["Take this heart away!": from fear of rejection to post-transplant delirium].
Orthotopic heart transplantation is a major surgical intervention inducing conscious and unconscious psychological distress. Though all reports indicated global improvement of quality of life from pre- to post-transplantation, most retrospective and longitudinal studies found a high prevalence of psychopathology before and after surgery. Post-operative acute psychotic disorders are uncommon but they severely hamper the medical progress and require an immediate psychiatric assistance. The case of Pascal, a young receiver who presented a brief persecution delusional disorder after the first transplantation, showed the dramatic character of such unexpected symptoms.
Service de Psychiatrie et de Psychologie Médicale, CHU de Liège.
J M
JM
Triffaux
J C
JC
Demoulin
R
R
Limet
D000328:Adult; D003693:Delirium / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D003702:Delusions; D006084:Graft Rejection; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008603:Mental Health; D018579:Patient Selection; D011618:Psychotic Disorders