April, 2013
AST and ASTS comments on the Proposed Rule, "Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Part II - Regulatory Provisions to Promote Program Efficiency, Transparency, and Burden Reduction" published in the Federal Register on February 7, 2013.
Read the letter here.
Transcatheter Potts shunt creation in patients with severe pulmonary arterial hypertension: Initial clinical experience
Source: The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation
Patients with severe pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) face significant morbidity and death as a consequence of progressive right heart failure. Surgical shunt placement between the left PA and descending aorta (Potts shunt) appears promising for PAH palliation in children; however, surgical mortality is likely to be unacceptably high in adults with PAH. In a recent study, researchers describe a technique for...
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The AST Board of Directors online elections are now open! Eligible members are encouraged to cast their votes now. Visit:
www.myAST.org/content/2013-ast-elections to cast your vote. You will be prompted to log in to the AST website (if not already logged in). Members are also asked to vote to accept or reject a number of proposed bylaw revisions.
To learn the election results, we invite you to attend the 2013 annual members business meeting during the 2013 American Transplant Congress. The business meeting will be in the form of a Town Hall meeting...
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Pfizer's ARTS (Advancing Research in Transplantation Science) Research Update meeting will be held in Seattle on Saturday, May 18, 7:30 - 9:30 PM.
Presentations of the 9 ARTS research projects on mTOR inhibition will be given by the investigators combined with round table discussions. The meeting is open to the public on a first come first serve basis to accomodate the room's maximum capacity.
Where: Sheraton Hotel - The Issaquah Room
When: Saturday, May 18; 7:30 - 9:30 PM
Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae: A menace to our most vulnerable patients
Source: Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine
The emergence of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) highlights the importance of effective antibiotics to maintain the safety of our healthcare system. Clinicians will encounter CRE as a cause of difficult-to-treat and often fatal infections in hospitalized patients. This review examines the mechanisms of carbapenem resistance, the dissemination and clinical impact of these resistant organisms and challenges to their detection, treatment and control....
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Recently a transmission of rabies occurred from an infected donor to an organ recipient. This case reminds us that potential organ donors need to be carefully evaluated for the presence of meningoencephalitis. Although uncommon, these transmissions result in a high rate of adverse events. The Ad Hoc Disease Transmission Advisory Committee (DTAC) has provided practical guidance on the evaluation of potential organ donors for meningoencephalitis during the screening procedure.
View the guidance... Read More...
Pay it Forward and encourage your colleagues to join AST by the deadline of Monday, April 1, 2013. Your recruitment efforts will help strengthen the transplant community. When you Pay it Forward, you'll be entered to win an iPad or AST bucks, and you'll be recognized at ATC, on the AST website, and in the AST eNews.
Learn more.
March, 2013
Multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacteria infections in solid organ transplantation
Source: American Journal of Transplantation (subscription required)
The prevalence of multidrug resistance in gram-negative bacteria isolated form clinical samples continues to increase globally. Several reports indicate a similar continued trend toward increased resistance in gram-negative bacteria isolated from transplant patients. Clinically important MDR bacteria that have been reported in transplant recipients include nonlactose fermenters such as Pseudomanas species, burkholderia species and...
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The American Society of Transplantation and the Trainee & Young Faculty COP are pleased to announce our Career Connections event that will take place at the 2013 American Transplant Congress to aid your centers in hiring qualified individuals. Anyone who has an open position they are looking to fill, is attending ATC, and wants a convenient location to conduct interviews for their positions should contact the AST office at
info@myAST.org or visit the
Career Connections website for more...
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Microvascular damage in type 1 diabetic patients is reversed in the first year after simultaneous pancreas–kidney transplantation
Source: American Journal of Transplantation (subscription required)
Simultaneous pancreas–kidney transplantation (SPK) is an advanced treatment option for type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM) patients with microvascular disease including nephropathy. Sidestreamdarkfield (SDF) imaging has emerged as a noninvasive tool to visualize the human microcirculation. This study assessed the effect of SPK in diabetic nephropathy (DN) patients on microvascular alterations using SDF...
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