Clinical features of pulmonary infection at different stages after renal transplantation / 中国感染与化疗杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the clinical features and prognosis of pulmonary infection at different stages after renal transplantation.Methods Medical records of 61 patients with pulmonary infection after renal transplantation from January 2003 to July 2008 in our hospital were reviewed in this retrospective study. According to stages of infection onset, we divided all patients into two groups, early onset group (43/61, 70.5%, ≤12 months after transplantation) and late onset group (18/61, 29.5%, >12 months after transplantation). Clinical manifestations and prognosis were compared between the two groups.Results In the early onset group, the radiographic manifestation suggested diffuse interstitial changes of bilateral lungs. Combination of anti-infective therapy and early mechanical ventilation was preferred. While in the late onset group, unilateral pulmonary lesions were seen in most cases. More patients showed cardiac and gastrointestinal complications in this group, the mortality of which was much higher. Conclusions Pulmonary infection is a major complication of renal transplantation. The etiology, clinical characteristics and prognosis of infection varies with the stage after transplantation. Effective preventive and therapeutic measures should be applied more vigorously in patients with pulmonary infection, especially early onset ones.