Delaine M. Zayas-Bazán Burgos RISE Program BIOL 3095

Annotated Bibliography 3:

Aris R, Avery R, Banks M, Chan KM, Chapman J, Chow S-C, Davis RD, Dunitz J, Gallup D,

Garrity E, Lawrence EC, Limaye AP, McCall J, Milstone A, Palmer SM, Reynolds J, Valentine

V, Yung GL. 2010. Extended Valganciclovir Prophylaxis to Prevent Cytomegalovirus After

Lung Transplantation: A Randomized, Controlled Trial. Annals of Internal Medicine. [Internet];

[Cited: 2012 November 1]. 152(12):761-769. Available at:

http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=745830

The efficiency of valganciclovir in preventing the appearance of cytomegalovirus is

discussed in this paper. Cytomegalovirus may cause life-threatening complications in patients of

lung transplants. The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not extended treatment

could decrease the chances of acquiring cytomegalovirus. Extending the prophylaxis from the

standard three months to twelve months proved to be more effective. Of the 136 patients chosen,

that had received standard treatment; ninety-one completed the study. Sixty-six patients were

treated for nine more months, with a placebo and seventy patients were treated with oral

valganciclovir. In the valganciclovir group, the study proved an important reduction in the

incidence of cytomegalovirus disease, severity, and infection. One of the problems the study

confronted was the quantity of the sample. In the short term treatment group, the initial sample

was less than in the long term treatment group. This affected the statistical analysis, because the

percentages were inflated by the small sample giving a wrong impression of the results. Another

disadvantage of this study was that the follow up of the patients was only up to six months after

the treatment had ceased. It was proven that the effects extended up to this period, but it would

have provided a better insight if it had followed the sample for a longer period since we know the

effectiveness can be controlled by the period of time the treatment is administered.