Cadaveric donor LT recipients had high infection, mortality rates

PHILADELPHIA — Cadaveric donor liver transplant recipients had higher rates of infectious complications, worse in-hospital outcomes and mortality compared with living donor liver transplant recipients, according to data presented at IDWeek 2014.

Researchers analyzed medical records of 148 liver transplant recipients from the Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Yangsan, Korea, between May 2010 and March 2014 to determine clinical outcomes and infectious complication between patients who underwent cadaveric donor liver transplantation (CDLT) and living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). Among the patients, 151 transplantations were performed and 60.8% of patients underwent LDLT.

CDLT patients had a greater incidence rate of infectious complication (71.4% vs. 27.8%); higher 100-day mortality rate (27.6% vs. 4.4%); longer post-transplant admission day (50.9±33.6 days vs. 32.13±21.8 days); and longer stay in the intensive care unit after surgery (23.5±12.7 days vs. 10.9±8.9 days) compared with the LDLT group.

Bacterial infections were the most common type of infectious complication (85.9%), then fungal (7.8%) and viral infections (4.7%). Twenty-four patients developed intra-abdominal infection, which was more common among the CDLT patients (n=15) compared with the LDLT patients (n=9; P=.008).

“Our data showed more frequent infectious complication, higher mortality and poor in-hospital outcome in the CDLT group than LDLT group,” the researchers wrote in the abstract. “Different in-hospital managing strategies should be considered in the CDLT group to reduce infectious complication and mortality.”

For more information:

Lee SJ. Abstract 447. Presented at: IDWeek 2014, Oct. 8-12; Philadelphia.

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.