[Infections in organ transplantations]

Since cyclosporin A was introduced clinically, transplantation of solid organ grafts, has become a routine therapy for untreatable endstage-diseases of various organs, such as kidney, liver, heart and lung. Nowadays the most frequent cause of mortality and severe morbidity in transplant recipients is not graft rejection but infection. During the first three postoperative months organ recipients are extremely endangered for infectious diseases. Patients receive high dosages of immunosuppressive therapy, because immunogenecity of the graft is rather high. In course of the following months the allograft is more and more accepted by the recipients immune system. Consecutively immunosuppression is reduced and the risk of infection is diminished. --During the first postoperative month bacterial infections commonly appear. Thereafter viral infections can be observed more frequently. Cytomegalovirus infections are very dangerous in CMV-seronegative recipients with a lethality up to 90%. So a CMV-cross-match between the donor and recipient has to be performed. Transplant recipients have to be operated in aseptic conditions, with perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis. Regular serological analysis from blood and urine specimen has to be done to control bacterial, fungal and viral status, as well as regular monitoring of immunosuppressive regimen.