The importance of late infections for the long-term outcome after liver transplantation

We investigated the late infections of 400 consecutive liver transplantations performed in 368 patients. After a mean follow-up of 45 months, a total of 180 late infections occurred in 110 liver recipients. Frequent agents were CMV, enterococcus, candida and staphylococcus. Pneumonia was the most dangerous late infection with a high mortality rate. Late infections were responsible for ten deaths that were all caused by atypical pneumonia. The majority of late infections appeared during the first year after liver transplantation. Thereafter, the risk of infection declined significantly.