Management of Dyslipidemia in Patients After Solid Organ Transplantation

Lung Transplantation

Lung transplantation is an appropriate therapeutic option for select patients with end-stage lung diseases and offers the possibility of improved quality of life and longer survival. Unfortunately, the transplant recipient is at risk for numerous immunologic, infectious, and medical complications that threaten both of these goals. Median survival after lung transplantation is approximately 6 years. Optimizing outcomes requires close partnership between the patient, transplant center, and primary medical team. Early referral to a transplant center should be considered for patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and related interstitial lung diseases due to risk of acute exacerbation and accelerated development of respiratory failure.

The ABCs of Immunosuppression: A Primer for Primary Care Physicians

Immunosuppression use for prevention of allograft recognition/rejection has evolved to reflect an expanded understanding of the immune system, as well as a fine tuning of the goals of therapy. Immunosuppression in organ transplantation represents a balance between the desire to improve the health status of an individual affected by chronic conditions versus not imposing an unintended immunodeficiency leading to iatrogenic morbidity/mortality. This article discusses the selection and general dosing of immunosuppression in organ allograft recipients to allow providers to be comfortable in monitoring immunosuppressive therapy long term and the associated, expected posttransplant complications in allograft recipients.