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Patients Receive HIV-Infected Transplants
United Press International (11-13-2007)
Four transplant recipients in Chicago contracted HIV from a high-risk donor whose infection went undetected, hospital officials said.
The transplants occurred at three Chicago hospitals in January. Officials said patients didn't learn of their infections with HIV and the hepatitis C virus until two weeks ago.
Authorities said the infections were caused by a rarely encountered flaw in the test used to detect hepatitis C and the virus that causes AIDS.
A screening questionnaire determined the organ donor engaged in risky behavior, said officials of Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donation, the organ procurement agency that tested and approved the donated organs. The tests were negative, likely because the donor became infected during a window when conditions wouldn't be detected, officials said.
Every patient in need of an organ has a significant medical condition that in most circumstances limits life expectancy, said Alison Smith, Gift of Hope vice president for operations. The question becomes what degree of risk is appropriate in that situation.
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From FDA Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program
The FDA issued an Early Communication about recent findings of The Data Collection on Adverse Events of Anti-HIV Drugs Study. Data analyses from this study indicate a higher risk of heart attack in patients infected with HIV-1 who were taking Ziagen (abacavir) or Videx(didanosine) as part of their drug therapy. Read more...
Patients Receive HIV-Infected Transplants
Four transplant recipients in Chicago contracted HIV from a high-risk donor whose infection went undetected, hospital officials said. Read more...
HIV-positive, but few viruses
Twenty years ago, as the growing AIDS epidemic was sweeping the world, Rod Fichter and a friend got devastating news: They were both HIV-positive. At the time, more than 16,000 Americans a year were dying of AIDS, and no drugs to treat it had been approved. "I really thought it was a death sentence," Fichter said. In fact, in a few years his friend was dead. Read more... |
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