Context: There are concerns regarding the use of induction immunosuppression during deceased donor renal transplantation in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and whether lower doses may suffice. Aims: We aimed to compare different induction immunosuppression regimens in deceased donor renal transplantation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Settings and Design: A multicenter, prospective observational study of patients undergoing deceased donor renal transplantation during the COVID-19 pandemic in Southern Kerala from April to June 2020 with differing induction immunosuppression and follow-up for at least 6 months. Subjects and Methods: Patients were from Government (Group A) and Private hospitals (Group B). Induction immunosuppression included low dose rituximab and/or low dose anti-thymocyte globulin in group A and higher dose induction with anti-thymocyte globulin or basiliximab in Group B. Graft function at 1 and 6 months, infectious complications, and cost of induction immunosuppression were compared. Statistical Analysis Used: Mood's median, Chi-square, Fisher Exact, and Mann–Whitney U test. Results: Of eleven deceased donor kidney transplantations, six were from Group A and 5 from Group B. Three in Group A and two in Group B had reversible antibody-mediated rejections. Median serum creatinine (interquartile range) in both groups at 1 month was 1.35 (1.1, 3) and 1.5 (1.1, 3.5) mg/dl, respectively, and by 6 months 1.5 (1.05, 2.33) mg/dl and 1.7 (1.15, 2.6) mg/dl, respectively. Two patients in Group A died, one due to Gram-negative septicemia at the 2nd month and the second by the 3rd month following a cardiovascular event. Mean cost of induction immunosuppression in both groups was INR 40,500 ± 22,827 and 107,200 ± 57,595 (P = 0.01). There was no difference in infection episodes in both groups. Rituximab in a dose of 100 mg was used as induction in 4 patients with comparable graft functions and cost-benefit with a mean cost of INR 33,750 ± 26,196 and Rs. 92,000 ± 53,715 in the rituximab and nonrituximab groups, respectively (P = 0.056). Conclusions: Low-dose induction immunosuppression in the COVID pandemic was cheaper with comparable graft functions at 1 and 6 months.

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Background: Metabolic acidosis is a common abnormality in the intensive care unit. There has recently been a surge of interest in nontraditional approaches to the analysis of acid base disorders. Aims and Objectives: This study was undertaken to compare the application of the physicochemical method of Stewart and the traditional Henderson-Hasselbach equation with correction for albumin in quantification of acid base disorders. Materials and Methods: All patients with metabolic acidosis admitted to the ICU as defined by a base deficit of >2.5 were included in the study. The APACHE II score was calculated at admission and the predicted mortality was defined. The acid base disorders were quantified by the traditional approach with anion gap correction for serum albumin as well as by the Stewart method with calculation of the strong anion gap acidosis. Results: One-hundred forty patients were included in the study of which 58% were males. In 125 subjects (89%) acidosis was discovered by the Stewart method. The traditional method detected increased anion gap in 109 subjects (78%) but this increased to 124 (88.5%) when corrected for albumin. Both the strong ion gap (SIG) and the albumin corrected anion gap correlated strongly. Serum lactate levels and SIG predicted mortality as did albumin corrected anion gap. Conclusion: Albumin correction of the anion gap correlates well with acidosis as discovered by the SIG and therefore should be used in the ICUs rather than the traditional anion gap. With this modification, we can thus depend on the application of the intuitive traditional method rather than the more difficult to apply Stewart method for analysis of the acid base abnormalities in the ICU.

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BACKGROUND Postoperative Acute Renal Injury (ARI) is a serious clinical problem in Orthotopic Liver Transplantation (OLT). There are currently no standard criteria for the evaluation of patients with AKI or Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) requiring Liver Transplantation (LT). The present study is taken up to fill up the lacunae. What is the use of MELD in predicting the outcome of OLT and renal function?. The aim of our study is to determine the association of various pretransplant risk factors, especially creatinine including the MELD score on patient renal function after OLT.