Infections after living donor liver transplantation in children.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the infectious complications after living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) in children. We enrolled 95 children (38 boys and 57 girls) who underwent LDLT from 1994 to 2004. The median age was 22 months (range, 6 months to 15 yr). We retrospectively investigated the proven episodes of bacterial, viral, and fungal infection. There occurred 150 infections in 67 (70%) of 95 patients (1.49 infections/patient); 74 in 43 patients were bacterial, 2 in 2 were fungal, and 74 in 42 were viral. The most common sites of bacterial infection were the bloodstream (33%) and abdomen (25%). Most of the bacterial infections occurred within the first month after LDLT. Bacterial and fungal infections did not result in any deaths. The most common causes of viral infection were Epstein-Barr virus in 37 patients and cytomegalovirus in 18. Seven of the 14 deaths after LDLT were associated with viral infection. Our study suggests that infection is one of the important causes of morbidity and mortality after LDLT. Especially careful monitoring and management of viral infections is crucial for improving the outcome of LDLT in children.
Kim
Jeong Eun
JE
Department of Pediatrics, Asan Medical Center Children's Hospital, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Oh
Seak Hee
SH
Kim
Kyung Mo
KM
Choi
Bo Hwa
BH
Kim
Dae Yeon
DY
Cho
Hyung Rae
HR
Lee
Yeoun Joo
YJ
Rhee
Kang Won
KW
Park
Seong Jong
SJ
Lee
Young Joo
YJ
Lee
Sung Gyu
SG
D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007239:Infections / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000821:virology; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000401:mortality; D019520:Living Donors; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000382:microbiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000821:virology; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents