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Volume: 4 Issue: 2 December 2006 - Supplement - 1

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INVASIVE FUNGAL INFECTIONS IN LIVER RECIPIENTS

Invasive fungal infections are common following orthotopic liver transplantation and are reported to occur in 6-47% of liver transplant recipients. The dominant fungal pathogens in liver transplant recipients are Candida spp., accounting for over 80% of IFIs in this group. The aim of this study is to evaulate the fungal infections and the etiologic agents in the liver recipients. A total of 91 liver transplantations were performed between the period 2001 and 2005 at Baþkent University Faculty of Medicine. Medical records of these patients were evaulated retrospectively. Seventeen of ninety-one patients (18%) recieved antifungal therapy. Eight of these 17 patients receieved empirically and etiologic agents were recovered in nine patients. One Aspergillus spp., two C. albicans and six Candida spp. were recovered from four intraabdominal specimens, three respiratory specimens, one from urine and one from blood. Nine of the patients recieved amphotericin B, five recieved fluconazole and three recieved caspofungin. Four of eight Candida spp. were found to be resistant to fluconazole (>64mg/L). Fungal infections are important complications of liver transplantation. Candida spp. are still the most commonly isolated fungal pathogens. The most striking finding is the high resistance rates against fluconazole, a commonly used drug for antifungal prophylaxis. Routine antifungal susceptibility testing of the fungal pathogens seems to be manadatory in this setting.



Volume : 4
Issue : 2
Pages : 161


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