Summary Background There are few data on the epidemiology and outcomes of influenza infection in recipients of solid-organ transplants. We aimed to establish the outcomes of pandemic influenza A H1N1 and factors leading to severe disease in a cohort of patients who had received transplants. Methods We did a multicentre cohort study of adults and children who had received organ transplants with microbiological confirmation of influenza A infection from April to December, 2009. Centres were identified through the American Society of Transplantation Influenza Collaborative Study Group. Demographics, clinical presentation, treatment, and outcomes were assessed. Severity of disease was measured by admission to hospital and intensive care units (ICUs). The data were analysed with descriptive statistics. Proportions were compared by use of χ2 tests. We used univariate analysis to identify factors leading to pneumonia, admission to hospital, and admission to an ICU. Multivariate analysis was done by use of a stepwise logistic regression model. We analysed deaths with Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Findings We assessed 237 cases of medically attended influenza A H1N1 reported from 26 transplant centres during the study period. Transplant types included kidney, liver, heart, lung, and others. Both adults (154 patients; median age 47 years) and children (83; 9 years) were assessed. Median time from transplant was 3.6 years. 167 (71%) of 237 patients were admitted to hospital. Data on complications were available for 230 patients; 73 (32%) had pneumonia, 37 (16%) were admitted to ICUs, and ten (4%) died. Antiviral treatment was used in 223 (94%) patients (primarily oseltamivir monotherapy). Seven (8%) patients given antiviral drugs within 48 h of symptom onset were admitted to an ICU compared with 28 (22.4%) given antivirals later (p=0.007). Children who received transplants were less likely to present with pneumonia than adults, but rates of admission to hospital and ICU were similar. Interpretation Influenza A H1N1 caused substantial morbidity in recipients of solid-organ transplants during the 2009–10 pandemic. Starting antiviral therapy early is associated with clinical benefit as measured by need for ICU admission and mechanical ventilation.

The present guideline requires formal dissemination to relevant target user groups, the development of tools for implementation into routine clinical practice and formal evaluation of the impact of the guideline on the quality of care of CTEPH patients. Moreover, the guideline will be updated periodically to reflect new evidence or clinical approaches.

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A 44-year-old woman, 3 years post-transplant for pulmonary sarcoidosis, developed abdominal pain and diarrhea 13 months subsequent to an eradicated diffuse large B-cell-type, post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) of the cecal region. Endoscopic examination identified multiple pale tan 5-to-9 mm rubbery nodules of the transverse and right colon in an otherwise unremarkable mucosa. Histology was characterized by bland smooth muscle proliferations, focally pushing into the mucosa. Immunohistochemistry (IHC), in situ hybridization (ISH), and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of the sampled nodules confirmed Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection of neoplastic cells. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of EBV-related post-transplant lymphoproliferative and smooth muscle neoplasms (PTSN) having distinct tropism for the colon. Endoscopic features of early PTSN, which in this case presented as diminutive polypoid lesions, have not been described previously.