title: Impact of Pre-Transplant Bacterial Infections on Post-Operative Outcomes in Patients after Liver Transplantation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In contrast to studies evaluating the negative effect of bacterial infections on clinical outcomes after liver transplantation, there is little evidence with regard to pre-transplant bacterial infections. We aimed to investigate the impact of pre-transplant bacterial infections on post-transplant outcomes in patients after liver transplantation.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively analyzed clinical data from 33 consecutive patients who underwent primary liver transplantations. Patients were divided into two groups based on the occurrence of a bacterial infection within the 30 days before transplantation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 33 patients, 23 patients did not have pre-transplant bacterial infections, while 10 patients did have pre-transplant bacterial infections. Pre-transplant bacterial infections were urinary tract infections (n = 4), spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (n = 3), and one each of pneumonia, bacteremia, and cellulitis. There were no differences in clinical characteristics between the two groups. Post-operative clinical outcomes, including post-operative bacterial infection, intensive-care unit re-admission, 30-day re-hospitalization, and 90-day mortality rate were not significantly different between the two groups. The two-year overall survival rate was 76.7% in patients with pre-transplant infections and 80.0% in those without pre-transplant infections.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with pre-transplant bacterial infections did not have inferior clinical outcomes, compared with those without pre-transplant bacterial infections.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Gangnam Severance Hospital , Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Im-Kyung
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Gangnam Severance Hospital , Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Joon Seong
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Gangnam Severance Hospital , Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Man Ki
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Ju
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000601:surgery; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000401:mortality* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
keywords: hepatic cirrhosis; liver transplantation; pre-transplant bacterial infection