These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Cyclosporin A in the management of patients with heart transplants. Initial experience at Groote Schuur Hospital.
    Author: van Veldhuisen DG, van den Berg MP, Novitzky D, Cooper DK.
    Journal: S Afr Med J; 1984 Oct 13; 66(15):557-62. PubMed ID: 6387961.
    Abstract:
    During the year February 1983 - February 1984 10 patients received immunosuppressive therapy with cyclosporin A (CYA) and methylprednisolone (MP) after either heterotopic or orthotopic heart transplantation. Two of these patients were undergoing severe acute rejection episodes (intractable to conventional immunosuppressive therapy) when CYA administration was initiated; both episodes were reversed and neither patient suffered further rejection. The remaining 8 patients received CYA from the time of transplantation. Two patients died 7 and 9 days postoperatively from multi-organ failure; in retrospect, excessively high dosages of CYA were administered, resulting in very high blood levels of the drug, which may have contributed to renal failure. One patient died (while living abroad) of a possible septicaemia 8 months after transplantation, having otherwise done well. Seven patients remain alive and active 3 1/2 - 15 months after operation. The incidence of both severe acute rejection episodes and life-threatening infection would appear to be lower in patients receiving CYA and MP when compared with earlier patients at our institution who received conventional immunosuppression. Frequent monitoring of whole-blood levels of CYA is necessary to ensure that the nephrotoxic effect of the drug is minimized.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]