Routine Bile Culture From Liver Donors as Screening of Donor-Transmitted Infections in Liver Transplantation.

Bacterial infections are an important threat in the early post-liver transplantation period. Donor-transmitted infections, although rare, can have high mortality. The utility of routine culture from the donor bile duct as screening of donor-transmitted infection has not been evaluated. We performed a retrospective study of 200 consecutive liver transplants between 2010 and 2015. Demographic, clinical, and microbiological data were collected from the recipients' medical records. Clinical data included pretransplantation, perioperative, and posttransplantation information (until 30 days after the procedure). The 3-month patient survival and/or retransplantation were recorded. A total of 157 samples from the donor bile duct were collected and cultured. Only 8 were positive. The microorganisms isolated were as follows: Klebsiella pneumoniae, n = 2; Escherichia coli, n = 1; Enterobacter cloacae, n = 1; Streptococcus anginosus, n = 1; Streptococcus sp., n = 1; multiple gram-negative bacilli, n = 1; and polymicrobial, n = 1. All of the microorganisms were susceptible to the antibiotic prophylaxis administered. During the first month after transplantation, 81 recipients developed 131 infections. Only 1 of these recipients had a donor with a positive bile culture, and none of the infections were due to the microorganism isolated in the donor's bile. The 3-month overall survival was 89.5%, and there were no differences between recipients with positive donor bile cultures and those with negative donor bile cultures (87.5% versus 89.26%; P > 0.99). Routine testing of donor bile cultures does not predict recipients' infection or survival after liver transplantation and should not be recommended.

Etiology and mortality of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in liver transplant recipients: a cohort study.

Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) in liver transplantation (LT) recipients who progress to cirrhosis has received little attention. We investigated the adequacy of empirical treatment with third-generation cephalosporins for SBP in this population and the impact of transplantation on the evolution of the infection. We performed a cohort study with 138 SBP episodes: 19 in LT patients and 119 in non-LT patients. The etiology of SBP was identified for 73.7% of the episodes in LT patients and for 38.7% of the episodes in non-LT patients (P = 0.004). The main microorganisms in recipients were Escherichia coli (35.7%) and Streptococcus pneumoniae (21.4%). The etiologies did not differ in non-LT patients. The cephalosporin sensitivity was similar in the 2 groups (85.7% versus 78.4%, P = 0.7). LT recipients developed renal failure (57.9% versus 25.2%, P = 0.004) and encephalopathy (42.1% versus 22%, P = 0.08) more often than non-LT patients, and the mortality rates during episodes (52.6% versus 13.4%, P < 0.001) and at 6 months (70.6% versus 34.7%, P = 0.005) were higher. According to a multivariate analysis, the mortality-associated risk factors at diagnosis were a Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score > 18 odds ratio (OR) = 6.1 and being an LT recipient (OR = 4.45). At 6 months, the risk factors for mortality were a MELD score > 18 (OR = 3.08), being an LT recipient (OR = 3.47), a known etiology (OR = 2.08), and the presence of hepatocellular carcinoma (OR = 3.73).

New therapeutic perspectives in HBV: when to stop NAs.

The goal of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) treatment is to achieve seroclearance of HBsAg. Nucleos(t)ide analogues (NAs) are one of the first-line treatments for CHB. NAs produce a potent suppression of viral replication but are associated with a low rate of HBsAg seroclearance and a high risk of virological relapse after discontinuation. Because of these reasons, long-term treatment is needed. They are well-tolerated oral drugs, and it seems they do not produce important side-effects in long-term administration. The duration of NA treatment remains unclear, nevertheless, in some patients NAs can be stopped with a low rate of relapse. HBeAg-positive patients could discontinue NA therapy if they achieved HBeAg seroclearance and maintain undetectable HBV DNA. For HBeAg-negative patients, to stop NA treatment is not recommended. In addition to other factors, serum HBsAg titres during treatment have recently been proposed to guide NA-based therapy duration in selected patients. All patients could be stopped from taking treatment if they achieve HBsAg loss.

Impact of Prophylactic Norfloxacin in Multidrug Resistant Bacterial Infections in the Early Liver Posttransplant Period.

OBJECTIVES: Norfloxacin is indicated as primary or secondary prophylaxis for spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in patients with cirrhosis. A history of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis favors colonization by multidrug-resistant bacteria. Infections caused by these bacteria increase morbidity and mortality after transplant. We investigated prophylactic norfloxacin as a risk factor for multidrug-resistant bacterial infections in the early posttransplant period. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This prospective cohort study included all adult liver recipients in 2 centers between 2015 and 2016. Recipients were classified into 2 groups according to whether or not they received prophylactic norfloxacin pretransplant. Data collection from liver recipients included pretransplant and first month after transplant clinical and microbiological data. Demographic and clinical data of corresponding donors were also collected. RESULTS: We included 157 liver recipients: 54 (34.6%) received norfloxacin and 103 (65.6%) did not received norfloxacin. There were 63 postoperative infections in 47 recipients (29.9%); 17/63 (27%) were multidrug- resistant bacterial infections. The urinary tract was the most commonly affected site (10/17 episodes, 58.8%), and Klebsiella pneumoniae was the microorganism most often isolated (8/17, 47.1%). Incidence of multidrug-resistant bacterial infection was higher in the norfloxacin group (22.2% vs 4.9%; relative risk = 5.6, 95% CI, 1.85-16.89; P = .001).This association was significant after controlling for most confounding factors, including pretransplant vasoactive support (P = .03), Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score (P = .01), previous spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (P = .02), chronic renal impairment (P = .005), number of packed red blood cells (P = .004), use of antilymphocyte globulin as induction (P = .006), and hepatocellular carcinoma (P = .02), but not pre- transplant antibiotic treatment (P = .06). CONCLUSIONS: For recipients who have received prophylactic norfloxacin, clinicians should be aware of the high risk of multidrug-resistant bacterial infections during the first month after liver transplant.

Does Routine Abdominal Drain Tip Culture Anticipate Post-Operative Infection in Liver Transplantation?

Background: Bacterial infections are a common complication after liver transplantation. Usually, abdominal drains are placed at the end of the surgical procedure. The usefulness of routine drain tip culture has not been investigated. Patients and Methods: This retrospective study included 200 liver transplants between 2010 and 2015. We excluded patients without drain tip culture and those with abdominal or systemic complications before removal of drains. Demographic, clinical (pre-transplant, peri-operative and post-transplant) and microbiologic information were collected up to 30 days after operation. Three-month survival and re-transplantation were recorded. Results: There were 94 patients included. Drain tip culture was positive in 78 (83%) patients. The most common isolates were coagulase-negative staphylococci (30.9%), mixed gram-positive cocci (13.8%), and polymicrobial (21.3%). In 26 patients, 35 post-operative infections developed, with no differences between recipients with and without positive drain tip culture (22.8% vs. 25%; p > 0.99). In two patients, Staphylococcus aureus was isolated in drain tip cultures and in cultures confirming the post-operative infection (one catheter-related bacteremia and one drain-related peritonitis). In two other recipients, the positive drain tip culture had an impact on clinical management. All patients survived. Conclusions: Routine drain tip culture in asymptomatic liver recipients seems unhelpful. It may be more reasonable to perform it only in patients with suspicion of complications.