COVID-19 in lung transplant recipients: A case series from Milan, Italy

Abstract

Limited data are currently available regarding the course of COVID-19 in lung and solid organ transplant recipients. We hereby present four cases of SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia in lung transplant recipients from our center, set in Milan, Italy. We reduced immunosuppressive regimen in all these patients, typically holding the antiproliferative agent and augmenting steroids; everybody received hydroxychloroquine, initial empiric antibiotic treatment with piperacillin/tazobactam, and high-dose low molecular weight heparin. Clinical course seemed favorable in three of our patients, but one of them deteriorated after 10 days of hospitalization, probably due to an acute form of graft dysfunction triggered both by COVID-19 and a nosocomial bacterial infection, and eventually died. Although short-term prognosis could be considered benign in the majority of our patients, we should carefully monitor these individuals in order to detect early sign of clinical deterioration and graft dysfunction in the next few months.