Infectious diseases complicating renal transplantation: a survey and recommendations for prevention, recognition, and management

Risk factors for surgical site infection in kidney transplant recipients

We analyzed the epidemiologic characteristics and risk factors for surgical site infection (SSI) in kidney transplant recipients. From among 1,939 kidney transplant recipients, 120 with corresponding control subjects were evaluated in this study (1:1 ratio). Reoperation, chronic glomerulonephritis, acute graft rejection, delayed graft function, diabetes, and high body mass index were identified in the analysis as risk factors for SSI.

Occult dental infection causing fever in renal transplant patients

Fever secondary to odontogenic infection following successful renal transplantation is reported in three patients. All three patients initially lacked signs or symptoms localizing to the oral cavity, and two of the three patients did not have x-ray evidence of abscess formation. Two patients received antibiotic therapy without any apparent clinical response, and all three patients responded promptly to surgical extractions. Our patients illustrate that fever can be the only sign of dental sepsis in renal transplant recipients, and tooth extraction as empiric therapy may be necessary. Most important, however, is that the dental pathology responsible for their fever could have been detected and treated prior to transplantation. We recommend pretransplant dental evaluation of all patients with extraction of partially impacted molars and treatment of all periodontal disease and dental caries.

Prophylactic antibiotic therapy with cefamandole and tobramycin for patients undergoing renal transplantation

The incidence of infections among patients undergoing renal transplantation has been reported as high as 83% during the first post-transplant year. In an effort to reduce the occurrence of such infections, we evaluated the role of perioperative prophylactic antibiotics in these patients. Thirty-seven patients undergoing transplantation were assigned randomly to treatment groups (N = 20, cefamandole, 1 gm IM every 6 hrs for 8 doses/tobramycin 1 mg/kg IM for 1 dose, starting 2 hrs prior to surgery) and control groups (N = 17, no antibiotics). A uniform infection surveillance system was used. Eighty-one percent (30/37) of patients became infected; 70% (14/20) of treated patients and 94% (16/17) of controls (p = 0.14). Since antibiotic prophylaxis might be expected to exert the greatest influence in the immediate postoperative period, we examined patient outcome data for both the first seven posttransplant days and for the entire hospitalization. Of the 38% (14/37) of patients who developed infections during the first posttransplant week, a statistically greater proportion came from the control group than from the treated group (10/17 vs. 4/20, p = 0.04). These data suggest that this regimen is effective in reducing the occurrence of infections during the first week following renal transplantation.