The impact of darbepoetin alfa in early post-transplant anaemia management: retrospective exploratory study.
OBJECTIVE
The use of darbepoetin alfa in the first week of post-renal transplant (RT).


METHODS
Retrospective observational study carried out in four hospitals, which included all adult patients that underwent RT for 9 months with haemoglobin data during the first 6 months of post-transplant (n=129). Darbepoetin alfa was administered in accordance with the clinical practice.


RESULTS
Darbepoetin alfa was administered in the first week to 60 individuals (46.5%), who had a mean baseline Hb (± standard deviation) of 12.7 g/dl ± 1.6g/dl. Anaemia incidence (Hb<11 g/dl) during the first month was higher in patients who did not receive darbepoetin alfa (40.6% vs. 25.0% in patients treated with darbepoetin alfa, P=.045). No anaemia incidence differences were observed during months +2 to +6. There was a tendency towards transfusion decrease in patients who received darbepoetin alfa (13.3% vs. 20.3%, P=.295). Renal recovery time was similar but in the subgroup which received grafts from donors with asystole there was a tendency towards a faster recovery with darbepoetin alfa (15.1 ± 7.7 vs. 20.1 ± 8.8 days, P=.157). The creatinine clearance rate at 3 and 6 months was similar. Fourteen patients (10.9%) suffered from cardiovascular events with no relation to darbepoetin alfa (P=.772).


CONCLUSIONS
Administering darbepoetin alfa in the first week following renal transplant reduces anaemia incidence during the first month without increase cardiovascular events.
Servicio de Nefrología, Hospital Universitario La Paz, Madrid, Spain. cjimenezm.hulp@salud.madrid.org
Carlos
C
Jiménez
Esther
E
González
María
M
Marqués
Cristina
C
Galeano
Amado
A
Andrés
Natividad
N
Calvo
Julio
J
Pascual
D000740:Anemia / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000068256:Darbepoetin alfa; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006397:Hematinics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D006397:Hematinics; D004921:Erythropoietin; D000068256:Darbepoetin alfa