Hospitalized poisonings after renal transplantation in the United States.

Background: The national incidence of and risk factors for hospitalized poisonings in renal transplant recipients has not been reported.

Methods: Historical cohort study of 39,628 renal transplant recipients in the United States Renal Data System between 1 July 1994 and 30 June 1998. Associations with time to hospitalizations for a primary diagnosis of poisonings (ICD-9 codes 960.

A multidisciplinary program for achieving lipid goals in chronic hemodialysis patients.

Background: There is little information on how target lipid levels can be achieved in end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients in a systematic, multidisciplinary fashion.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed a pharmacist-directed hyperlipidemia management program for chronic hemodialysis (HD) patients. All 26 adult patients on chronic HD at a tertiary care medical facility were entered into the program.

Hospitalizations for cytomegalovirus disease after renal transplantation in the United States.

Purpose: Risk factors, sites, and mortality of hospitalized cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease in renal transplant recipients have not been studied in a national population.

Methods: Therefore, 33,479 renal transplant recipients in the United States Renal Data System from 1 July 1, 1994 to June 30, 1997 were analyzed in an historical cohort study of patients with a primary discharge diagnosis of CMV disease (ICD9 Code 078.5x).

Implementation of a therapeutic-interchange clinic for HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors.

A therapeutic-interchange clinic for statins is described. In 1999, the Department of Defense mandated the use of cerivastatin and simvastatin as the formulary statins in all military health care facilities by April 2000. Cerivastatin was the preferred agent; the goal was to use this agent in 60-65% of all patients.