The Infection Timeline in Solid Organ Transplantation: Lessons from the Swiss Transplant Cohort

Understanding the timeline of infections after solid organ transplantation is essential for prevention, diagnosis, and appropriate empiric therapy. Preventive strategies have substantially reduced some infections, while the increasing prevalence of multidrug-resistant organisms challenges traditional empiric approaches.

Contemporary epidemiology demonstrates a shift in post-transplant infections. Opportunistic infections have become uncommon, while bacterial infections now predominate, particularly those caused by Enterobacterales, non-fermenting gram-negative bacilli, and gram-positive pathogens. The success in the control of opportunistic infections is increasingly challenged by the rise of multidrug-resistant organisms.

Strengthened strategies to prevent bacterial infections, especially those due to multidrug-resistant pathogens, are needed in solid organ transplant recipients.