Purpose The coronavirus-2019 (COVID-19) infection is associated with a high risk of complications and death among heart transplant recipients. However, most cohorts are from high-income countries, while data from Latin America are sparse. Methods This is a retrospective cohort of heart transplant recipients followed at a hospital in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, between March 1st 2020 and October 1st 2021. Results Of the 62 heart transplant recipients on follow-up, 21 (34%) were infected by COVID-19, 58 (36–63) years of age, 67% male, body mass index of 26 (23-29) kg/m 2 , 48% with hypertension, 43% with chronic kidney disease, 5% with diabetes, within 2 ( 1 – 4 ) years of post-transplant follow-up. At presentation, the main symptoms were fever (62%), myalgia (33%), cough (33%), headache (33%), and dyspnea (19%). Hospitalization was required for 13 (62%) patients, with a time from first symptoms to the admission of 5 ( 1 – 12 ) days. In 38%, supplementary oxygen was needed, 19% required intensive care, and 10% mechanical ventilation. Three (14%) were infected after at least a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine. The main complications were bacterial pneumonia (38%), renal replacement therapy (19%), sepsis (10%) and venous thromboembolism (10%). Immunosuppression therapy was modified in 48%, with a reduction in the majority (89%). Two (10%) patients died in the hospital due to refractory hypoxemia and multiple organ dysfunction. The incidence of COVID-19 among transplant patients was comparable to the general population in the State of Rio Grande do Sul with a peak in December 2020. Conclusion Heart transplant recipients shown a high rate of COVID-19 infection in Southern Brazil, with typical symptom presentation in most cases. There was an elevated rate of hospitalization, supplementary oxygen support, and complications. In-hospital lethality among infected heart transplanted recipients was similar to previously reported data worldwide despite the high rates of infection in Latin America.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, Brazil, Infection, Immunosuppression, heart transplant, 【초록키워드】 COVID-19 vaccine, therapy, intensive care, mechanical ventilation, Hospitalization, Pneumonia, hospital, Sepsis, Chronic kidney disease, Symptom, diabetes, cough, headache, hypertension, Venous Thromboembolism, Cohort, body mass index, COVID-19 infection, Latin America, heart, Fever, Hypoxemia, Dyspnea, male, Patient, death, Complication, complications, age, Follow-up, General population, Admission, patients, multiple organ dysfunction, Bacterial, renal replacement therapy, myalgia, high risk, Rio Grande, Support, recipients, first dose, supplementary oxygen, retrospective cohort, recipient, state, Result, shown, were infected, reported, required, elevated, majority, comparable, reduction in, first symptom, incidence of COVID-19, patients died, rates of infection, 【제목키워드】 Transplant, heart, Impact, experience,