Outcomes of Renal Transplantation in Patients With Bipolar Affective Disorder and Schizophrenia: A National Retrospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Patients with severe psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar affective disorder (BPAD) have in the past been excluded from organ transplantation programs based on their psychiatric illness. However, there is little data on the outcomes of renal transplantation in these patients and little evidence to support such exclusion. METHODS: We reviewed the database of the Irish National Renal Transplant Programme and identified all patients with a history of BPAD or schizophrenia who had received a transplant over a 28-year period. Data were collected for the following outcomes: patient survival, graft survival, graft function, length of hospitalization for transplantation, and frequency of acute rejection episodes. The control group was the general transplant group, that is, all patients without these psychiatric disorders and who had received a renal transplant during the relevant time period. RESULTS: Between January 1, 1986, and December 31, 2013, 3000 renal transplants were performed at our center. Of the transplant recipients, 0.5% (n = 15) had a diagnosis of BPAD and 0.2% (n = 6) had schizophrenia. No significant differences were found between the BPAD or schizophrenia group and the general renal transplant group in relation to patient survival, graft survival, and graft function. In addition, length of hospital admission for transplantation and frequency of acute rejection episodes were comparable among the 3 groups. CONCLUSIONS: Although consideration of psychiatric comorbidity is an important part of pretransplant assessment and selection, patients should not be discriminated against based on a diagnosis of BPAD or schizophrenia as there is no evidence that this negatively affects transplant outcomes.

The Irish living kidney donor program - why potential donors do not proceed to live kidney donation?

BACKGROUND: Living donation is not only a method to increase access to kidney transplantation but can also offer superior outcomes. We report the experience of the living donor (LD) program in the Republic of Ireland and explore reasons why potential donors do not proceed to live donation. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study of all potential donors from January 2000 to March 2014 who presented wishing to undergo donor work-up and their subsequent outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 956 donors for 496 recipients contacted the live kidney donation program of which 883 potential donors proceeded to the initial stage of assessment. The donor dropout rate at this stage was 64.2% (614/956 potential donors did not proceed to further evaluation). Thereafter, 269 (28.1%) donors underwent further assessment by the multidisciplinary team. In total, 93 (9.7%) donors were declined following this assessment with 176 (18.4%) donors ultimately proceeding to live kidney donation. The major reason for declining a donor was a medical contraindication (n = 63, 67.7%). In term of recipients, 54.2% (n = 269/496) had a potential donor proceed for further assessment of which 65.4% (n = 176/269) ultimately proceeding to live donation. CONCLUSION: Further evaluation of the declined donor group is warranted to allow for expansion of the LD program.