title: United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland renal physicians' experiences of patients undergoing renal transplants abroad: a questionnaire-based cross-sectional survey.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Due to ongoing poor availability of organs, increasingly patients from developed countries are reported to be travelling abroad for renal transplants. We aimed to assess the extent and characteristics of this trend across the UK and Republic of Ireland.
  
  
  METHODS
  A questionnaire-based cross-sectional survey; 397 renal consultants from 33 hospitals with renal units across the UK and the Republic of Ireland were contacted through email and 62 replied (16%).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-seven out of 62 (93%) renal consultants managed transplant patients, and of these 36/57 (63%) had managed at least one patient who had undergone a transplant abroad. The most popular reason reported for doing this was being on the UK or Republic of Ireland transplant list but seeking a shorter wait. Respondents reported commencement by overseas doctors of appropriate routine post-transplant prophylaxis with the following medications in all cases they had encountered as follows: co-trimoxazole 12%, isoniazid 3%, anti-fungals 0%, and Cytomegalovirus prophylaxis or treatment 0%. Fourty-four percent of renal consultants reported having some prior warning of a patient undergoing a renal transplant abroad.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Renal transplant tourism has become widely established in the UK and the Republic of Ireland, and care for these patients is often suboptimal. Furthermore, the opportunity exists for pre-transplant counselling.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Floor E, Glossop Road, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S10 2JF, England, UK. Electronic address: anand.odedra2@bartshealth.nhs.uk.
authors.forename: Anand
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Odedra
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Floor E, Glossop Road, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S10 2JF, England, UK. Electronic address: steve.green@sth.nhs.uk.
authors.forename: Stephen T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Green
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Floor E, Glossop Road, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S10 2JF, England, UK. Electronic address: rohitbazaz@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Rohit
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bazaz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003587:Cytomegalovirus; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007494:Ireland; D007538:Isoniazid / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008297:Male; D057193:Medical Tourism; D008875:Middle Aged; D010820:Physicians; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014195:Travel; D015662:Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006113:United Kingdom
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D015662:Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination; D007538:Isoniazid
keywords: Kidney replacement; Medical tourism; Opportunistic infections