title: Infections after living donor liver transplantation in children.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Asan Medical Center Children's Hospital, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jeong Eun
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Seak Hee
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Kyung Mo
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Bo Hwa
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Dae Yeon
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hyung Rae
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Yeoun Joo
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Kang Won
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Rhee
authors.forename: Seong Jong
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Young Joo
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sung Gyu
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents