Comparative analysis of ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke hospitalization rates in end-stage kidney disease and kidney transplant patients with and without atrial fibrillation.

Introduction: Atrial fibrillation (AF) in end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) and kidney transplant (KTx) recipients presents challenges in stroke risk management. This study aimed to compare hospitalization rates for ischemic and hemorrhagic cerebrovascular events in ESKD and KTx patients with and without AF.

Methods: Using the National Inpatient Sample (2005-2019), retrospective analysis was conducted on hospitalizations for ESKD and KTx patients with and without AF.

Rewriting the Future of Transplant and Vascular Surgery: Survey Suggests Vascular Surgery Workforce Available to Increase Retention and Recruitment in Transplant.

Objectives: The specialties of vascular surgery and transplant surgery have had difficulties in recruitment and retention of professionals.

Materials And Methods: We e-mailed a 10-question survey to a distribution list compiled from peerreviewed vascular surgery journals and Professional online profiles associated with the vascular community. Respondents interested in transplant or in a kidney transplant-vascular curricula merger were labeled as "invested" in transplant.

Environmental regulation effect on health poverty in China.

How does government spending on environmental protection benefit people's health? The current paper analyzed 2010 and 2018 data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) database to measure the impact of province-level environmental regulations on the health of local population. The study also applied the Alkire Foster method to develop the multidimensional health poverty (MHP) score, a new index intended to measure the health status of individuals in a holistic manner. Our results indicated that more fiscal spending on environmental regulation could improve health of the local population, especially among low-income population living in the rural areas.

Revitalizing Urologists' Role in Transplantation as a Novel Strategy to Address Surgeon Shortage: Results from a Cross-Sectional Survey.

Objectives: Urologists represent functional alternatives for transplant surgeons, but their involvement is minimal. Evaluating urologists' interests in transplant and identifying associated factors may help to determine whether recruitment of more urological providers is a viable strategy to address transplant surgeon shortages in the United States.

Materials And Methods: We emailed a 10-question survey to individuals pursuing urology in the United States and collected demographic data, education and training backgrounds, and preferences for proposed integrated residency programs and abbreviated transplant fellowships.

Alemtuzumab induction is associated with decreased hospitalization rates in pediatric kidney transplant: A UNOS data review for safety and outcomes with common induction regimens.

Background: We hypothesized that alemtuzumab use is safe in pediatric kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) with equivalent long-term outcomes compared to other induction agents.

Methods: Using pediatric kidney transplant recipient data in the UNOS database between January 1, 2000, and June 30, 2022, multivariate logistic regression, multivariable Cox regression, and survival analyses were utilized to estimate the likelihoods of 1st-year and all-time hospitalizations, acute rejection, CMV infection, delayed graft function (DGF), graft loss, and patient mortality among recipients of three common induction regimens (ATG, alemtuzumab, and basiliximab).

Results: There were no differences in acute rejection or graft failure among induction or maintenance regimens.

Elevated liver enzymes at the time of deceased donor organ donation do not affect recipient or pancreas allograft survival following pancreas transplantation.

Background: There is a lack of data on the impact of donor liver function tests (LFTs) on pancreas transplantation outcomes. Understanding their contribution could expand the donor pool.

Methods: Using the UNOS database, data from January 2010-2022 was retrospectively analyzed.

Abdominal Transplant Surgeons: The Lack of Female Surgeons and People From Underrepresented Racial and Ethnic Minority Groups in Academic and Clinical Leadership.

Objectives: The demographic disparities among surgeons in academic leadership positions is well documented. We aimed to characterize the present demographic details of abdominal transplant surgeons who have achieved academic and clinical leadership positions.

Materials And Methods: We reviewed the 2022-2023 American Society of Transplant Surgeons membership registry to identify 1007 active abdominal transplant surgeons.

A Comprehensive Analysis of Litigation in Organ Transplantation for Allegations of Insufficient Policy Coverage, Discrimination and Malpractice.

Transplantation is a field with unique medical and administrative challenges that involve an equally diverse array of stakeholders. Expectantly, the litigation stemming from this field should be similarly nuanced. There is a paucity of comprehensive reviews characterizing this medicolegal landscape.

Understanding Barriers and Facilitators to Living Kidney Donation Within a Sociotechnical Systems Framework.

The objective of this study was to investigate factors influencing one's decision to become a live kidney donor under the framework of sociotechnical systems, by expanding the focus to include larger organizational influences and technological considerations. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with live kidney donors who donated through University of Louisville Health, Trager Transplant Center, a mid-scale transplant program, in the years 2017 through 2019. The interview transcripts were analyzed for barriers and facilitators to live kidney donation within a sociotechnical system.

Outcomes of kidney transplantation in patients with IgA nephropathy based on induction: A UNOS data analysis.

Introduction: IgA nephropathy (IgAN) can cause end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). This study assesses the impact of induction and maintenance immunosuppression on IgAN recurrence, graft survival, and mortality in living and deceased donor kidney transplants (LDKT and DDKT).

Methods: Retrospective analysis of the UNOS database in adults with ESKD secondary to IgAN who received kidney transplants between January 2000 and June 30, 2022.

Using the network scale-up method to characterise kidney trafficking in Kalai Upazila, Bangladesh.

This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of illegal kidney sales in Kalai Upazila, Bangladesh, using the Network Scale-Up Method (NSUM), an ego-centric network survey-based technique used to estimate the size of hidden populations. The study estimated the size of the kidney seller population, analysed the profiles of kidney sellers and kidney brokers and investigated the characteristics of villagers who are more likely to be connected to kidney sellers to identify possible biases of the NSUM estimate. The study found that the prevalence of kidney trafficking in Kalai Upazila was between 1.

Increasing Access to Kidney Transplantation for Black and Asian Patients Through Modification of the Current A2 to B Allocation Policy.

Key Points: A2 to B incompatible transplantation is not fully practiced in the country, and further policies should encourage centers to perform more blood incompatible transplants. Centers that currently practice A2 to B incompatible transplants should give priority to blood type B patients who are willing to accept an A organ. This will benefit Asian and Black patients.

Chronic Health Conditions and Patient Portal Use in Caregivers of People With Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias.

This study aimed to investigate both chronic health conditions and the utilization of patient portals, focusing particularly on caregivers responsible for individuals with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD). Data from the Health Information National Trends Survey 2018-2020 were analyzed, involving a sample of 304 family and unpaid caregivers of individuals with ADRD. Among caregivers of individuals with ADRD, 77.

The Association of the Levels of High-Density Lipoprotein and Apolipoprotein A1 with SARS-CoV-2 Infection and COVID-19 Severity: An Analysis of the N3C Database.

This study analyzed data from the National COVID Cohort Collaborative (N3C) database to investigate whether high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and its major protein component, apolipoprotein A1 (apoA1), are associated with severe COVID-19 sequelae, specifically acute kidney injury (AKI) and severe COVID-19 disease as defined by the infection resulting in hospitalization, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), invasive ventilation, or death. Our study included a total of 1,415,302 subjects with HDL values and 3589 subjects with apoA1 values. Higher levels of both HDL and apoA1 were associated with a lower incidence of infection as well as a lower incidence of severe disease.

Increased CMV disease and "severe" BK viremia with belatacept vs. sirolimus three-drug maintenance immunosuppression.

Objectives: Belatacept may provide benefit in delayed graft function, but its association with infectious complications is understudied. We aim to assess the incidence of CMV and BK viremia in patients treated with sirolimus or belatacept as part of a three-drug immunosuppression regimen after kidney transplantation.

Materials And Methods: Kidney transplant recipients from 01/01/2015 to 10/01/2021 were retrospectively reviewed.

Demographic inequities exist and influence transplant outcomes in liver transplantation for acute alcohol-associated hepatitis.

Background: Liver transplantation has inherent disparities but data is scarce in liver transplant (LT) candidates with acute alcohol-associated hepatitis (AAH). We aimed to investigate demographic inequities and its impact on survival outcomes among AAH LT candidates.

Methods: A retrospective analysis using the United Network of Organ Sharing database was conducted between 2000 and 2021.

Unintentional Injury Death Among Solid Organ Transplant Recipients: Trends and Risk Factors.

Unintentional injury death (UID) is a leading cause of mortality worldwide, and individuals with chronic diseases are at higher risk. Though organ transplant can improve the lives of those with chronic disease, these individuals remain in suboptimal physical and mental health after surgery that predisposes them to UID. To quantify the scale of UID among solid organ transplant recipients, we performed a retrospective analysis using United Network of Organ Sharing data from adults who underwent kidney, liver or pancreas transplant between 2000-2021.

Opinion and Sentiment Analysis of Palliative Care in the Era of COVID-19.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the value of palliative care has become more evident than ever. The current study quantitatively investigated the perceptions of palliative care emerging from the pandemic experience by analyzing a total of 26,494 English Tweets collected between 1 January 2020 and 1 January 2022. Such an investigation was considered invaluable in the era of more people sharing and seeking healthcare information on social media, as well as the emerging roles of palliative care.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Kidney Transplant Candidate Waitlist Status across Demographic and Geographic Groups: A National Analysis of UNOS STAR Data.

The primary goal of this retrospective study is to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic differentially impacted transplant status across race, sex, age, primary insurance, and geographic regions by examining which candidates: (i) remained on the waitlist, (ii) received transplants, or (iii) were removed from the waitlist due to severe sickness or death on a national level. The trend analysis aggregated by monthly transplant data from 1 December 2019 to 31 May 2021 (18 months) at the transplant center level. Ten variables about every transplant candidate were extracted from UNOS standard transplant analysis and research (STAR) data and analyzed.

Thromboelastography Parameters do not Discriminate for Thrombotic Events in Hospitalized Patients With COVID-19.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with a prothrombotic state; leading to multiple sequelae. We sought to detect whether thromboelastography (TEG) parameters would be able to detect thromboembolic events in patients hospitalized with COVID-19.

Methods: We performed a retrospective multicenter case-control study of the Collaborative Research to Understand the Sequelae of Harm in COVID (CRUSH COVID) registry of 8 tertiary care level hospitals in the United States (US).

The Use of Vasopressors During Deceased Donor Pancreas Procurement Decreases the Risk of Pancreas Transplant Graft Failure.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to identify the effect of various vasopressors on pancreas graft failure and patient survival.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of the United Network for Organ Sharing database was performed between 2000 and 2019. Patient and graft survival rates were analyzed up to 5 years posttransplant.

Classifying Comments on Social Media Related to Living Kidney Donation: Machine Learning Training and Validation Study.

Background: Living kidney donation currently constitutes approximately a quarter of all kidney donations. There exist barriers that preclude prospective donors from donating, such as medical ineligibility and costs associated with donation. A better understanding of perceptions of and barriers to living donation could facilitate the development of effective policies, education opportunities, and outreach strategies and may lead to an increased number of living kidney donations.