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Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is rapidly gaining popularity as a technique to surgically manage aortic stenosis (AS) in high risk patients. TAVR is significantly less invasive than the traditional approach to aortic valve replacement via median sternotomy. Patients undergoing TAVR often suffer from multiple comorbidities, and their postoperative course may be complicated by a unique set of complications that may become evident in the intensive care unit (ICU). In this article, we review the common complications of TAVR that may be observed in the ICU, and different strategies for their management.

Calciphylaxis continues to present a clinical challenge for patient management. As in this case, it can be associated with connective tissue disease (CTD) such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Unlike previous reported cases, long-term remission has been attained. This provides some insight into methods of therapy as well as potential pathogenic models for this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infective complications are common after renal transplantation. Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the leading infections following renal transplantation. Reactivation is the most common mode of infection. The factors responsible for this reactivation are chronic liver disease, other coexisting infections, particularly deep mycoses, pneumocystis pneumonia, nocardia, and CMV infections. Cyclosporine use advances the onset of TB to an earlier date. The median onset following transplantation is estimated to be 26 months for those who receive azathioprine and prednisolone as immunosuppression and 11 months for those who receive cyclosporine along with other immunosuppressive agents. Lung is the major site of involvement. Pyrexia of unknown origin is another common presentation. Culture and sensitivity has to be done in all possible cases. Amongst the serological techniques, Interferon alpha production is emerging as the most important. Rifampicin has to be avoided in allograft recipients as it activates cytochrome-P450 enzymes and thereby decreases the therapeutic levels of cyclosporine and prednisolone. The duration of treatment is usually extended for 18 months followed by secondary prophylaxis with isoniazid. Adverse effects of drugs are more often reported in organ recipients and have to be monitored for. Drug resistance is emerging as a problem and appropriate changes in the management have to be carried out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background : Therapeutic drug monitoring for mycophenolic acid (MPA) is increasingly being advocated. Thepresent therapeutic range relates to the 12-hour area under the serum concentration time profile (AUC).However, this is a cumbersome, tedious, cost restricting procedure. Is it possible to reduce this samplingperiod? Aim : To compare the AUC from a reduced sampling strategy with the full 12-hour profile for MPA. Settings and Design : Clinical Pharmacology Unit of a tertiary care hospital in South India. Retrospective, paireddata. Materials and Methods : Thirty-four 12-hour profiles from post-renal transplant patients on Cellcept (R) wereevaluated. Profiles were grouped according to steroid and immunosuppressant co-medication and the timeafter transplant. MPA was estimated by high performance liquid chromatography with UV detection. From the12-hour profiles the AUC up to only six hours was calculated by the trapezoidal rule and a correction factorapplied. These two AUCs were then compared. Statistical Analysis : Linear regression, intra-class correlations (ICC) and a two-tailed paired t-test were appliedto the data. Results : Comparing the 12-hour AUC with the paired 6-hour extrapolated AUC, the ICC and linear regression(r2) were very good for all three groups. No statistical difference was found by a two-tailed paired t-test. Nobias was seen with a Bland Altman plot or by calculation. Conclusion : For patients on Cellcept (R) with prednisolone +/- cyclosporine the 6-hour corrected is an accuratemeasure of the full 12-hour AUC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The usefulness of serum cystatin C and serum beta(2)-microglobulin (B2M) as markers of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) were compared in kidney donors before and after nephrectomy. METHODS: Blood samples were taken from 28 donors (15 women and 13 men) for serum creatinine, urea, cystatin C and B2M estimation a median of 7 days before and 10 days after nephrectomy. RESULTS: Estimated GFR decreased from a median of 86.2 mL/min/1.73 m(2) to 60.3 mL/min/1.73 m(2), a median decrease of 28.6%. Serum creatinine increased by 40% and urea by 30.4%; serum cystatin C increased by 31.2% and serum B2M increased by 65.6%. Using published data on biological variation, critical values were calculated. An increase in serum creatinine above 18 micro mol/L detected the decline in renal function in 26/28 (92.9%) subjects. Increases in serum B2M greater than a critical value of 0.94 mg/L detected 24/28 (85.7%) of these subjects, but the critical value of 0.59 mg/L for cystatin C detected only 8/28 (28.6%). CONCLUSION: Using critical values, serial measurement of serum creatinine was better than serum B2M in detecting reduced renal function. Because of its large intraindividual variation, serial serum cystatin C estimation was very poor in detecting reduced renal function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]