Liver Transplant Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Liver Transplant, including details on risks, prognosis, procedure, surgery, organ donation.

Prevalence of prednisolone (non)compliance in adult liver transplant recipients.

Drent G, Haagsma EB, Geest SD, van den Berg AP, Ten Vergert EM, van den Bosch HJ, Slooff MJ, Kleibeuker JH

Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital Groningen, The Netherlands. g.drent@int.azg.nl

Limited evidence is available concerning (non)compliance with the immunosuppressive regimen in adult liver transplant recipients. In our study we prospectively assessed prednisolone (non)compliance in 108 adult liver transplant recipients using electronic event monitoring (EEM) in an outpatient setting. The EEM is a pill bottle fitted with a cap containing a microelectronic circuit that registers date and time of bottle openings and closings. Median taking compliance was 100% (range 60-105%), median dosing compliance was 99% (range 58-100%); median timing compliance (TIC) was 94% (42-100%). A drug holiday (DH) of > or =48 h was found in 39% of the patients of > or =72 h in 16% of the patients. Using EEM in liver transplant recipients, we found an overall high level of compliance for prednisolone, except that TIC was low in about one third of the patients. Age below 40 years was found a significant risk factor for decreased TIC and for DHs of > or =48 h.

Published 12 July 2005 in Transpl Int, 18(8): 960-6.
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