heart injury. Early donor management may potentially alleviate these changes and therefore increase the number of available hearts for transplantation.

PET-CT in the diagnosis of localized malignant pleural mesothelioma.

A 67-year-old man presented with right-sided chest and shoulder pain. Chest roentgenogram demonstrated a right upper zone shadow. Computed tomography (CT) revealed a pleural mass and adjacent chest wall disease.

Segmental mediolytic arteriopathy with post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder of the lung: case report and review of the literature.

Segmental mediolytic arteriopathy (SMA) is an extremely rare condition of uncertain etiology causing degeneration of arterial media, intramural dissection or the rupture of aneurysms. It is recognized as a rare cause of fatal intra-abdominal bleeding. We report the first case of recurrent intra-abdominal bleeding secondary to SMA in a lung transplant patient, with a further complication of lymphoproliferative disease in the transplanted lung.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenator as a bridge to successful surgical repair of bronchopleural fistula following bilateral sequential lung transplantation: a case report and review of literature.

Background: Lung transplantation (LTx) is widely accepted as a therapeutic option for end-stage respiratory failure in cystic fibrosis. However, airway complications remain a major cause of morbidity and mortality in these patients, serious airway complications like bronchopleural fistula (BPF) are rare, and their management is very difficult.

Case Presentation: A 47-year-old man with end-stage respiratory failure due to cystic fibrosis underwent bilateral sequential lung transplantation.

Donor heart selection: the outcome of "unacceptable" donors.

Background: The decline in the number of suitable donor hearts has led to an increasing interest in the use of previously unacceptable donors. In the United Kingdom, if one centre declines a donor heart on medical grounds it may be offered to other centres. This multi-centre study aimed to evaluate the outcome of recipients of donor hearts considered medically unsuitable for transplantation by one centre that were used in other centres.

Monitoring of cyclosporine levels in transplant recipients using self-administered fingerprick sampling.

Use of C(2) monitoring for cyclosporine A (CsA) microemulsion results in improved clinical outcomes vs. trough (C(0)) monitoring. Logistical issues include accurate timing of the C(2) sample; requirement for sample dilution with most standard assay techniques; and inconvenience for patients.

Donor heart selection: Wythenshawe experience.

Background: The decline in the number of suitable donor hearts has led to an increasing interest in the use of previously unacceptable donors. This study aimed to evaluate the outcome of recipients of donor hearts considered medically unsuitable for transplantation at this center that were used in other centers in the United Kingdom.

Methods: Forty donor hearts (group 1) were declined by Wythenshawe Hospital and used in other units in the United Kingdom in the period extending from April 1998 to March 2003.

An aberrant donor pulmonary vein during lung transplant: a surgical challenge.

Aberrant pulmonary veins are uncommon. Anastomosis of such a vein during a lung transplant operation may provide a surgical challenge. We report the first case of an aberrant pulmonary vein anastomosed to the left atrial appendage during the implantation of the left lung.

Simultaneous and rapid analysis of cyclosporin A and creatinine in finger prick blood samples using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry and its application in C2 monitoring.

A simple and rapid liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method for the simultaneous analysis of cyclosporin A (CsA) and creatinine using capillary blood has been developed. Venous and capillary blood samples were taken predose and at C2 from 65 heart and lung transplant recipients (65 x 4 samples). For comparisons, serum creatinine and blood CsA concentrations were measured by the Jaffe and EMIT methods, respectively, using an Olympus AU600 analyzer.