Cardiac Transplantation: A Review for the Intensivists

Cardiac transplantation has now become accepted therapy for the treatment of end-stage heart disease in both children and adults, and literally thousands of patients are bearers of cardiac grafts. Because of these patients' susceptibility to infections, rejection, coronary disease, and malignan...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of intensive care medicine 1991-03, Vol.6 (2), p.47-54
Main Author: Mark, G. Perlroth
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Coronary Artery Disease
Graft Rejection - diagnosis
Graft Rejection - therapy
Health technology assessment
Heart Transplantation - adverse effects
Humans
Immunosuppressive Agents - adverse effects
Infection
Lymphoproliferative Disorders
Postoperative Care
Tissue and Organ Procurement
Treatment Outcome
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Summary:Cardiac transplantation has now become accepted therapy for the treatment of end-stage heart disease in both children and adults, and literally thousands of patients are bearers of cardiac grafts. Because of these patients' susceptibility to infections, rejection, coronary disease, and malignancy, as well as to serious illnesses unrelated to their transplantation, they will often be encountered at hospital centers both close to their homes and distant from the site of their surgery. The intensive care unit physician's role will be a demanding one when caring for these patients because of the broad differential diagnosis of infections, frequency of drug interactions and altered immunosuppression, and continuous uncertainty regarding the possibility of rejection, particularly during the first year after transplantation.
ISSN:0885-0666
1525-1489
DOI:10.1177/088506669100600201