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Together with Missouri S&T, Saint Louis University Researchers Use Artificial Intelligence to Improve Kidney Transplant Process

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ST. LOUIS, MO (11/18/2022) — With a new grant that brings together engineering expertise from Missouri S&T and medical expertise from Saint Louis University’s School of Medicine, researchers are investigating how artificial intelligence (AI) can support matchmaking between donated kidneys and transplant centers to help more patients in need. 

Thanks to a $1.8 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to lead site Missouri S&T, experts in AI and organ transplantation will work to ensure that more kidneys are able to be used by patients who urgently need them. Read more from Saint Louis University.

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Management of allograft loss requires teamwork, patient involvement

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Tarek Alhamad, MD, has witnessed the grief that patients with a kidney transplant experience when they are facing loss of an allograft.

“It is definitely one of the hardest discussions that we could have as transplant nephrologists with the transplant recipient,” Alhamad, associate professor of medicine and medical director of the kidney transplant program in the division of nephrology at the Washington School of Medicine at St. Louis, told Healio/Nephrology News & Issues. “Going back to dialysis is something that would change their life completely with less quality of life and major dependence on a machine to continue to survive.”
Read the full article in Healio.

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Short and Long-Term Outcomes of Kidney Transplant Recipients Diagnosed With COVID-19 Infection: A Single-Center Observational Study

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Abstract

Purpose: Kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) are at an increased risk of severe disease and death caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. There is a paucity of information on the evolution of graft function among hospitalized KTRs who overcome the infection.

Methods: The study included adult KTRs at a single transplant institute who were diagnosed with COVID-19 and needed hospitalization between March 15, 2020, and January 15, 2021. We analyzed patient demographics, comorbid risk factors, and inpatient clinical courses for patients who were able to recover from the infection. Kidney function was analyzed pre-infection, during initial hospitalization, and up to 12 months post-infection. Read the full study in Cureus.

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VUMC adopts updated kidney function equation to better guide patient care decisions

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by Jill Clendening

In July 2020, Vanderbilt University Medical Center was one of the first institutions in the United States to remove race from an equation used to estimate kidney function through the calculation of an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and in December the Medical Center will again update the equation used for calculating eGFR with the goals of improving health equity and better guiding patient care decisions. Read the full story in the VUMC Reporter.

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Balanced Crystalloid Fluids Surpass Saline for Kidney Transplant

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ORLANDO, Florida — Using a low-chloride, balanced crystalloid solution for all intravenous (IV) fluids received by patients who received a deceased donor kidney transplant resulted in significantly fewer episodes of delayed graft function compared with patients who received saline as their IV fluids, in a new multicenter trial with 807 randomized and evaluable patients called BEST-Fluids.

“The findings suggest that balanced crystalloids should be the standard-of-care IV fluid in deceased donor kidney transplantations,” said Michael G. Collins, MBChB, PhD, at Kidney Week 2022, organized by the American Society of Nephrology. Read the full story in Medscape here.

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New-Onset Diabetes Mellitus in Post-renal Transplant Patients on Tacrolimus and Mycophenolate: A Systematic Review

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Abstract

A frequent complication in kidney transplantation is post-transplant diabetes mellitus (PTDM). The primary goal of this study is to review the risk factors and preventive methods and compare the different available anti-diabetic medications for the management of PTDM. We searched databases like Pubmed and Google Scholar for related articles using specific terms and phrases. Following a thorough investigation, we applied the inclusion and exclusion criteria and completed a quality assessment.
Read the full abstract in Cureus.

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The transplant patient who got two second chances

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George Surratt felt like the luckiest man in the world when he got a liver transplant. The wait list for an organ is so long that some patients run out of time.
 
And, so, nine years later, when the Maplewood, MN, engineer turned again to University of Minnesota doctors, this time for a kidney transplant, he was worried.
 
Could lightning strike twice and allow him to join his wife in watching their two kids grow into careers and maybe even families? Read the full story from University of Minnesota News.

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Kidney Transplant Rejection: What You Need to Know

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Since the first kidney transplant more than 60 years ago,1 doctors have developed a deeper understanding of how to protect donated organs. With newer medications and improved management, it’s less likely transplanted kidneys will undergo rejection by the immune system.

That’s not to say doctors have completely eliminated the risk of kidney transplant rejection, though. Unfortunately, while many kidneys will last much longer, the median life of a kidney transplant is still only ten years. Understanding the risks and early warning signs of rejection gives you the best chance of a successful kidney transplant.

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You Need an Organ Transplant: 10 Pieces of Advice from Those Who Have Gone Through It

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You just found out you need an organ transplant. Whether it’s a heart, kidney, liver or lung, there are some key fundamentals to keep in mind as you navigate your transplant journey. Who better to share advice than those who have been through it?

Below are words of advice transplant recipients shared on Facebook and Instagram from their experiences during their transplant journeys. Read more on CareDx.com.

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