Long-term outcomes and health-related quality of life 20 years after pediatric liver transplantation

Pediatric liver transplantation is a challenging surgical procedure requiring complex post-transplant patient management. Liver transplantation in children should ensure long-term survival and good health-related quality of life (HR-QOL), but data in the literature are conflicting. With the aim of investigating survival and psychosocial outcomes of patients transplanted during childhood, we identified 40 patients with ≥ 20-year follow-up after liver transplantation regularly followed up at our Institution. Clinical charts were reviewed to retrieve patients' data. Psychosocial aspects and HR-QOL were investigated by an in-person or telephonic interview and by administering the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire through an online form. Ten- and 20-year patient survival was 97.5% (95% CI 92.8-100%), whereas 10- and 20-year graft survival was 77.5% (65.6-91.6%) and 74.8% (62.5-89.6%), respectively. At last follow-up visit, 31 patients (77.5%) were receiving a tacrolimus-based immunosuppression. Twelve (32.4%) patients obtained a university diploma or higher, whereas 19 (51.4%) successfully completed high school. 81.1% of patients were active workers or in education, 17.5% had children, and 35% regularly practiced sport. 25 patients answered to the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire. More than 60% of respondents did not report any disability and the perceived physical status was invariably good or very good. Median scores for physical health, psychological health, social relationships, and environment were 16.6, 14.7, 16, and 15, respectively. Pediatric liver transplantation is associated with excellent long-term survival and good HR-QOL. Psychological health and environment represent areas in which support would be needed to further improve HR-QOL.

[Pharmacotherapy of trigeminal neuralgia]

The efficacy of drug treatment on 119 patients with trigeminal neuralgia is reported in the present paper. Among them, 112 were idiopathic trigeminal neuralgias while only 7 cases were secondary trigeminal neuralgias. All patients were treated with drugs at different stages of the evolution of the neuralgia. Carbamazepine was used on all patients. 12.6% was treated with imipramine (tricyclic antidepressive drug), 4 patients received amphetamines due to psychiatric emergencies, 4 patients were treated with phenytoin before this study and three patients received baclofen during short periods of follow-up. Drug therapy was the only treatment method in 51 patients. In 43 patients it was combined with peripheral surgical treatments including injections of alcohol and neurectomies. 16.8% of the patients were treated with drugs and acupuncture; the results of this experience will be reported in a future paper. Only 4.2% (5 patients) underwent neurosurgical treatment: one ponto cerebellar angle tumour, one electrocoagulation of the gasserian ganglion through the stereotaxic method and three cases of microvascular decompression of the trigeminal root. Clinical, pharmacological and neurophysiological aspects of trigeminal neuralgia pharmacotherapy are discussed.

[Kawasaki's disease]

We described a case of Kawasaki's disease in a chilean girl, one year and 5 months old of age, who presented the oral characteristics, cutaneous and systemic manifestation of the condition, that is not very common for the dentist but that it is necessary to know due to the heart complications and the mortality associated with the disease, and it is necessary that the dentist recognize early this condition.

Clinical pharmacology of netilmicin in preterm and term newborn infants

Sixty-four neonates, with gestational age ranging from 27 1/2 to 40 weeks, postnatal age from 1 to 15 days, and birth weight from 800 to 3400 gm, were given netilmicin 2.5 mg/kg intramuscularly two or three times per day according to postnatal age, for 5 to 14 days. Serum concentrations were measured before and 1 hour after a dose at least twice during treatment. The serum washout profile of the drug was observed in 22 neonates after discontinuation of therapy. Renal function was studied in 37 infants by measuring serum creatinine concentrations and in 27 by urinary excretion of N-acetyl-glucosaminidase during and up to 15 days after therapy. Behavioral and impedance audiometry, and in infants failing those, auditory brainstem evoked response tests, were performed between 6 and 12 months of age. In 23.5% of the neonates, trough serum levels were greater than 3 micrograms/ml. The serum washout followed a multiexponential decay, accounting for distributional, rapid (initial), and slow (tissue) elimination phases. Linear regression analysis performed between each kinetic parameter and gestational age or birth weight showed that initial elimination half-life, steady-state volume of distribution, and total body clearance were significantly correlated with both variables. Netilmicin did not cause detectable renal or auditory damage.