This study sought to determine 1) the incidence and costs of new onset diabetes mellitus (NODM) associated with maintenance immunosuppression regimens following renal transplantation and 2) whether the mode of dialysis pretransplant or the type of calcineurin inhibition used for maintenance immunosuppression affected either the incidence or cost of NODM. The study examined the United States Renal Data System's clinical and financial records from 1994 to 1998 of all adult, first, single-organ, renal transplantations in either 1996 or 1997 with adequate financial records. It used the second diagnosis of diabetes in previously nondiabetic patients to identify NODM. While NODM had an incidence of approximately 6% per year among waitlisted dialysis patients, NODM over the first 2 years post-transplant had an incidence of almost 18% and 30% among patients receiving cyclosporine and tacrolimus, respectively. By 2 years post-transplant, Medicare paid an extra $21 500 per newly diabetic patient. We estimated the cost of diabetes attributable to maintenance immunosuppression regimens to be $2025 and $3308 for each tacrolimus patient and $1137 and $1611 for each cyclosporine patient at 1 and 2 years post-transplant, respectively.
Selective intervention to treat type II endoleak that persists for 6 months and is associated with aneurysm enlargement seems to be both safe and cost-effective. Longer follow-up will determine whether this conservative approach to management of type II endoleak is the standard of care.
Background
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) bronchiolitis in infancy is a major risk factor for recurrent wheezing and asthma. As azithromycin attenuated neutrophilic airway inflammation in a murine viral bronchiolitis model, demonstration of similar effects in humans may provide a strategy for the prevention of post-bronchiolitis recurrent wheezing.
Objectives
To investigate whether azithromycin treatment during RSV bronchiolitis reduces serum and nasal lavage IL-8 levels and the occurrence of post-bronchiolitis recurrent wheezing.
Method
A randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled, proof-of-concept trial in 40 otherwise healthy infants hospitalized with RSV bronchiolitis who were treated with azithromycin or placebo for 14 days. IL-8 levels were measured in nasal lavage and serum on randomization, day 8, and day 15 (nasal lavage only). The occurrence of wheezing episodes was assessed monthly over the ensuing 50 weeks.
Results
Compared to placebo, azithromycin treatment did not reduce serum IL-8 levels at day 8 (p=0.6), but resulted in a greater decline in nasal lavage IL-8 by day 15 (p=0.03). 22% of azithromycin-treated participants experienced at least 3 wheezing episodes compared to 50% of participants in the placebo group (p=0.07). Azithromycin treatment resulted in prolonged time to the third wheezing episode (p=0.048), and in fewer days with respiratory symptoms over the subsequent year in comparison to placebo (36.7 vs. 70.1 days; p=0.01).
Conclusion
In this proof-of-concept study, azithromycin treatment during RSV bronchiolitis reduced upper airway IL-8 levels, prolonged the time to a third wheezing episode, and reduced overall respiratory morbidity over the subsequent year.
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