Urinary tract infection and wound infection in kidney transplant patients

Prevalence of urinary tract infection during outpatient follow-up after renal transplantation

Seven hundred and twenty-seven renal transplant patients are reviewed with respect to the occurrence of urinary tract infection (UTI) after renal transplantation. UTI was defined as the detection of both bacteriuria (10(5) CFU/ml) and pyuria (10 leukocytes/hpf). UTI developed in 11 of the inpatients (20.8%) and in 30 (4.2%) of the outpatients during a one-year period. Among outpatients, 12 had symptomatic infections, comprising seven with acute pyelonephritis and five with acute cystitis. Asymptomatic UTI was detected in 18 patients. In addition, asymptomatic bacteriuria without pyuria was observed in ten (1.4%) patients. UTI was more common in patients with diabetes, and underlying urinary tract complications were present in some patients. Administration of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole for about 4 months is suggested to reduce the frequency of UTI in the early period after renal transplantation.

Long-term clean intermittent self-catheterization in renal transplant recipients

Eight renal transplant recipients with neurogenic bladders or lower urinary tract dysfunction were managed with clean intermittent self-catheterization after transplantation instead of urinary diversion. A total of 85 treatment months was reviewed. Of the patients 5 continue to do well after 10 to 17 months of intermittent catheterization and 3 suffered immunological graft failures. In selected renal transplant recipients with lower urinary tract dysfunction clean intermittent catheterization is a reasonable alternative to urinary diversion.

Intrarenal backflow during retrograde pyelography following kidney transplantation

At the transplantation center of Rigshospitalet , Copenhagen, retrograde pyelography is routinely performed via a ureteral catheter inserted during the operation. Ninety-nine retrograde pyelographies performed within the first days after renal transplantation were reviewed. The clinical records of 30 additional patients who had not been subjected to pyelography were also reviewed. Intrarenal backflow (IRB) was seen in 14 per cent of the pyelograms. Upper urinary tract obstruction (29 cases) was observed with equal frequency in the groups with and without IRB. No relationship was observed between IRB and length of warm and cold ischemia of the graft, urinary tract infection (UTI), donor kidney age and graft function on the day of retrograde pyelography. In 40 per cent of the grafts with irreversible rejection within 60 days after transplantation IRB was found at pyelography in the first days after operation. IRB occurred in only 5 per cent of the kidneys with good long term function. Most frequently IRB was localized to the upper pole but was also observed in other parts of the kidney. IRB may be an early radiographic sign of an impending and irreversible graft rejection. There was no evidence that retrograde pyelography increased the frequency of UTI or the number of episodes of irreversible rejection.

Renal transplant wound infection: the value of prophylactic antibiotic treatment

The incidence of wound infection after 310 renal transplant operations was examined. Among the 78 recipients not given prophylactic antibiotic therapy infection of the transplant wound occurred in 25.6%. Among the 232 patients given prophylactic therapy, with narrow-spectrum antibiotic (cloxacillin), wound infection occurred in only 7.8%. This statistically significant difference in incidence was ascribed to a less frequent occurrence of staphylococcal wound infection in the group of patients receiving antibiotic therapy than in the group not so treated. The presence of wound haematoma, which increased the risk of wound infection, was the only factor predisposing to such infection in this patient series.

Wound infections in renal transplant patients

During a 33-month interval 106 consecutive renal transplants were performed. Prophylactic parenteral antibiotics, local wound irrigation with antibiotic solutions and drains were used. The over-all incidence of wound infection was 11.3 per cent. The true incidence in primary wounds was 8.4 per cent and in reopened wounds it was 21.7 per cent. Graft loss owing to infection was 33.3 per cent. Sepsis occurred in 25 per cent and death in 16.6 per cent of the patients with wound infection. The incidence of infections in hematomas was 27.5 per cent. The use of prophylactic measures contributed to a lower incidence of wound infection, while the use of drains and the occurrence of hematomas increased the incidence of infections.

[Transplant pyelonephritis (author's transl)]

Examinations of the urine in 216 kidney allograft recipients resulted in significant bacteriuria in 274 samples of 1,802 urines tested. Bacteruria was found in 30 patients with recurrent or chronic persistent infections of the urinary tract; this patient group was studied by examination of 399 urine samples (mean 13.3 samples per patient). Four patients suffered from urologic complications after kidney grafting and were excluded from the study; 15 patients were diagnosed clinically and/or histologically with transplant pyelonephritis, 11 patients with cystitis. Of main importance for the diagnosis of transplant pyelonephritis were findings of persistent leucocyturia and the presence of antibody-coated bacteria. Both of these findings were repeatedly seen in all patients with transplant pyelonephritis. Clinical symptoms included fever and dysuria. In contrast to patients suffering from cystitis, transplant function detoriated in 13 of 15 patients with transplant pyelonephritis; two patients had to be treated by hemodialysis. Septicemia occurred in eight of the 15 patients studied. The data illustrate the frequency of transplant pyelonephritis as observed in 15 of 26 patients accompaining chronic urinary tract infection after kidney allograft transplantation. As a predisposing factor, obstruction of the urinary tract was diagnosed in eight of the 15 transplant recipients with pyelonephritis. The prednisone dose was higher than 10 mg in eight of 15 patients at the time transplant infection was diagnosed. Successful antibiotic treatment resulted in stable transplant function in three patients; four patients exhibited even lower serum creatinine levels after therapy.

The influence of wound drainage on the infection rate in kidney transplant patients

The frequency of wound infection was studied in 92 patients who had received cadaver kidneys. Wound drainage was performed in 26 patients and not performed in 66 patients. Wound infection was found in 31% of the wounds with drainage and in 14% of wounds without primary drainage. The results were compared with the frequency of 34% infected wounds in a previous report where wound drainage was performed routinely. It is advised that, when possible, wound drainage should be avoided.

One hundred kidney transplants in the Belfast city hospital

100 kidney transplants have been carried out on 91 patients (7 had 2 transplants and 2 had 3 transplants). 4 transplants were from living related donors and 96 from cadavers. 76 patients survive, all but one with functioning kidneys. The cumulative survival of patients was 82% at 2 years and 80-7% at 5 years. 8 patients died with functioning grafts, and 2 of the other deaths took place more than 3 months after removal of a rejected kidney and resumption of haemodialysis. There were no deaths from sepsis in the first 60 days after transplantation. The cumulative survival of all grafts was 82-1% at 2 and 5 years. The cumulative survival of first grafts was 82-5% at 2 and 5 years.