Early Infections in Renal Transplant Recipients: Incidence, Risk Factors, and Causative Microorganisms

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to compare renal transplant recipients with and without infection with respect to demographic and clinical characteristics as well as risk factors; to determine the incidence of posttransplant infections; and to study the antibiotic resistance patterns of bacterial species identified as the causative organisms in posttransplant infections.

Materials and Methods: This study included a total of 136 patients undergoing renal transplant in a 4-year period. The patients were categorized into 2 groups. The 2 groups were compared with each other with respect to general clinical and demographic variables and the number and frequency of infectious attacks within a 1-year follow-up, infection type, and antibiotic resistance patterns.

Results: Ninety-two (67.6%) of the subjects were male and 44 (32.4%) were female. A total of 57 (41.9%) patients developed 128 infectious attacks. Urinary tract infections were the most common infections (42.1%). There was a significant correlation between a clinically relevant urinary culture proliferation and postoperative infection rate (P =.002). There was a significant correlation between antimicrobial resistance and the number of infectious attacks (P =.023). There was a significant correlation between the proliferation of Extended Spectrum Beta Lactamase-positive Enterobactericeae species and the number of infectious attacks (P =.000).

Conclusions: Presence of a clinically relevant proliferation in the preoperative urinary culture, which was identified as a risk factor for infection, increased the number of infectious attacks. Moreover, Extended Spectrum Beta Lactamase-positive Enterobactericeae species increased the number of infections. These 2 principle results should be taken into account in patient management.