Infections Management in the Lung Transplant Setting in Italy: A Web-Survey.

Area of Science:

• Medical research
• Transplantation medicine
• Infectious disease management

Background:

• Infections pose a significant threat to lung transplant (LuTx) recipients, impacting morbidity and mortality.
• Current practices for infection prevention and management in Italian LuTx centers require documentation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To survey and document current practices for infection prevention and management in lung transplant (LuTx) recipients across Italy.

Main Methods:

• A 52-question online survey was distributed to all Italian LuTx centers from December 1, 2023, to January 31, 2024.
• The survey assessed center characteristics, team organization, microbiological investigations, and infection prevention/management strategies.

Main Results:

• Nine of ten centers participated, with most performing adult LuTx.
• Practices varied for cytomegalovirus (CMV) prophylaxis (67% use prophylaxis, variable duration), Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) screening (45%), and antibiotic prophylaxis (67% use dual regimen, 72h or 7 days duration).
• Fungal infection prophylaxis was used by a minority (44%), with inhaled amphotericin B being common. Infectious diseases specialists are involved early in recipient management (89%).

Conclusions:

• Considerable heterogeneity exists in infection management strategies among Italian LuTx centers.
• Establishing a shared platform for data collection and outcome evaluation is crucial for improving infection management in LuTx recipients.