Preemptive Ganciclovir Therapy in Renal Transplantation
Authors: Michael Tamm, Gieri Cathomas, Gilbert Thiel
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1996)

Letters1 April 1996Preemptive Ganciclovir Therapy in Renal TransplantationDaniel C. Brennan, MD, Gregory A. Storch, MD, and Bruce J. Lippman, MDDaniel C. Brennan, MDWashington University School of Medicine; St. Louis, MO 63110Search for more papers by this author, Gregory A. Storch, MDWashington University School of Medicine; St. Louis, MO 63110Search for more papers by this author, and Bruce J. Lippman, MDWashington University School of Medicine; St. Louis, MO 63110Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-124-7-199604010-00015 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail TO THE EDITOR:Hibberd and colleagues [1] recently showed that administration of ganciclovir during antilymphocyte therapy in renal transplant recipients who tested positive for cytomegalovirus (CMV) antibody decreased the incidence of CMV disease. They called this treatment strategy “preemptive therapy.” We believe that a more accurate term would have been “selected prophylactic therapy.”The term “prophylaxis” connotes the use of an agent to prevent disease in patients at risk when no evidence suggests the imminent development of that disease. Thus, we use antibiotics for endocarditis prophylaxis when a patient with a heart murmur (but no overt evidence of bacteremia) has ...References1. Hibberd PL, Tolkoff-Rubin NE, Conti D, Stuart F, Thistlethwaite JR, Neylan JF, et al. Preemptive ganciclovir therapy to prevent cytomegalovirus disease in cytomegalovirus antibody-positive renal transplant recipients. A randomized, controlled trial. Ann Intern Med. 1995; 123:18-26. Google Scholar2. Schmidt GM, Horak DA, Niland JC, Duncan SR, Forman SJ, Zaia JA, et al. A randomized, controlled trial of prophylactic ganciclovir for cytomegalovirus pulmonary infection in recipients of allogeneic bone marrow transplants. N Engl J Med. 1991; 324:1005-11. Google Scholar3. Goodrich JM, Mori M, Gleaves CA, Du Mond D, Cays M, Ebeling DF, et al. Early treatment with ganciclovir to prevent cytomegalovirus disease after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. N Engl J Med. 1991; 325:1601-7. Google Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: Daniel C. Brennan, MD; Gregory A. Storch, MD; Bruce J. Lippman, MDAffiliations: Washington University School of Medicine; St. Louis, MO 63110 PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited byEfficacy and safety of conventional antiviral agents in preventive strategies for cytomegalovirus infection after kidney transplantation: a systematic review and network meta‐analysisCytomegalovirus Disease After Kidney Transplantation: Clues to Accurate DiagnosisCounterpoint: Prevention of Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Infection and CMV Disease in Recipients of Solid Organ Transplants: The Case for ProphylaxisProphylaxis for CMV should now replace pre-emptive therapy in solid organ transplantationInfectious Complications in Renal Transplant Recipients 1 April 1996Volume 124, Issue 7Page: 693KeywordsAntibody therapyArmed forcesCytomegalovirus infectionExcretionHeart murmursPharynxProphylaxisRenal diseasesRenal transplantationUrine ePublished: 15 August 2000 Issue Published: 1 April 1996 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 1996 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...