Perspective on donor-derived infections in Italy

Area of Science:

• Transplantation Immunology
• Infectious Diseases
• Public Health

Background:

• Donor-derived infections (DDIs) pose a rare but significant risk of morbidity and mortality in solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients.
• Ensuring microbial safety in transplantation requires adherence to national guidelines and consideration of local infectious disease epidemiology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report on the strategies and evolution of the Italian National Center for Transplantation (CNT) in guaranteeing organ transplantation safety since 2003.
• To analyze the number and types of DDIs reported to the CNT.

Main Methods:

• Description of strategies adopted by the Italian National Center for Transplantation (CNT) since 2003.
• Implementation of mandatory adverse reaction reporting to the CNT starting in 2012.
• Analysis of reported DDIs.

Main Results:

• Development and updating of guidelines for organ transplant safety by infectious disease experts.
• Support provided to the Italian transplant network for utilizing organs from donors with potential infections.
• Ongoing analysis of reported DDI data.

Conclusions:

• A robust transplant safety network has been operational in Italy since 2003.
• The network continuously evolves based on new knowledge and epidemiological changes.
• Regular updates to recommendations are crucial in this dynamic field.