Transplantation proceedings
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Patients scheduled for orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) may have coexisting diseases and more likely receive grafts of poorer quality than in the past. Perioperative mortality and morbidity are usually due to a combination of factors related to the patient, graft, surgery, anesthesia, and intensive care management. Anesthesia and intensive care are the areas with the highest frequency and severity of errors. ⋯ The number of adverse events may be high, but so far no specific programs have been developed to increase patient safety. To improve patient safety, anesthesia and intensive care units must use a proactive approach dedicated to an OLT program. We have presented herein a prevention policy to detect errors before they happen through incident reporting, anonymous and voluntary reports of adverse events or near misses, operating room checklists (patient, drugs, devices, equipment), improved training, safer facilities, equipment function, and adequate drug supplies for an OLT program.
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Correct assessment and follow-up of kidney function is essential in liver transplant recipients. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) represents the functional capacity of the kidney. The GFR is generally determined on the basis of creatinine clearance using several methods. ⋯ When the preoperative cystatin C concentration exceeded 1.28 mg/L, the postoperative GFR was less than 70 mL/min in the first 5 days after OLT. These findings suggest that if the cystatin C concentration exceeds the cutoff point preoperatively, there will be deterioration of kidney function after OLT. Along with other researchers, we suggest that cystatin C is a sensitive marker of post-OLT kidney function.