Analysis of nosocomial infection and risk factors in lung transplant patients: a case-control study

Infection is the leading cause of short-term mortality after lung transplantation. This study aimed to investigate the epidemiology and risk factors of infection in Chinese lung transplant recipients.

A total of 107 lung transplant patients from 2016 to 2020 were included in this study. The basic data of patients were collected, combined with clinically relevant physiological and biochemical indicators and laboratory test results. Transplant patients with new infections 48 hours after surgery were included in the infected group, and the rest were in the Uninfected group. The risk factors of postoperative infection were analyzed between the two groups.

A total of 107 patients were included in the study, including 89 males and 18 females. All patients underwent lung transplantation. A total of 80 patients (74.8%) experienced a postoperative infection. Pathogenic microorganisms were found in 136 samples, predominantly in the sputum (n=120 samples; 88.2%). We detected 107 strains of Gram-negative bacteria (78.7%), including 30 strains of Acinetobacter baumannii (22.1%) and 27 strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae (19.9%); 18 strains of Gram-positive bacteria (13.2%), including 11 strains of Staphylococcus haemolyticus (8.1%) and 2 strains of Enterococcus faecium (1.5%); and 11 strains (8.1%) were infected by fungi. There were 87 strains of multidrug-resistant bacteria. The main multidrug-resistant bacteria included 28 strains of Acinetobacter baumannii (32.2%) and 25 strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae (28.7%). Multivariate analysis showed that ventilator use over 3 days was an independent risk factor for postoperative infection [odds ratio (OR): 4.94, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.31 to 18.66, P=0.019].

The infection rate after lung transplantation in our hospital is similar to that of other lung transplantation studies, but higher than that following transplantation of other organs. The pathogens of postoperative infection were similar to those identified in other lung transplantation studies. Using a ventilator for more than 3 days is a risk factor for postoperative infection, suggesting that preventive measures for postoperative infection should be taken in such patients, and early postoperative discontinuation of the ventilator may reduce postoperative infection.