Infections in heart transplant recipients in Brazil: the challenge of Chagas' disease

TitleInfections in heart transplant recipients in Brazil: the challenge of Chagas' disease
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2010
AuthorsGodoy HL, Guerra CM, Viegas RF, Dinis RZ, Branco JN, Neto VA, Almeida DR
JournalJ Heart Lung Transplant
Volume29
Issue3
Pagination286 - 90
Date PublishedMar
ISSN1557-3117 (Electronic) 1053-2498 (Linking)
Accession Number19783174
Keywords*Endemic Diseases, *Heart Transplantation / immunology / mortality, Adult, Brazil / epidemiology, Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / surgery, Chagas Disease / *epidemiology / immunology / parasitology, Coronary Artery Disease / surgery, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Heart Failure / *surgery, Humans, Immunosuppressive Agents / therapeutic use, Incidence, Male, Middle Aged, Opportunistic Infections / epidemiology / immunology / parasitology, Postoperative Complications / *epidemiology / parasitology, Retrospective Studies, Survival Rate, Trypanosoma cruzi / physiology
Abstract

BACKGROUND: Despite the high incidence of infections after heart transplantation, there is limited information about its epidemiology in patients from countries where Chagas' disease is endemic. METHODS: We analyzed the occurrence of infections in 126 patients aged older than 18 years who underwent transplantation from 1986 through 2007 at a Brazilian University Hospital and who survived at least 48 hours. RESULTS: Heart failure diagnoses before transplantation were idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (38.6%), Chagas' disease (34.9%), coronary artery disease (19.8%), and others (6.3%). The respiratory tract was the most common site of infections (40.9%), followed by surgical wound site (18.1%). Trypanosoma cruzi reactivations occurred in 38.8% of Chagas' disease patients: 47.0% had myocarditis, 23.5% had skin lesions, and 29.4% had both. New-onset ventricular dysfunction was observed in 47.0%, with complete response after specific treatment, and 41.0% were asymptomatic cases, diagnosed by routine endomyocardial biopsies. No patient died from such events. No differences in survival were found after 5 years of follow-up between recipients with and without Chagas' disease (p = 0.231). CONCLUSIONS: In a heart transplant population from a developing country, infectious complications occurred at a high rate. Tropical illnesses were uncommon, except for the high rate of Chagas' disease reactivations. Despite that, the overall outcome of these patients was similar to that of recipients with other cardiomyopathies.

DOI10.1016/j.healun.2009.08.006
Short TitleInfections in heart transplant recipients in Brazil: the challenge of Chagas' disease
Notify Library Reference ID590

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