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Update on Immunosuppressive Drugs Used in Solid‐Organ Transplantation and Their Nutrition Implications
Author(s) -
McPartland Kenneth J.,
Pomposelli James J.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
nutrition in clinical practice
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.725
H-Index - 71
eISSN - 1941-2452
pISSN - 0884-5336
DOI - 10.1177/0115426507022005467
Subject(s) - medicine , solid organ , organ transplantation , transplantation , intensive care medicine , immunosuppression , immunology
The success of solid organ transplantation rests heavily on the major advances in immunosuppressive therapy. The early years of organ transplantation were plagued with high failure rates and frequent eipsodes of acute rejection. With the introduction of improved immunosuppressive agents, successful organ transplantation has become the norm. The emphasis of immunosuppressive therapy has shifted from preventing rejection to balancing acceptable rates of rejection with moderation in adverse effects of the immunosuppressive agents. Among the many possible adverse effects of immunosuppressive therapy is the potential for these agents to affect the nutrition status of the transplant recipient. Given the fact that many patients undergoing transplantation are catabolic and nutritionally vulnerable, it is particularly important for those involved in the care of these patients to be familiar with the nutrition implications of immunosuppressive drugs. In this article, we review the different classes of immunosuppressive medications used in transplantation and emphasize their interactions with the nutrition status of the transplant recipient.