Thromboembolic risk was especially high for aortic and mitral valve replacement for 90 days after operation, and overall was increased with lack of anticoagulation, mitral valve location, previous thromboembolism and increasing age. Anticoagulation reduced thromboemboli and appears to be indicated in all patients as early as possible for 3 months and thereafter in those with risk factors, but needs prospective testing.

Fungal infections are associated with a high mortality rate after liver transplantation. To describe risk factors for fungal infections, 405 consecutive liver transplant recipients were analyzed. Forty-five patients (11%) developed invasive fungal infection. Median posttransplantation time to the first episode was 60 days. Pathogens were Candida species (spp) (n=24, 53%), Cryptococcus neoformans (n=10, 22%), Aspergillus spp (n=6, 13%), Rhizopus spp (n=l), and others (n=4). Presentations of infection included disseminated (n=9), intra-abdominal (n=9), esophageal (n=9), lung (n=8), blood (n=6), and central nervous system infections (n=3), and sinusitis with esophagitis (n=1). Eighteen patients (40%) with invasive fungal infection died, and 13 (72%) of these deaths were attributable to fungi. Mortality in the nonfungal infection group was 12%. Univariate analysis identified separate risk factors for Candida (intra-abdominal bleeding), Aspergillus (fulminant hepatitis), and cryptococcal (symptomatic cytomegalovirus infection) infections. In both univariate and multivariate analyses, a high intratransplant transfusion requirement and posttransplant bacterial infection were identified as significant risk factors for all types of fungal infection. The risk factor analysis reported here suggests that different pathogenic processes lead to Candida and non-Candida infection in liver transplant recipients. Their identification should prompt specific prophylactic measures to reduce morbidity and mortality in this population.

No abstract

The role of OKT3 monoclonal antibody administration was studied as a risk factor for symptomatic cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in 229 consecutive liver transplant recipients not receiving specific CMV prophylaxis. Twenty-six patients (11.4%) received OKT3 and 17 of them developed CMV infection, 11 (4.8%) being symptomatic. OKT3 use was a significant risk factor for symptomatic CMV infection by both univariate (relative risk [RR], 2.9; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.5-5.8; P = .002) and multivariate time-dependent (RR, 3.4; 95% CI, 1.7-7.1; P = .001) analyses. A subgroup analysis revealed that OKT3 use was a significant risk factor for symptomatic CMV infection in CMV-seropositive but not seronegative recipients. OKT3 therapy for steroid-resistant rejection is a risk factor for symptomatic CMV infection in liver transplant recipients who are seropositive for CMV before transplantation. This group should be targeted for antiviral prophylaxis when OKT3 antirejection therapy is used.

Background. Stage Dl disease is found in at least every sixth patient undergoing bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy and radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP) for clinically localized prostate cancer (PC). Previous recommendations for monotherapy using surgery, radiation, or systemic therapy alone for Stage Dl disease have usually been associated with a poor outcome in regard to progression and survival. Unlike other pathologic stages, D1 disease treated with RRP is mainly related to DNA ploidy pattern in regard to all end points (progression and survival) and immediate adjuvant hormonal treatment (AHT) rather than to the usual pathologic variables, including the number of positive nodes. Methods. Complete DNA ploidy information was available in 370 patients with Stage Dl disease (age range, 40–77 years; mean, 64 years) undergoing RRP with or without AHT with a follow‐up of up to 22 years (mean, 5 years). Results. Overall, 80% of all DNA ploidy classes (diploid, 37%; tetraploid, 46%; and aneuploid, 17%) had AHT that highly significantly delayed progression for diploid (P < 0.0001) more than tetraploid (P < 0.0001) and more than aneuploid (P < 0.0001) tumors. Significant prolongation of the disease‐free interval might have improved the quality of life for tetraploid and aneuploid patients. Survival (crude and cause‐specific) was significantly (P = 0.02) improved only for diploid patients who received AHT but not for tetraploid and aneuploid patients. This was due to the significantly accelerated death rate after progression in those patients with early AHT for tetraploid and aneuploid (but not diploid) tumors. Delayed (on progression only) AHT resulted in high progression rates for all DNA ploidy classes (aneuploid > tetraploid > diploid); e.g., 21 of 30 diploid patients progressed and 6 patients died from disease at a median of 31.5 months in spite of immediate hormone treatment on progression. RRP and AHT for patients with Stage Dl disease resulted in a highly significant delay in overall progression (76% at 10 years) and excellent local control, depending on DNA ploidy pattern (diploid > tetraploid > aneuploid) compared with a treatment regimen without AHT (24% overall nonprogression); only 20% of all patients with AHT are projected to die of disease at 10 years. Disease in diploid patients (37%) treated with AHT rarely progressed and those patients are unlikely to die of disease in 10 years or less; delayed (on progression) hormone treatment for diploid patients seemed ineffective. Inclusion of values for prostate specific antigen led to a higher failure rate on progression, and this is dependent on DNA ploidy class (diploid > tetraploid > aneuploid). Conclusion. Only patients with nondiploid tumors should be entered into prospective studies using innovative adjuvant treatment protocols to improve survival.

No abstract

These data suggest response may have been driven, in part, by concerns about urologic disease. However, the similarity in non-urologic diagnoses and general medical examinations provide some preliminary reassurance that the 55% response rate did not necessarily compromise generalizability.

Selective decontamination of the digestive tract decreases subsequent infection rates, especially by gram-negative bacilli, in selected patients during long-term stays in the intensive care unit.