National Variation in Use of Immunosuppression for Kidney Transplantation: A Call for Evidence-Based Regimen Selection.

ABSTRACT: Immunosuppression management in kidney transplantation has evolved to include an increasingly diverse choice of medications. Although informed by patient and donor characteristics, choice of immunosuppression regimen varies widely across transplant programs. Using a novel database integrating national transplant registry and pharmacy fill records, immunosuppression use at 6-12 and 12-24 mo after transplant was evaluated for 22 453 patients transplanted in 249 U.S. programs in 2005-2010. Use of triple immunosuppression comprising tacrolimus, mycophenolic acid or azathioprine, and steroids varied widely (0-100% of patients per program), as did use of steroid-sparing regimens (0-77%), sirolimus-based regimens (0-100%) and cyclosporine-based regimens (0-78%). Use of triple therapy was more com

SUBMITTER: Axelrod DA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5513703 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature