title: Sparing immunosuppression in heart transplant recipients with severe sepsis.
abstract: This study described an analysis of severe sepsis among heart transplantation recipients who were treated by sparing all immunosuppressants. Sepsis leading to multiple organ failure (MOF) in heart transplantation has a high mortality. This retrospective study of 190 patients who underwent heart transplantation from 1993 to 2004 included 12 who had severe sepsis with MOF who were treated by sparing all immunosuppressants. Half of them survived after sparing all immunosuppressants with intensive endomyocardial biopsy. Only one case needed pulse therapy for an acute rejection episode. The most common bacterial infectious episodes were caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (n = 3). All sepsis episodes occurred in the first month after heart transplantation except in one case, which occurred 6 years after heart transplantation. There was a 50% survival rate of heart transplantation recipients who experienced MOF due to severe sepsis and were treated by sparing all immunosuppressants under a program of intensive endomyocardial biopsy.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital, No. 7 Chung-shan South Road, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: N K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.forename: N H
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Chi
authors.forename: Y S
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: H Y
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: C T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: F Y
authors.initials: FY
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000276:immunology; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000276:immunology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009102:Multiple Organ Failure / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018805:Sepsis / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents