Use of Liver Grafts From Deceased Organ Donors With Infectious Diseases

Liver transplant is the only option in reversing liver insufficiency and its complications. It is very important to realize the quality control of organs and tissues used in transplant, as well as to develop diagnostic, treatment, and prophylaxis techniques to prevent other comorbidities and to increase the survival of transplanted patients.

The study describes the characteristics of liver transplant using organs with infectious diseases realized by Liver Transplantation Unit (LTU) of the University Hospital Oswaldo Cruz (UHOC).

The methodology is a descriptive, cross-sectional, and retrospective study, with a quantitative approach of all patients submitted for liver transplantation between 2013 and 2017. The research was realized at LTU ambulatory of the UHOC from the analysis of medical records using a semistructured collect instrument for the information acquisition.

Researchers analyzed 127 medical records, 85% of which had transmissible diseases and 15% of which had infectious diseases. Of the infectious diseases, it was observed that 85% were syphilis (16 cases), followed by 10% with Chagas disease and 5% with cytomegalovirus (CMV). The transplant outcomes showed that 68% of organ receptors with infectious diseases achieved good recovery.

Organ transplant for those with infectious diseases is a treatment option to improve the life quality of people at any age who present with a chronic disease, where its use has been an alternative well accepted due to the shortage of livers for transplants.