Invasive pneumococcal infections in pediatric cardiac transplant patients

Background. Bacterial infections cause significant morbidity and mortality in cardiac transplant patients. Because Streptococcus pneumoniae is the mos t prominent bacterial pathogen of childhood, the objective of this study wa s to define the role of S. pneumoniae as a pathogen in the cardiac transpla nt population. Methods. Medical records of cardiac transplant patients from March, 1990, t hrough November, 2000, were reviewed to identify invasive pneumococcal infe ctions after transplantation. Demographic, clinical and microbiologic data were reviewed. Results. Nine (11%) of 80 patients had 12 episodes of pneumococcal bacterem ia for an incidence rate of 39 cases/1000 patient years. Patients who were African-American, transplanted before 2 years of age and transplanted becau se of idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy were at increased risk of invasive pneumococcal disease (P < 0.05). Six patients were eligible for the 23-vale nt pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine before their first invasive infectio n, but only 1 had received it at the recommended age. Most isolates (82%) w ere penicillin-susceptible, and no single serotype predominated. There were 2 deaths in the study group, but each was unrelated to infection. Three pa tients (33%) had recurrent invasive disease with a second serotype an avera ge of 12 months after the first infection. Conclusions. The incidence of pneumococcal bacteremia in cardiac transplant patients is higher than in the general pediatric population. Risks for inf ection were being African-American, being younger than 2 years at the time of transplant and being transplanted because of idiopathic cardiomyopathy. It is plausible that pneumococcal vaccine would decrease this risk.