Infectious complications of liver transplantation

KY Yuen, CM Lo, ST Fan
Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Pokfulam, Hong Kong

Sixteen (50%) of the 32 patients who received liver transplantations from October 1991 to March 1993 at Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong, developed viral, bacterial, or fungal infections. The viral infections were largely a result of immunosuppression while accidental bowel perforation, bile leak at the anastomosis, and delayed onset of stricture of the bile duct anastomosis were responsible for the intra-abdominal bacterial or fungal infections. Although the incidence of infectious complications was high, all patients were managed effectively and only one patient with lymphoproliferative disorder died. Infectious complications can lead to a prolonged hospital stay and a substantially increased hospital cost. The adoption of new immunosuppressive regimes that can better prevent acute graft rejection and adherence to meticulous surgical technique will help to reduce the infectious complications of liver transplantation in the future.

Hong Kong Med J 1997;3:83-8

Key words: Transplantation, liver; Postoperative complications; Bacterial infections; Viral infections