Fertility Outcome After Renal Transplantation: A Single-Center Experience

BackgroundWomen suffering from kidney disease are more prone to fertility problems, due to uremia. Fortunately, their fertility rate increases dramatically after renal transplantation. This study analyzes the predictors/risk factors of successful pregnancy with live birth outcome while presenting an overview of the 7-year experience of a single center.MethodsThis retrospective cohort study includes 239 women of reproductive age (18–40 years) who underwent renal transplantation in a tertiary Turkish clinic between October 1, 2011, and August 24, 2017. The subjects were invited to take part in a survey questioning their obstetric characteristics and they were assessed in 2 groups: fertile and infertile. Multivariable linear regression analysis was conducted to determine the predictors of a successful pregnancy.ResultsThirty-five 35 patients wished to become pregnant: 12 got pregnant spontaneously, while 21 failed to become pregnant (spontaneously). The mean age of the patients at the survey was 34 ± 7. Regular menstrual cycles after renal transplantation, tacrolimus-mycophenolate mofetil maintenance protocol, and age at transplantation were found to be predictors of spontaneous pregnancy. The duration of peritoneal dialysis was significantly longer in the infertile group (48 vs 12 months).ConclusionEnd-stage renal disease's negative impacts, including menstrual abnormality and fertility problems, can be overcome by successful kidney transplantation with appropriate immunosuppression. Minimizing the duration of peritoneal dialysis, particularly in patients who desire future fertility, may be accepted as a logical management strategy.     

Tanzania IR Initiative: Training the First Generation of Interventional Radiologists

Despite a population of nearly 60 million, there is currently not a single interventional radiologist in Tanzania. Based on an Interventional Radiology (IR) Readiness Assessment, the key obstacles to establishing IR in Tanzania are the lack of training opportunities and limited availability of disposable equipment. An IR training program was designed and initiated, which relies on US-based volunteer teams of IR physicians, nurses, and technologists to locally train radiology residents, nurses, and technologists. Preliminary results support this strategy for addressing the lack of training opportunities and provide a model for introducing IR to other resource-limited settings.     

2015—2017年解放军总医院抗震颤麻痹药物的使用情况分析

目的 了解解放军总医院抗震颤麻痹药物的应用情况与用药趋势。方法 采用世界卫生组织（WHO）推荐的以限定日剂量（DDD）为指标的分析方法，对2015-2017年解放军总医院抗震颤麻痹药物的销售金额、用药频度（DDDs）、日均费用（DDC）及排序比（B/A）等进行统计分析。结果 普拉克索、多巴丝肼和恩他卡朋的用药金额始终处于前3位，普拉克索的用药金额逐渐上升，卡比多巴/左旋多巴的用药金额逐渐下降；DDDs排序列前2位的是多巴丝肼和司来吉兰，多巴丝肼的DDDs逐年上升，一直处于第1位；2015-2016年各种抗震颤麻痹药物的DDC较为稳定，2016-2017年各种抗震颤麻痹药物的DDC开始略有下降；除普拉克索和恩他卡朋的B/A始终小于1.00，其他抗震颤麻痹药物的B/A均在1.00以上波动。结论 解放军总医院抗震颤麻痹药物的使用较为合理，其中多巴丝肼、普拉克索和司来吉兰具有很好的市场前景。