[Severe infections after orthotopic hepatic transplant]

The authors analysed severe infections in 43 consecutive patients undergoing orthotopic liver transplant. Prophylaxis and full anti-infection monitoring was performed in all cases. Immunosuppressive therapy was administered in the form of primary cyclosporine in 27 cases and primary OKT3 in 16 cases.

Twenty-seven patients are still alive (median 8 months, range 2-40) and 16 died (median 22 days, range 10-92) of whom 4 without and 12 with infection, including two deaths owing to non-correlated causes with infection after recovery. Twenty-three patients underwent 33 episodes of severe infection (plus four with inconclusive positive cultures) without any case of protozoal or viral infection. All episodes occurred within two months of surgery and affected the lung (10), abdomen (7), lung + abdomen (1), urinary tract (1), lung + urinary tract (1), as well as two diffused cases and 7 cases of isolated bacteremia deriving from the donor (1), venous catheters (3), mild otorhinolaryngeal infection (1) and two unknown sources (2). Eighteen infective agents were identified in 45 cases. The bacteria involved in single-agent episodes were: 11 Gram+, 9 Gram- and five fungi. Polymicrobic and bacterial/fungal episodes were repeatedly observed in two and two cases. Postoperative renal insufficiency significantly influenced both the incidence of and mortality due to infection. Overall mortality was also influenced by early graft function, postoperative complications and reoperations, and the incidence of infections by the portal clamping stage, reject and prolonged coma.

The absence of severe viral infections and the gradual reduction of mortality caused by infection appear to be parallel to the aggressive antiviral prophylaxis, the gradual improvement of intra- and postoperative management and primary immunosuppression with OKT3.