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Infectious risk in pediatric organ transplant recipients: Is it increased with the new immunosuppressive agents?
Author(s) -
Renoult Edith,
Buteau Chantal,
Lamarre Valérie,
Turgeon Nathalie,
Tapiero Bruce
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
pediatric transplantation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.457
H-Index - 69
eISSN - 1399-3046
pISSN - 1397-3142
DOI - 10.1111/j.1399-3046.2005.00325.x
Subject(s) - medicine , immunosuppression , organ transplantation , intensive care medicine , immunology , infectious agent , graft rejection , adverse effect , transplantation , disease
The risk of infection in pediatric organ transplant recipients is determined by several factors, including age, the types of organ transplanted and the immunosuppressive treatment which has dramatically changed over the past 10 yr. Little information has been reported regarding the infectious complications related to the current immunosuppressive protocols used in these children. This paper reviews (i) the immunosuppressive agents, focusing on their mechanisms of action and on the new regimens, (ii) the infections related to excessive immunosuppression and also anti‐infectious properties or infectious adverse reactions associated with specific immunosuppressive agents. With the new immunosuppressive protocols, the advances in immunologic monitoring, microbiological diagnosis, anti‐infectious prophylactic and preemptive treatments, strategies to minimize the risk of infection related to the immunosuppressive therapy are proposed.