A controlled sequential evaluation of open donor nephrectomy versus classical and modified laparoscopic donor nephrectomy: an update.

This study sought to determine the procedure of choice for kidney retrieval for transplantation by comparing open donor nephrectomy to laparoscopic donor nephrectomy and modified laparoscopic donor nephrectomy and by analyzing intraoperative donor and recipient graft function parameters. In this single-center, controlled, sequential analysis, 100 consecutive donor-recipient pairs were recruited, grouped according to surgical procedure, and operated upon between 1997 to 2004, as follows: group 1, open donor nephrectomy (n = 30), performed from 1997 to 2000; group 2, laparoscopic donor nephrectomy (n = 28), performed from 2000 to 2002; and group 3, modified laparoscopic donor nephrectomy (n = 42), performed from 2002 to 2004. Data were analyzed by type of operative procedure, graft function, length of hospital stay, and donor recovery time. Operative time was similar for all three surgical approaches. Warm ischemia times for open donor nephrectomy and modified laparoscopic donor nephrectomy were similar. Acute tubular necrosis occurred in 7% of patients in all groups. Donor recovery and lengths of hospital stay were significantly shorter for laparoscopic approaches. Donor complications were similar in numbers, differing only in complication type. Graft function and survival were similar for all three surgical approaches. We conclude that modified laparoscopic donor nephrectomy is the procedure of choice for living kidney retrieval.

Observations on quadruple immunosuppression maintenance therapy using rapamycin, low-dose cyclosporine, mycophenolate mofetil, and prednisone following ATG induction.

INTRODUCTION: We prospectively evaluated an immunosuppressive regimen consisting of rapamycin (Rapa), low-dose cyclosporine (CsA), low-dose mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), and prednisone (group 1) versus a regimen of CsA, MMF, and prednisone (group 2) in mismatched living related donor (LRD) and living unrelated donor (LUD) kidney transplantation. METHODS: Group 1 included 24 transplant recipients of eight mismatched LRD and 16 LUD, treated with Rapa, low-dose MMF, CsA, and prednisone. Group 2 included 53 transplant recipients (25 LRD, 27 LUD, and one cadaveric donor), treated with MMF, CsA, and prednisone. All patients in group 1 received a single bolus of rabbit-anti-human T-lymphocyte immune serum (ATG-Fresenius 4 to 6 mg/kg). In group 2, patients received either a single ATG or an extended ATG course (3 to 5 days postoperatively). RESULTS: Acute rejection occurred in one patient in group 1 (4.2%) and in five patients (9.4%) in group 2, all of which resulted in graft loss. Serum creatinine was not significantly different between the two groups. CONCLUSION: The immunosuppressive protocol of Rapa, CsA, MMF, and prednisone with single-bolus induction ATG achieves excellent immunosuppression and graft survival with no apparent risks in the short and intermediate term.

A controlled sequential evaluation of laparoscopic donor nephrectomy versus open donor nephrectomy: an update.

INTRODUCTION: In this study, we compared laparoscopic (lap Nx) to open donor nephrectomy (open Nx) with specific emphasis on outcomes in the donor and recipient. METHODS: This single-center sequential analysis recruited 100 consecutive donor-recipient pairs operated on from 1997 until 2003. The open Nx (n = 30), were performed between 1997 and 2000; the lap Nx (n = 70) were performed between 2000 and 2003. Prospective records included operative data, anatomic details of the graft, hospital stay, and donor recovery. RESULTS: Donor characteristics and renal function were similar for open Nx and lap Nx. Operative parameters were similar except for the longer warm ischemia time in lap Nx versus open Nx (3.14 +/- 2.10 vs 1.5 +/- 0.5 minute, P < .001). Donor complications were equivalent in number, but differed in spectrum with a trend toward more intraoperative complications with lap Nx versus more postoperative complications for open Nx. Donor recovery, hospital stay, and return to work were improved in lap Nx versus open Nx (P < .001). Renal function of grafts after lap Nx were similar to open Nx: 2-year serum creatinine values of 1.26 +/- 0.21 versus 1.31 +/- 0.40, respectively. Graft survivals were similar. CONCLUSION: Compared to open Nx lap Nx offers major advantages to the donor, and yields similarly favorable results in graft outcomes. However, it is more surgically demanding. Consequently, lap Nx should be adopted as the procedure of choice for living kidney retrieval.

Potential role of temocillin in the treatment of biliary sepsis.

Temocillin concentrations were determined in the gallbladder bile and/or common bile duct bile obtained intraoperatively from 20 patients, and in the T-tube bile of 5 postoperative patients. Blood samples were also obtained for determining the concomitant serum antibiotic concentrations. In 6 patients with cholelithiasis, but without common bile duct obstruction or acute infection, the mean temocillin concentrations were 890 mg/L in gallbladder bile and 1030 mg/L in common bile duct bile. In the group of 6 patients with common bile duct obstruction, the antibiotic concentrations ranged between 5.6 and 88 mg/L (mean 38.8 mg/L) in gallbladder bile and between 'undetectable' and 700 mg/L in common bile duct bile. In patients with biliary sepsis, a further reduction in temocillin bile concentrations was observed, and postoperatively, the T-tube bile temocillin concentrations were in the range of 21 to 460 mg/L (mean 130 mg/L). The clinical efficacy of temocillin in the 7 patients with acute cholecystitis was judged to be satisfactory. Our results suggest that temocillin may be considered as a potentially useful antibiotic in the treatment of patients with biliary tract sepsis caused by susceptible organisms.

Penetration of tobramycin sulfate in the aqueous humor of the rabbit.

The intraocular penetration of tobramycin sulfate, a new aminoglycoside antibiotic, was evaluated in rabbits following subconjunctival injection. The mean tobramycin sulfate concentration in the aqueous humor 60 minutes after a single 5-mg dose was 5.5 mug/ml, as compared to a mean concentration of 6.7 mug/ml following a single 10-mg dose. These levels exceed the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) for most Pseudomonas species and a variety of other Gram-negative bacilli recovered from clinical infection. No anterior segment changes that may be attributed to the antibiotic could be demonstrated in the injected eye.

Intraocular penetration of sisomicin in rabbits.

The intraocular penetration of sisomicin, an aminoglycoside antibiotic, was studied in 47 normal rabbits following subconjunctival and/or intramuscular (IM) injections. Sisomicin levels were determined in the cornea and the aqueous humor of the injected eye as well as in the aqueous of the fellow eye by means of the cylinder-plate bioassay technique. When the IM route alone was used, the eye tissue concentrations remained negligible. One hour after subconjunctival injection, highly therapeutic sisomicin concentrations were achieved in the aqueous humor of both injected and fellow eyes, but the level dropped to very low concentrations 12 hours after the injection. The concomitant administration of sisomicin intramuscularly and subconjunctivally resulted in a significant delay of the clearance of sisomicin from the eye tissues. The use of the combined subconjunctival-IM regimen for administering aminoglycoside antibiotics needs further evaluation.

Penetration of intravenous moxalactam into human aqueous humor.

Intraocular penetration of moxalactam disodium, a new broad-spectrum oxa-beta-lactam antibiotic, was studied in 18 patients undergoing cataract surgery. The antibiotic was administered in a 2-g single dose by intravenous drip during a 20-minute period. After 40 to 230 minutes, moxalactam aqueous humor concentrations ranged from 1.1 to 5.0 micrograms/mL (mean, 2.3 micrograms/mL). The ratio of aqueous humor concentrations to concomitant serum concentrations ranged from 1.6% to 9.8%. The achievable aqueous moxalactam concentrations were well above the minimum inhibitory concentrations of most Gram-negative enteric bacilli but not of Pseudomonas and staphylococci.

Typhoid fever in pregnancy.

Fourteen cases of typhoid fever complicating pregnancy are presented. The diagnosis was confirmed by blood cultures in 13 patients and by a rising Widal titer in one. Stool cultures were positive in only two out of five patients; urine cultures in 12 patients and cervical cultures in five patients were all negative. The clinical presentation was similar to the description in older reports, except for the absence of relative bradycardia. Hypothermic response to antipyretics was frequently observed. Patients were treated with either chloramphenicol, ampicillin, or amoxicillin, with satisfactory response. Typhoid fever diagnosed in the latter part of the second trimester and third trimester and treated early did not seem to alter the neonatal outcome.

Antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of bacterial isolates at the American University Medical Center in Lebanon.

In Lebanon, knowledge of the prevailing pattern of bacterial resistance to antimicrobial agents has been limited, particularly because of 15 years of civil strife. Thus, the current study was conducted to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of nonselected bacterial isolates recovered from recent clinical specimens, using the standardized disk agar diffusion technique. A total of 5216 isolates (1443 Gram positive and 3773 Gram negative) were examined. Over 92% of Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) were resistant to penicillins. Methicillin resistance was more frequently noted among CNS (28%) compared with S. aureus (18%). For the pneumococci, 27% of the isolates were resistant to penicillin G. High but variable rates of multidrug resistance were encountered among Acinetobacter spp., Pseudomonas spp., Serratia spp., Citrobacter spp., and Enterobacter spp. Ampicillin resistance was detected in 65% of Escherichia coli and in 20% of Haemophilus influenzae isolates. Although one resistant Salmonella typhi strain was observed, 17% of other Salmonella spp. and 60% of Shigella spp. proved to be resistant to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, and cotrimoxazole. Among Vibrio cholerae isolates, high resistance to tetracycline (71%) and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (94%) was observed. The overall antimicrobial resistance rates in Lebanon seem to fall between figures reported from the Arabian Gulf countries (higher) and those from medical centers in the United States (lower).

Cloxacillin penetration.

We investigated the intraocular penetration of cloxacillin in 14 patients undergoing surgery for senile cataract after intramuscular and subconjunctival injections of the drug. No antibiotic level was detected in the aqueous humor when cloxacillin was administered intramuscularly in a dose that ranged between 1 and 4 g. With subconjunctival injection, therapeutically effective cloxacillin activity was detected in the aqueous humor only after a dose of 250 mg.

Brucellosis in pregnancy.

Brucellosis in pregnancy is a rare entity. It has been associated with an increased risk of spontaneous abortion in animals and possibly humans. Among six patients with brucellosis in pregnancy, one requested termination of the pregnancy in the first trimester, one had a spontaneous abortion at 12 weeks that could not be directly related to brucellosis, and four continued their pregnancies with no significant increase in maternal or neonatal morbidity or mortality.

Febrile neutropenia in cancer patients in a tertiary care medical center in Lebanon: microbial spectrum and outcome.

We prospectively analyzed the episodes of febrile neutropenia at the American University of Beirut Medical Center. One hundred and four episodes were studied in 64 patients over a period of 15 months: 81 (78%) with leukemia, 11 (10.5%) with lymphoma, 3 (2.8%) with multiple myeloma, and 9 (8.6%) with solid tumors. Bacteremia was confirmed in 30 episodes (29%), of which 18 (60%) were caused by gram-negative bacilli and 12 (40%) by gram-positive cocci. The predominant organisms were: E. coli (9), coagulase negative staphylococci (CNS) (6), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (5), and S. aureus (4). In seven episodes (6.7%) urinary tract infections were diagnosed, 6 with E. coli. Sputum cultures were positive in eight episodes (7%), 2 with P. aeruginosa, and 2 with methicillin resistant S. aureus. All patients were started empirically on antibacterial agents. In twenty-one episodes, a single antibiotic was started, ceftazidime being the most commonly used agent. In most cases, however, 2 or 3 antibacterial agents were started empirically. Antifungal therapy with amphotericin B (11) or fluconazole (20) was added because of persistent fever despite broad antibacterial coverage. Thirteen patients died (20%), 6 of them had bacteremia; 2 with gram-negative bacilli, and 4 with gram-positive cocci. Except for one, all patients had been started, at the onset of the fever, on antimicrobial agents to which the isolated microorganisms turned out to be susceptible. Our results show that infections with gram-negative bacteria continue to predominate unlike what has been reported recently from European and North American trials. A trend toward a higher mortality of infections caused by gram-positive cocci was noted.