Infections complicating orthotopic liver transplantation: a study emphasizing graft-related septicemia

Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteremia among liver transplant recipients

Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteremia remains as a life-threatening complication after liver transplantation (LT) and is intractable because of the high rate of drug resistance to commonly used antibiotics. To better understand the characteristics of this postoperative complication, PubMed and Embase searches as well as reference mining was done for relevant literature from the start of the databases through August 2018. Among LT recipients, the incidence of P. aeruginosa bacteremia ranged from 0.5% to 14.4% and mortality rates were up to 40%. Approximately 35% of all episodes of bloodstream infections (BSIs) were P. aeruginosa bacteremia, of which 47% were multidrug resistant and 63% were extensively drug resistant. Several factors are known to affect the mortality of LT recipients with P. aeruginosa bacteremia, including hypotension, mechanical ventilation, and increasing severity of illness. In LT recipients with P. aeruginosa bacteremia, alteration in DNA gyrase A genes and overexpression of proteins involved in efflux systems, namely the expression of KPC-2-type carbapenemase, NDM-1, and VIM-2-type MBL, contribute to the high resistance of P. aeruginosa to a wide variety of antibiotics. Because of complicated mechanisms of drug resistance, P. aeruginosa causes high morbidity and mortality in bacteremic LT patients. Consequently, early detection and treatment with adequate early targeted coverage for P. aeruginosa BSI are of paramount importance in the early posttransplantation period to obtain a better prognosis for LT patients.

The Bacteremia Caused by Non-Lactose Fermenting Gram-Negative Bacilli in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients

BACKGROUND

Blood stream infections (BSIs) remain as a serious life-threatening condition after solid organ transplant (SOT). In recent years, a progressive growth in the incidence of bacteremia caused by non-lactose fermenting gram-negative bacilli (NLF GNB) has been observed. NLF GNB led to high mortality among SOT recipients with bacteremia and were difficult to treat because of their high drug resistance to commonly used antibiotics.

METHODS

Two electronic databases, PUBMED and EMBASE, were searched for relevant literature published up to January 2015, to better understand the characteristics of bacteremia because of NLF GNB.

RESULTS

The morbidity and mortality rates of bacteremia because of NLF GNB depend on the types of organisms and transplantation. Multi-drug resistant NLF GNB ranged from 9.8% to 12.5% of all NLF GNB causing BSIs among SOT recipients. Certain factors can predispose SOT recipients to NLF GNB bacteremia, which included previous transplantation, hospital-acquired BSIs, and prior intensive care unit admission. Combination therapy may be beneficial in the treatment of NLF GNB bacteremia to enhance antimicrobial activity, provide synergistic interactions, relieve side effects, and minimize superinfections.

CONCLUSIONS

Prevention is pivotal in minimizing the morbidity and mortality associated with NLF GNB bacteremia after SOT. To improve the outcomes of SOT recipients with NLF GNB bacteremia, prevention is pivotal, and combination therapy of antibiotics may be beneficial.

Nocardiosis in transplant recipients

Nocardiosis is a rare opportunistic infection caused by Nocardia spp., an aerobic actinomycete, that mainly affects patients with cell-mediated immunity defects, such as transplant recipients. Despite recent progress regarding Nocardia identification and changes in taxonomic assignment, many challenges remain for the diagnosis or management of nocardiosis. This opportunistic infection affects 0.04 to 3.5 % of patients with solid organ or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, depending on the organ transplanted, cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, corticosteroids dose and calcineurin inhibitors level. Nocardiosis diagnosis relies on appropriate clinical, radiological and microbiological workup that includes the sampling of an accessible involved site and molecular microbiology tools. In parallel, extensive clinical and radiological evaluations are mandatory, including brain imaging, even in the absence of neurological signs. In transplanted patients, differential diagnosis is challenging, with co-infections reported in 20 to 64 % of cases. As the antibiotic susceptibility pattern varies among species, the antimicrobial regimen before species identification should rely on the association of antibiotics active on all species of Nocardia. Bactericidal antibiotics are required in cases of severe or disseminated disease. Furthermore, in transplant recipients, combination therapy is difficult to manage because of cumulative toxicity and interactions with immunosuppressive agents. Because of a high recurrence rate, antibiotic therapy should be prescribed for 6 to 12 months.

Posttransplant microbiological surveillance

Posttransplant microbiological surveillance should be used when the likelihood of infection in a transplant recipient is high and the sensitivity and specificity of the test can provide a high positive or negative predictive value. Testing is also performed in some instances to monitor the patient's response to therapy. Examples of successful posttransplant microbiological surveillance include molecular detection of cytomegalovirus and Epstein-Barr virus and virus load determinations, as well as hepatitis B and C detection and virus load testing. Routine fungal and bacterial surveillance are generally not necessary, except for Candida colonization detection or vancomycin-resistant enterococcal detection in high-risk subgroups. The organ transplanted may also play a role in the type of routine surveillance recommended.

Incidence and outcome of infection by vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus following orthotopic liver transplantation

Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) has become a significant nosocomial pathogen. For this study, the records of 325 patients who underwent orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) were reviewed. Thirty-four patients were infected by VRE (incidence of 10.5%, 14% in adults vs. 5% in children, P < 0.01). Common features of patients who developed infections with VRE included previous antibiotic use (25 patients, 15 of whom received vancomycin), co-infection by other pathogens (28 patients), and relaparotomy following OLT (20 patients). Pulmonary and/or renal failure preceded infection by VRE in 11 and 4 adult patients, respectively. Biliary complications were exceedingly common in patients infected by VRE (28 patients) and significantly increased the risk of infection by VRE (21.5% vs. 3.1% for patients without biliary complications, P < 0.0001). Mortality associated with VRE infections was high (56% vs. 19% for patients not infected by VRE, P < 0.0005). The most frequent cause of death was sepsis (16 of 19 patient deaths), often polymicrobial. The high incidence of infection by VRE following OLT, the lack of effective antibiotics for the treatment of VRE, and the association of VRE with patient mortality emphasizes the need to define the risk factors associated with VRE infection. We suggest early surgical intervention to treat complications that may predispose patients to infection by VRE.

Infections After Organ Transplantation

Over the last ten to fifteen years medical and surgical advances have led to lower rates of infection and infection-related mortality in transplant recipients. Despite these advances, the process whereby one diagnoses and manages infectious problems in transplant patients has become increasingly complex. Evaluation of transplant patients with infections requires a good understanding of the intricacies of modern immunosuppressive therapy and both the typical and atypical clinical manifestations of many conventional and opportunistic pathogens. In particular, it is incumbent upon the clinicians caring for transplant patients to be familiar with the biology of cytomegalovirus and other herpes viruses, and of the prophylactic strategies that have evolved to lessen the burden of disease from these agents. Thorough knowledge is also required of common fungal pathogens and the viruses that cause chronic hepatitis. Transplant patients also should always be evaluated in the temporal context of their transplant operation, because different diseases are prevalent at different times after transplantation. Since immunosuppressive drugs modify the clinical presentation of infections is important to maintain clinical vigilance and attend to even minor new symptoms. This chapter is designed to provide a relatively concise overview of transplant infections for intensivists or other clinicians who encounter transplant patients in their practice. The references encompass much of the classic transplant infectious disease literature; they are included, not only for citation, but as a bibliography for further study.

Infections in solid-organ transplant recipients

Solid-organ transplantation is a therapeutic option for many human diseases. Infections are a major complication of solid-organ transplantation. All candidates should undergo a thorough infectious-disease screening prior to transplantation. There are three time frames, influenced by surgical factors, the level of immunosuppression, and environmental exposures, during which infections of specific types most frequently occur posttransplantation. Most infections during the first month are related to surgical complications. Opportunistic infections typically occur from the second to the sixth month. During the late posttransplant period (beyond 6 months), transplantation recipients suffer from the same infections seen in the general community. Opportunistic bacterial infections seen in transplant recipients include those caused by Legionella spp., Nocardia spp., Salmonella spp., and Listeria monocytogenes. Cytomegalovirus is the most common cause of viral infections. Herpes simplex virus, varicella-zoster virus, Epstein-Barr virus and others are also significant pathogens. Fungal infections, caused by both yeasts and mycelial fungi, are associated with the highest mortality rates. Mycobacterial, pneumocystis, and parasitic diseases may also occur.

Relevance and risk factors of enterococcal bacteremia following liver transplantation

To analyze the clinical characteristics of and identify specific risk factors for enterococcal bacteremia following liver transplantation, we performed a study in 405 consecutive liver transplantation recipients prophylaxed with a selective bowel decontamination regimen. Seventy enterococcal bacteremias in 52 patients were identified. Enterococcus faecalis (50) outnumbered Enterococcus faecium isolates (18), and 49% of enterococcal bacteremias were polymicrobial. Biliary tree complications were present in 34% of enterococcal bacteremias. Of the 15 deaths (29%) among the patients with enterococcal bacteremia, 4 were directly associated with enterococcal bacteremia. In a multivariate analysis, Roux-en-Y choledochojejunostomy (P=0.005), a cytomegalovirus-seropositive donor (P=0.013), prolonged transplantation time (P=0.02), and biliary stricturing (P=0.016) were identified as significant risk factors. Other risk factors identified in a univariate analysis included primary sclerosing cholangitis (P=0.009) and symptomatic cytomegalovirus infection (P=0.008). Enterococcal bacteremia is a frequent infectious complication in liver transplantation recipients receiving selective bowel decontamination. Its association with cytomegalovirus and biliary tree abnormalities suggest specific areas for prophylactic intervention.

Liver biopsy in liver transplantation: no additional risk of infections in patients with choledochojejunostomy

BACKGROUND/AIMS

This study aimed to determine whether there is an increased infectious risk following liver biopsy in liver transplant patients with choledochojejunostomy.

METHODS

We evaluated the incidence of liver-biopsy-related sepsis in a consecutive series of 27 patients who underwent choledochojejunostomy, either during the transplant procedure (17 patients) or later following biliary complications (10 patients). We evaluated another 138 patients as a control group who had orthotopic liver transplantation during the same period and underwent duct-to-duct anastomosis. All liver biopsies had routine, prior ultrasound evaluation to detect dilated biliary ducts.

RESULTS

In the 27 patients who underwent choledochojejunostomy, 96 liver biopsies were performed: the sepsis rate was 3.12% per biopsy (n = 96) or 7.4% per patient (n = 27). However, despite a normal ultrasound, subsequent ERCP demonstrated biliary obstruction in one patient. Thus the rate of sepsis was 2.1% per biopsy or 3.7 per patient. In the control group 338 liver biopsies were performed: the sepsis rate was 1.5% per biopsy (n = 338) or 2.9% per patient (n = 138). The difference was not significant. All septic episodes had positive blood cultures for a single enteric microorganism, and all responded to antibiotics

CONCLUSIONS

Our data do not suggest that liver-transplanted patients with choledochojejunostomy are more at risk of sepsis following liver biopsy, providing there is no "occult" biliary obstruction; therefore, they do not require prophylactic antibiotics as has been suggested by other authors.

Bacterial and fungal infections after liver transplantation: an analysis of 284 patients

A prospective study of bacterial and fungal infections after liver transplantation in 284 adults was undertaken. One hundred seventy-five (62%) became infected; bacterial or fungal infections occurred in 159 (56%) and 36 (13%) patients, respectively. Gram-positive cocci, in particular Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecium, were the commonest bacterial pathogens, and bacteremia and wound infection were the most frequent bacterial infections. Acute rejection and prolonged admission were independent risk factors for bacterial infection; pretransplantation antibacterials had a protective effect. Fungal infection most frequently involved the urinary tract and chest; Candida albicans was the most common pathogen. Four independent variables predicted fungal infection: low pretransplantation hemoglobin, high pretransplantation bilirubin, return to surgery, and prolonged therapy with ciprofloxacin. Patients with acute liver failure were more prone to bacterial, but not fungal, infection. No associations were found between infections and duration of surgery. Bacterial, and to a lesser extent, fungal infections are important complications of liver transplantation. However, liver transplantation surgery per se may not be the major determinant of infection.

Disseminated Nocardia transvalensis infection resembling pulmonary infarction in a liver transplant recipient

Infections due to Nocardia transvalensis are extremely rare: only four disseminated infections with this pathogen have been reported, three of which ended fatally. This is the first report of a liver transplant recipient with Nocardia transvalensis infection. The patient had disseminated infection with pulmonary involvement, which presented as pulmonary infarction. Despite a ten-day delay in the administration of correct therapy, he responded rapidly to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. The pitfalls of differentiating nocardial infection from pulmonary thromboembolism in solid organ transplant recipients and the diagnostic considerations unique to liver transplant recipients are discussed.

Pulmonary complications of orthotopic liver transplantation

We retrospectively reviewed the pulmonary complications and associated morbidity and mortality of 44 consecutive patients who underwent 52 orthotopic liver transplantations (OLTs) at the Mayo Clinic during 1987. All survivors participated in follow-up for 1 year after OLT. Of the five deaths in the study group, three were associated with pulmonary infections. On postoperative chest roentgenograms, 24 cases of pulmonary infiltrates were noted; 12 were caused by infections. Ten opportunistic pulmonary infections developed in nine patients: four cytomegalovirus, three Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, and one each of Cryptococcus, Aspergillus, and Candida. All except one of the opportunistic infections were diagnosed after the sixth postoperative week. Fiberoptic bronchoscopy was helpful for diagnosing opportunistic pulmonary infections in six patients. One Aspergillus pulmonary infection was diagnosed by transthoracic needle aspiration. Bacterial pneumonia occurred in five patients. Preoperative pulmonary function tests, performed in 40 patients, revealed a restrictive ventilatory defect in 28% and impaired gas transfer in 52%. Pleural effusion was present in 18% of patients preoperatively and in 77% during the first week after OLT. Preoperative severity of liver disease and results of arterial blood gas determinations, pulmonary function tests, and chest roentgenography were not associated with postoperative mortality and pulmonary infections. Infectious and noninfectious pulmonary complications are common in liver transplant recipients. Attempts to decrease the frequency and severity of pulmonary complications by early diagnosis and effective treatment may diminish the morbidity and mortality associated with OLT.

Blood clearance and organ localization of Candida albicans and E coli following dual infection in rats

Immunosuppressed prematures, cancer patients, and transplant recipients are susceptible to bacterial or fungal sepsis or both. This report evaluates whether the ability of the reticuloendothelial system (RES) to remove blood-borne viable radiolabeled 35S Escherichia coli and 3H-Leucine Candida albicans is adversely affected by a dual intravenous challenge of these organisms. Male Sprague Dawley rats (n = 150) weighing 175 to 180 g were placed in 5 experimental groups (n = 30). Group I received intravenous (IV) C albicans (10(7)/mL), group II received E coli (10(9)/mL), group III received a dual injection of C albicans and E coli, group IV received Candida 1 hour prior to E coli, and group V received E coli 1 hour prior to fungi. At 1, 4, and 24 hours, tissue samples (50 to 100 mg) of liver, spleen, kidneys, and lungs were processed for liquid scintillation counting. Organ distribution of bacteria and fungi was calculated and expressed as mean percent +/- SD of labeled organisms. The liver trapped 72% +/- 10% and the lungs 1.1% +/- 0.3% of E coli (group II) (P < .001). The organ distribution of Candida (group I), however, was similar in liver and lungs (42.5% +/- 10% and 41.4% +/- 6.4%, respectively). Liver localization of E coli was unaffected by simultaneous or staggered fungal injection (groups III, 4, and V). Lung distribution of E coli following dual injection (group III) was significantly higher than controls (group II) (3.6% +/- 0.7% v 1.1% +/- 0.3%; P < .001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Antibiotics may predispose to lactobacillemia in liver transplant patients

Lactobacilli are ubiquitous inhabitants of the human oral cavity, vagina, and gastrointestinal tract, that are generally considered non-pathogenic. We retrospectively reviewed all positive blood cultures for Lactobacillus species (sp.) from liver transplant recipients at our institution. Eight cases of lactobacillus bacteremia were identified. Selective bowel decontamination with non-absorbable oral antibiotics was administered to all patients. Additionally, all patients received intravenous vancomycin; most isolates exhibited either in vitro or in vivo vancomycin resistance. The biliary anastomosis in each patient was a Roux-Y choledochojejunostomy. The underlying clinical conditions included perihepatic abscesses in two patients, biliary strictures with either hepatic abscesses or infected bile in four, and heaptic infarctions with necrosis and infection of the liver in two. The use of selective bowel deontamination, intravenous vancomycin and Roux-Y choledochojejunostomy in liver transplantation patients may predispose to lactobacillemia.

Bacteremia in transplant recipients: a prospective study of demographics, etiologic agents, risk factors, and outcomes

BACKGROUND

Bacteremic infections are a major cause of death among organ transplant recipients. We sought to identify the risk factors associated with death and examine the timing of the bacteremic episode after operation to recognize patients who may benefit from perioperative prophylactic antibiotic therapy.

METHODS

A total of 125 episodes of bacteremia or fungemia in 16 heart, 26 kidney, and 70 liver recipients were monitored prospectively in 1 year.

RESULTS

The urinary tract was the most frequent portal for kidney recipients, the gastrointestinal and biliary tracts were frequent for liver recipients, and the lung was frequent in heart recipients. Heart and liver recipients were more severely ill at the time of bacteremia and had bacteremia sooner after operation. Death at 14 days after onset of bacteremia was 33% in heart recipients, 24% in liver recipients, and 11% in kidney recipients. Risk of death was associated with the severity of the underlying condition of the transplant recipient, the source of the bacteremia, and the microbial agent. Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacter species had fatality rates of 47% and 63%, respectively. P. aeruginosa and Enterobacter were also most commonly associated with failures of perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis.

CONCLUSIONS

There are distinct clinical patterns of bacteremia in transplant recipients. The emergence of P. aeruginosa and Enterobacter species in the immediate postoperative period appeared to be a significant cause of morbidity and death among transplant recipients.

OKT3 and viral disease in pediatric liver transplant recipients

Seventy-four consecutive pediatric liver transplant recipients were reviewed to assess the effect of the monoclonal anti-T-lymphocyte antibody OKT3 on subsequent viral infection (9 patients were excluded due to postoperative demise during the 1st week). Twenty-two patients received OKT3 in addition to standard cyclosporine-prednisone immunosuppression for either steroid-resistant acute rejection (18) or to facilitate reduction of cyclosporine due to severe renal impairment (4). Invasive infections were diagnosed by histology or culture in tissue biopsies or bronchoalveolar lavage specimens. The overall incidence of viral infection was 58%, half of which was due to cytomegalovirus (CMV). Invasive viral disease was associated with increased mortality (37% vs. 3% p = 0.001). Viral-related deaths were due to CMV (5), disseminated adenovirus (3), disseminated enterovirus (1) and respiratory syncytial viral pneumonia (1). The use of OKT3 was associated with increased viral disease (59% vs. 33% p=0.04) and invasive primary CMV disease (58% vs. 19% p=0.04). Trends were observed toward increased overall viral infection (73% vs. 51 % p=0.08), primary CMV infection (58% vs. 25% p=0.08) and overall mortality (27% vs. 9% p =0.08) following OKT3 therapy. We conclude that pediatric liver transplant recipients who require OKT3 therapy may be at increased risk for invasive viral disease and especially invasive primary CMV disease.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteremia in patients undergoing liver transplantation: an emerging problem

In our institution, Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteremia appeared to occur with increasing frequency in patients undergoing liver transplantation. We thus conducted a prospective study to define risk factors and outcome in these patients. Over a 19-month period 6% of liver transplants were followed by Pseudomonas bacteremia. The mean age was 46 years (range, 24 to 67 years). The interval between transplantation and onset of bacteremia was 3 to 372 days (mean, 80). The incidence of Pseudomonas bacteremia in liver transplants was three times that of other transplants (heart, lung, kidney). Ninety one percent of infections were nosocomial. Polymicrobial bacteremia occurred in 30% of episodes. The portal of entry was respiratory in 30%, abdominal in 35%, and biliary in 13%. Four patients had recurrent Pseudomonas bacteremia: liver abscess (1), biliary obstruction (2), subhepatic abscess (1). Survival at 14 days was 70%. Survival rates were significantly lower for patients with hypotension, on mechanical ventilators, and increasing severity of illness (p less than 0.05). Survival was higher when bacteremia occurred within the first 30 days after transplantation compared to after 30 days. A large number (43.4%) of Pseudomonas bacteremias occurred after transplant surgery of biliary tract manipulation, while the patient was receiving a prophylactic regimen of cefotaxime and ampicillin. P. aeruginosa is an important pathogen in the liver transplant recipient; prevention may be possible for a subgroup of patients with the use of prophylactic antibiotics with activity against P. aeruginosa.

Bacterial infections after liver transplantation

Infection is a common complication of orthotopic liver transplantations and a major cause of mortality. Of the different types of infection, severe bacterial infections are the most common. The majority (81%) of bacterial infections occur within the first two months after liver transplantation. The most frequent site of infection is the abdomen (intrahepatic or extrahepatic abscesses, cholangitis, and peritonitis). Bacteremia is a marker of mortality, and the majority of bacteremia cases are secondary to another bacterial infection site. The causative organisms vary among different centers. In some, gram-negative organisms are more common (66%); in one center, however, gram-positive microorganisms predominate (66%). In the latter center, the use of nonabsorbable antibiotics, which eradicate gastrointestinal aerobic gram-negative microorganisms, may explain this microbiologic difference. The main risk factor predisposing to bacterial infection appears to be the duration of the transplantation operation, especially beyond 12 hours. Of the deaths resulting from infection, 81% were caused by bacterial infection.

Infections after liver transplantation. An analysis of 101 consecutive cases

We studied infections in 101 consecutive patients who underwent liver transplantation between July 1984 and September 1985. The mean length of follow-up was 394 days. Eighty-three percent of population had 1 or more episodes of infection and 67% of the population had severe infections. The overall mortality was 26/101 (26%) and 23 of 26 deaths (88%) were associated with infection. Seventy percent of severe infections occurred in the first 2 months after transplantation. The most frequent severe infections were abdominal abscess, bacterial pneumonia, invasive candidiasis, Pneumocystis pneumonia, and symptomatic cytomegalovirus infection. Patients with more than 12 hours of cumulative surgical time had a higher rate of severe infections (P less than 0.001), particularly fungal (P less than 0.001) and bacterial (P less than 0.01) infections. Also, the use of choledocho-jejunostomy was associated with a higher rate of infection in patients who had more than 1 transplant operation (P less than 0.02). No increase in infection was found in patients who received azathioprine, or more than the median number of steroid boluses or "recycles"; but patients who received OKT3 therapy had a higher rate of protozoal infections (P less than 0.05). A result similar to that of our previous studies was a strong relation between the number of severe fungal infections and prolonged courses of antibiotics after transplant operation (P less than 0.001). Pretransplant manifestations of severe liver disease such as ascites, encephalopathy, and gastrointestinal bleeding were not associated with higher rates of infection after transplantation, but high serum levels of ALT were. Patients with lower ratios of T-helper to T-suppressor lymphocytes had more severe viral (P less than 0.02) and fungal (P less than 0.01) infections after transplantation.

[Problems in the reconstruction of bile flow in orthotopic liver transplantation]

In hepatic transplantation complications of the biliary drainage were frequently observed. Ischemia of the extrahepatic bile duct which occurs for anatomical reasons can cause necrosis of the bile duct. The reconstruction of biliary drainage by biliodigestive anastomosis results in ascending infections of the graft. Biliary sludge could obstruct the intra- or extrahepatic bile duct. Recently, operation methods are mainly applied in which the function of Oddi's sphincter is preserved, i.e. choledocho-choledochostomy or gallbladder conduit method. If it is not possible to perform these methods the Roux-y-jejunum loop is used. Finally, an immediate operative revision of the biliary drainage is indicated if its complication is diagnosed.

Orthotopic liver transplantation: postoperative complications and their management

The Birmingham liver transplant programme started in 1982. Forty-six patients have been transplanted with a follow-up of 3 months or longer. Twenty-seven patients are still alive, of whom sixteen have lived for more than one year. The 30 day hospital mortality was 30.4 per cent and the actuarial predicted one year survival 55.5 per cent. Four patients have been regrafted for chronic rejection and graft failure. Thirteen patients have required surgery in the postoperative period for: bleeding (two), removal of abdominal packs (four), biliary leaks and obstruction (five), duodenal perforation (one) and small bowel obstruction (one). Acute rejection was common, occurring in 30 patients and progressing to chronic rejection in 4. Ten patients developed renal failure with an 80 per cent mortality and eleven patients developed grand mal fits. Severe bleeding (greater than 70 units) was associated with previous abdominal surgery and a high mortality (88.9 per cent). Opportunistic fungal infection carried a 100 per cent mortality. Although more than half of all transplanted patients will survive for more than one year, the postoperative period is still one of high morbidity and mortality.

Liver transplantation at the Mayo Clinic

A liver transplantation program was begun at the Mayo Clinic early in 1985. Between March and November of that year, 19 liver transplantation procedures were done in 17 patients whose ages ranged from 9 to 54 years. The preoperative conditions in these patients were primary biliary cirrhosis in eight, primary sclerosing cholangitis in four, chronic active hepatitis in three, and biliary atresia and bile duct tumor in one each. The most frequent complication of the transplantation procedure was cytomegalovirus infection, which occurred in six patients but caused moderate to severe systemic symptoms in only two of them. Of the 17 patients who underwent liver transplantation, 15 are alive. Hepatologists have determined predictive factors for survival in potential candidates in order to improve the timing of the transplantation procedure.

Infectious complications in heart-lung transplant recipients

Infectious complications were studied in 14 patients who received heart-lung transplants at Stanford University Medical Center from March 1981 to November 1983. Twenty-nine infections occurred in 12 patients: 18 bacterial, nine viral, and two fungal. Sixteen (89 percent) of the bacterial infections occurred in the lung. Because of frequent colonization of the lower respiratory tract, the specificity of transtracheal aspiration and bronchoscopy was low. Empiric broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy was usually successful, and no patient died of bacterial infection. Cytomegalovirus infection occurred in six and herpes simplex virus infection in three patients. Two patients had invasive candidiasis at postmortem examination. This series emphasizes the importance of infection, particularly of the lung, in causing morbidity and mortality in heart-lung transplant recipients.

Pulmonary aspects of chronic liver disease and liver transplantation

A vast spectrum of pulmonary pathologic conditions occurs in association with chronic liver diseases, and clinically important manifestations, such as arterial hypoxemia, can result. Both pulmonary vascular and parenchymal abnormalities can contribute to the dysfunction, as evidenced by results of pulmonary function tests and gas exchange studies. The clinical implications of identifying such pulmonary problems range from alleviation of symptoms, especially dyspnea, to comprehensive assessment of patients before and after liver transplantation. Physicians should be aware of these potential pulmonary disorders that can complicate liver disease and liver transplantation so that management of affected patients can be improved.

Liver transplants in children: importance for the otolaryngologist

Orthotopic liver transplantation (OTLT) for children with end stage liver failure has doubled 1-year survival rates to over 70% with the employment of cyclosporine and prednisone in conjunction with skilled surgical and medical specialists providing supportive care. The otolaryngology service has assisted in the care of 18 of 61 children undergoing OTLT, particularly in managing respiratory problems that required improved pulmonary toilet and prolonged intubation. The prevention of atelectasis of the lung and subsequent sepsis appears to be improved by prompt bronchoscopy.

An alternative technique of biliary reconstruction after liver transplantation

In ten pigs ligature dissection and side-to-side reanastomosis was performed as a model for biliary reconstruction after liver transplantation. Results were satisfying with no complications, such as bile leakage, cholangitis, obstruction, or stenosis in a follow-up of 3-12 months. The same technique was used in a transplantation program with rhesus monkeys so far showing the same good results.

Fifteen years of clinical liver transplantation

Liver transplantation in humans was first attempted more than 15 yr ago. The 1-yr survival has slowly improved until it has now reached about 50%. In our experience, 46 patients have lived for at least 1 yr, with the longest survival being 9 yr. The high acute mortality in early trials was due in many cases to technical and management errors and to the use of damaged organs. With elimination of such factors, survival increased. Further improvements will depend upon better immunosuppression. Orthotopic liver transplantation (liver replacement) is the preferred operation in most cases, but placement of an extra liver (auxiliary transplantation) may have a role under special circumstances.

Liver transplantation--1978

The development of liver transplantation has been made difficult because of the enormous technical difficulties of the procedure and because the postoperative management in early cases was defective in many instances. With surgical and medical improvements, the prospects for success have markedly increased recently. The wider use of thoracic duct fistula as an adjuvant measure during the first 1 or 2 postoperative months is being explored.