Risk and Epidemiology of Infections After Solid Organ Transplantation

Transplant recipients are uniquely susceptible to infectious diseases due to the nature of their underlying conditions and their immunosuppressed status; consequently infections in solid organ transplantation may be associated with significant morbidity and mortality. These patients are not only vulnerable to a broad range of infectious organisms including those not normally considered to be pathogenic, but also prone to unusual presentations and more severe manifestations of infection. Chapter 7 is an introduction to the risks and epidemiology of infections in solid organ transplantation. It provides an overview of pre-transplantation donor and candidate screening, reviews the classic timeline for infection, and discusses methods for disease prevention including immunizations, environmental control, and post-transplantation prophylaxis.