First global forum on education on organ donation and transplantation for schools.

The Transplantation Society, in collaboration with the Canadian Society of Transplantation, organized a forum on education on ODT for schools. The forum included participants from around the world, school boards, and representatives from different religions. Participants presented on their countries' experience in the area of education on ODT. Working groups discussed about technologies for education, principles for sharing of resources globally, and relationships between education, and health authorities and non-governmental organizations. The forum concluded with a discussion about how to best help existing programs and those wishing to start educational programs on ODT.

Pharmacologic approaches for volume excess in acute kidney injury (AKI).

Volume management is an integral component of the care of patients with acute kidney injury (AKI). Considerable controversy exists regarding the use of pharmacological agents for volume management. Although overt fluid overload is often seen in AKI and may prompt attention for the use of diuretics, often these agents are used in the absence of fluid retention. Over the last decade several new agents have become available for volume removal. We reviewed the literature on this topic and addressed four key questions for the appropriate utilization of these agents. These include the drug targets and mechanism of action of available agents; clinical goals and criteria for timing of intervention; adaptation of therapy for specific clinical settings and measures required for monitoring effectiveness and patient safety. This report details our current knowledge in this area, provides evidence-based clinical practice recommendations where appropriate, and formulates a research agenda to address unanswered questions.

Influence of socioeconomic and ethical factors on people's behaviour regarding the use of cadaveric organs.

An organ donation is based on feelings of human solidarity and altruism. This approach, however, has not improved the organ shortage problem. The following suggestions might help to dismantle the persistent barrier linked to organ donation. (1) Society should be aware that during our lifetime we might be as much potential organ recipients as organ donors. (2) Educational campaigns should integrate the notion that cadaver organs are an irreplaceable source of health for every member of society. (3) Communication campaigns should illustrate that in allowing the use of our organs after death, we are, in fact, sharing a chance to prolong health for everybody, including perhaps ourselves. Furthermore, people need to acknowledge that using body parts is acceptable, and part of a tacit agreement between all members of society. Making a live organ donation to which the donor is emotionally related is a pressure-free decision. On the contrary, the donation of cadaver organs is influenced by negative factors. Conversely, self-interest and resistance to offering the body of a loved one to a stranger may make donation much more difficult if the current message is not modified. In an international survey of 242 transplantation professionals, with a 57% response rate, 70% to 83% agreed with this proposal. An international public survey has recently been finished, showing some results about the public's knowledge about religious opinions concerning transplantation, suggesting that religious institutions should assume a leadership role to give information about their positions. On the other hand, partial results concerning public attitudes regarding economic support to organ donation indicate that final data may be of interest. The creation of a Task Force with representatives from the World Health Organization, UNESCO, churches, and leaders of the global transplantation community may be key to joint efforts as a means to modify negative attitudes, to develop a new philosophy, and to deliver a new message to society.

Therapeutic effects of angiotensin II inhibition or blockade on the progression of chronic renal disease.

Experimental and clinical research has supported the use of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) in diabetic, hypertensive and proteinuric nephropathies. This review will evaluate the role of angiotensin II in the progression of renal damage in kidney diseases; the diagnostic value of microalbuminuria as an early clinical sign of renal damage and the possibility of preventing its further progression; the clinical results obtained with ACE inhibitors and/or ARBs in diabetic and non-diabetic nephropathies; and the therapeutic possibilities of ACE inhibitors and ARBs in renal transplantation. Based on available clinical data, ACE inhibitors can be considered to be the gold standard in reducing and/or preventing albuminuria, and thereby decreasing the percentage of patients who will progress to end-stage renal disease and death. Renal transplantation and chronic allograft nephropathy appear to be a promising field for the use of ACE inhibitors and ARBs.

Histologic features of chronic allograft nephropathy revealed by protocol biopsies in kidney transplant recipients.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study was to describe the histologic features disclosed by protocol kidney transplant biopsies in patients who experienced neither acute rejection nor acute renal failure during the 2 years after transplantation. METHODS: We studied 10 recipients of HLA-identical kidneys from living-related donors and 31 recipients of cadaveric kidneys. They were selected because, during the 2 years after transplantation, they did not experience clinical acute or chronic rejection, their renal function was normal and stable, and they underwent a protocol kidney biopsy at 3 months and at 2 years after transplantation. RESULTS: Histologic chronic allograft nephropathy was present in 25% of patients at 3 months and in 50% at 2 years, but was absent in the recipients of HLA-identical kidneys. Histologic worsening was associated with increased donor age, the presence of asymptomatic grade I acute rejection at 3 months, and an increased cyclosporine trough level. CONCLUSIONS: Protocol biopsies contribute important information that could be used to improve the prophylaxis of chronic allograft nephropathy.

A simple prognostic index for patients with acute renal failure requiring dialysis. French Multicentric Prospective Study on Furosemide in Acute Renal Failure Requiring Dialysis.

The probability of death in patients with acute renal failure (ARF) remains high. A valid prognostic index available on patient admission and during follow-up could be helpful for decision making. In this study, 94 ARF patients requiring dialysis (not responding to a previous single dose of furosemide 15 mg/kg) were included. On admission, patients were classified according to a Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS) of < or = 15 or > 15. The prognostic value of 11 risk factors was analyzed. Only 6 in 11 risk factors were significant by univariate analysis: age (> 55 years) (0.02), mechanical ventilation (0.008), oliguria (< 500 mL/day during the first 5 days) (0.02), sepsis (0.001), shock (0.007), and serum bilirubin (> 30 mumol) (0.001). Only oliguria and sepsis were significant risk factors by multivariate analysis. Overall mortality rate was 41%. Mortality rate was higher in patients with SAPS > 15 (65%) than in those with SAPS < or = 15 (22%) (0.001). Patients with > 3 risk factors showed a significantly higher mortality rate than patients with < 3 risk factors (all patients disregarding SAPS) (0.001). Considering the worst combination of risk factors by univariate analysis, mortality prediction was 56% if oliguria, sepsis, and high serum bilirubin were present, and reached 80% if an older age was added (four risk factors). Ventilation increased probability of death to 92% (five risk factors). If all six risk factors were present, the probability rose to 96%. The corresponding observed mortality rate was 32% for three risk factors, 70% for four, 81% for five and 100% for six risk factors. The results suggest that probability of death in ARF requiring dialysis can be correctly estimated when more than three significant risk factors are present. If confirmed, they could avoid using a more complex severity scoring system in patients with ARF requiring dialysis.