Particularity of infection after heart transplantation in children

Abstract

Since the revised Japanese Organ Transplant Act was issued in 2010, brain dead organ donation from children (<15 years of age) has been able to be performed and 26 pediatric heart transplantations were done before the end of 2017. In regard to infection after pediatric heart transplantation: 1, children are not exposed to as many kinds of pathogenic organisms prior to transplantation as adults; 2, there many infectious factors in daily life circumstances around children; and 3, different management methods depending on the age are required to prevent and control infection. To manage infection after heart transplantation in children, education of family and school officials is as important as medical strategies.