Pulmonary complications in patients receiving a solid-organ transplant

Area of Science:

• Pulmonary Medicine
• Transplantation Immunology
• Critical Care

Background:

• Despite advances in perioperative care and immunobiology, severe pulmonary complications persist post-solid-organ transplantation.
• These complications can significantly impact patient outcomes and graft survival.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide an updated review of infectious and noninfectious pulmonary complications following solid-organ transplantation.
• To detail the epidemiology, risk factors, diagnostic approaches, and management strategies.

Main Methods:

• Literature review focusing on recent findings in pulmonary complications after solid-organ transplantation.
• Analysis of data on incidence, risk factors, and outcomes based on organ type and transplantation site.

Main Results:

• Pulmonary complication rates vary by transplanted organ, with kidney recipients having the lowest incidence and heart, lung, and liver recipients the highest.
• Respiratory tract infections are a leading cause of mortality, often caused by multidrug-resistant pathogens.
• Risk factors include end-stage organ disease, comorbidities, immunosuppression, and graft dysfunction.

Conclusions:

• Pulmonary complications, particularly infections, can jeopardize the success of solid-organ transplantation.
• Managing these complications requires addressing the unique challenges of immunosuppressed transplant recipients in the intensive care unit setting.