Key result
Early diagnosis and pre-emptive treatment with antivirals and broad-spectrum antibiotics are recommended to manage viral respiratory tract infections and prevent allograft dysfunction in lung transplant recipients.
Early diagnosis, pre-emptive treatment, and preventive measures are recommended to manage viral respiratory tract infections and prevent severe consequences like allograft dysfunction in lung transplant recipients.
May support vigilant monitoring in lung transplant recipients; leaves open need for prospective trials to guide practice.
Lung transplant recipients require life-long profound immunosuppression, making them prone to respiratory tract infections (RTIs), in particular viral infections, during the winter season. Since RTIs may have severe consequences, of which acute or chronic allograft dysfunction is feared most, early diagnosis and treatment are recommended. Patients monitor lung function daily at home and are instructed to contact the transplant center in case of signs and symptoms suspicious of RTIs. We then obtain nasopharyngeal swabs for viral and bacteriological examination and initiate pre-emptive treatment with antivirals, broadband antibiotics, and sometimes intravenous immunoglobulins. Treatment duration is guided by virology sampling results. As preventive measures, we provide vaccination against seasonal influenza for patients and household contacts and recommend specific daily hygiene measures.
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Schuurmans et al. (2014) conducted a review in Viral respiratory tract infections. Antivirals and broad-spectrum antibiotics was evaluated. Early diagnosis and pre-emptive treatment with antivirals and broad-spectrum antibiotics are recommended to manage viral respiratory tract infections and prevent allograft dysfunction in lung transplant recipients.
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