Outcome of pediatric living donor liver transplant: Experience from Pakistan; a resource limited setting

INTRODUCTION

Liver transplantation (LT) has emerged as a lifesaving modality for many liver diseases in children. Pediatric LT is an established treatment in the Western world but is relatively a new procedure in resource-limited countries like Pakistan. The study aims to highlight the outcomes and survival of pediatric recipients from the first pediatric liver transplant center in Pakistan.

METHOD

A retrospective analysis of pediatric LT was done from 2012 to 2019. The study was conducted in the Hepatobiliary and liver transplant department of Shifa International Hospital (SIH), Islamabad. A detailed analysis for indications for pediatric LT, survival, and complications was done.

RESULTS

Forty-five patients under 18 years of age underwent Living donor liver transplant (LDLT) in SIH. Median age was 9 years and M:F of 2:1. Cryptogenic liver disease followed by Wilson disease were the two most common indications of LT. The majority of patients had chronic liver disease 34 (75%) while 11 (24%) had acute liver failure. The right lobe graft was the most common type of graft 19 (42.2%). Thirty days, 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year survival was 77.8%, 75.6%, 73.3%, and 60.6% respectively. Mortality was highest in patients with biliary atresia 4 (33%). Causes of death included pulmonary embolism, sepsis, surgical complications, and acute kidney injury. Mean survival was 88.850 months (±7.899) (CI 73.369-104.331).

CONCLUSION

Pediatric LDLT has offered disease-free survival for patients. Survival can improve further with nutritional rehabilitation and anticipation and management of post-operative complications.

Smoking behaviour and knowledge in high school students in Riyadh and Belfast

Smoking is one of the risk factor associated with onset, severity and progression of periodontal disease.

AIM

The aim of the study was to examine the smoking behaviour and dental health knowledge of high school students in Riyadh and Belfast.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Eight schools from Riyadh and 6 from Belfast were randomly selected by cluster distribution sampling method. Two hundred and ninety students from Riyadh and 144 from Belfast were included giving an overall response rate of 85%. The age range was between 16-17 years. A questionnaire was used to assess demography, smoking habits, dental health knowledge and oral hygiene practices.

RESULTS

The results showed that 18% of students were smokers; 24% in Belfast and 15% in Riyadh (x2 (1) = 4.29: P = 0.04). 24% of students in Belfast and 56% in Riyadh smoked at least 1 cigarette per day. 61% of students had bleeding gums although 85% stated that they brushed their teeth at least daily. Bleeding on brushing was common with 53% of Belfast students compared with 65% from Riyadh. Students in Belfast (2.51 +/- 1.15) had significantly higher mean scores for their knowledge about gum health compared with Riyadh students (2.21 +/- 1.44) (t = 2.29: P = 0.02). There was no differences in knowledge about oral health and smoking between the students. However, non-smokers from Belfast and Riyadh (3.32 +/- 1.60) had greater knowledge about oral health and smoking than those who smoked (2.81 +/- 1.45) (t = 2.73: P = 0.007). There was no difference in knowledge about gum health between smokers and non-smokers.

CONCLUSIONS/RECOMMENDATIONS

Smoking is more prevalent in Belfast but more cigarettes are smoked in Riyadh. As non-smokers had greater knowledge of the ill-effects of smoking upon their oral health, there is a need to develop location specific interventions to control smoking habits in late adolescence.