Seven Habits of Medscape Transplantation Users
Seven Habits of Medscape Transplantation Users
"From the Editor" is a new column on Medscape Transplantation intended to better serve you and help you get the most out of the site. Each month I will update you on what's new, give you a heads up on what's coming, and share with you what other readers are saying.
The depth and breadth of content available on Medscape Transplantation, designed to meet your information and CME needs, is unparalleled. In that regard, I'd like to remind you of7 original columns available on Medscape Transplantation, all of which can be accessed via the Transplantation home page at $$www$$/transplantationhome. Take full advantage of Medscape Transplantation; make it a habit to browse each of these columns every time you log on.
"Conference Coverage" is a truly unique feature of Medscape. Each year, Medscape Transplantation posts timely reports from the major national and international transplant meetings and scientific sessions. The aim of our conference coverage is to highlight what's important, why it's important, and to whom it's important. One prominent theme has resonated at every major transplantation conference this year -- toxicity-sparing immunosuppressive strategies. In their write-up of the American Transplant Congress Transplant 2002, Dr. Ron Shapiro and Dr. Robert J. Stratta reported on the current status of low-toxicity immunosuppression in kidney and pancreas transplantation. According to Dr. Shapiro, newer agents such as mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), sirolimus, and anti-CD25 monoclonal antibodies are making a difference. Abstracts presented at this meeting showed that the risk of corticosteroid elimination is lower than in earlier eras and that excellent short-term outcomes are being achieved with calcineurin inhibitor-sparing regimens. Dr. Stratta noted the dramatic decrease in acute rejection and graft loss rates in pancreas transplantation after the introduction of tacrolimus. Dr. Mandeep Mehra, in his coverage of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation 22nd Annual Meeting and Scientific Sessions, attributed major advances in heart transplantation to the widespread replacement of azathioprine with MMF, and noted that sirolimus is showing promise as a calcineurin inhibitor-sparing and avoidance agent. If you haven't already, I encourage you to read these reports, either to add to your CME portfolio free of charge or to stay abreast of the latest scientific exchange in your field.
Transplantation "Journal Scan" is coming back, beginning in September. Look for brief summaries and commentaries on current literature from leading journals including American Journal of Kidney Diseases, American Journal of Transplantation, Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, Journal of Heart & Lung Transplantation, Liver Transplantation, and Transplantation. The contributing editor is Geoffrey R. Bihl, MB BCH, M MED, FCP (SA). Dr. Bihl is Senior Specialist and Staff Physician, Department of Nephrology, Dialysis and Transplantation at Tygerberg Academic Hospital and the University of Stellenbosch in Cape Town, South Africa. And of course, look for a Medscape "Conference Report" in September from The International Congress of the Transplantation Society, held August 25-30, in Miami, Florida.
I would like to take the opportunity to thank Medscape Transplantation readers and members for your continued interest and support. I've corresponded with many of you and your feedback has been invaluable. I hope you find this column useful, and now that you've heard from me, I'd like to hear from you. Let us know how we are doing -- what you like, what we can do better. You can write to me at transplantationeditor@webmd.net. (If your concern is technical, however, please contact our customer support staff at medscapecustomersupport@webmd.net).
"From the Editor" is a new column on Medscape Transplantation intended to better serve you and help you get the most out of the site. Each month I will update you on what's new, give you a heads up on what's coming, and share with you what other readers are saying.
The depth and breadth of content available on Medscape Transplantation, designed to meet your information and CME needs, is unparalleled. In that regard, I'd like to remind you of7 original columns available on Medscape Transplantation, all of which can be accessed via the Transplantation home page at $$www$$/transplantationhome. Take full advantage of Medscape Transplantation; make it a habit to browse each of these columns every time you log on.
Latest on Medscape Transplantation
Today's Transplantation News
Conference Coverage
Focus On . . .
Online CME
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Ask the Experts
"Conference Coverage" is a truly unique feature of Medscape. Each year, Medscape Transplantation posts timely reports from the major national and international transplant meetings and scientific sessions. The aim of our conference coverage is to highlight what's important, why it's important, and to whom it's important. One prominent theme has resonated at every major transplantation conference this year -- toxicity-sparing immunosuppressive strategies. In their write-up of the American Transplant Congress Transplant 2002, Dr. Ron Shapiro and Dr. Robert J. Stratta reported on the current status of low-toxicity immunosuppression in kidney and pancreas transplantation. According to Dr. Shapiro, newer agents such as mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), sirolimus, and anti-CD25 monoclonal antibodies are making a difference. Abstracts presented at this meeting showed that the risk of corticosteroid elimination is lower than in earlier eras and that excellent short-term outcomes are being achieved with calcineurin inhibitor-sparing regimens. Dr. Stratta noted the dramatic decrease in acute rejection and graft loss rates in pancreas transplantation after the introduction of tacrolimus. Dr. Mandeep Mehra, in his coverage of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation 22nd Annual Meeting and Scientific Sessions, attributed major advances in heart transplantation to the widespread replacement of azathioprine with MMF, and noted that sirolimus is showing promise as a calcineurin inhibitor-sparing and avoidance agent. If you haven't already, I encourage you to read these reports, either to add to your CME portfolio free of charge or to stay abreast of the latest scientific exchange in your field.
Transplantation "Journal Scan" is coming back, beginning in September. Look for brief summaries and commentaries on current literature from leading journals including American Journal of Kidney Diseases, American Journal of Transplantation, Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, Journal of Heart & Lung Transplantation, Liver Transplantation, and Transplantation. The contributing editor is Geoffrey R. Bihl, MB BCH, M MED, FCP (SA). Dr. Bihl is Senior Specialist and Staff Physician, Department of Nephrology, Dialysis and Transplantation at Tygerberg Academic Hospital and the University of Stellenbosch in Cape Town, South Africa. And of course, look for a Medscape "Conference Report" in September from The International Congress of the Transplantation Society, held August 25-30, in Miami, Florida.
I would like to take the opportunity to thank Medscape Transplantation readers and members for your continued interest and support. I've corresponded with many of you and your feedback has been invaluable. I hope you find this column useful, and now that you've heard from me, I'd like to hear from you. Let us know how we are doing -- what you like, what we can do better. You can write to me at transplantationeditor@webmd.net. (If your concern is technical, however, please contact our customer support staff at medscapecustomersupport@webmd.net).
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