Immunosuppressive medications

Abstract

Immunosuppression following pediatric thoracic transplantation is typically centered on the use of calcineurin inhibitors, either cyclosporine or tacrolimus. While there is general agreement on the use of immunosuppressive medications for induction therapy, maintenance immunosuppression, and treatment of acute rejection, there is center-to-center variability with respect to target trough levels, changes in targets over time following transplantation, and selection and use of adjunctive immunosuppressive agents. In this chapter, the medications and therapies used to care for pediatric heart and lung transplant recipients are reviewed and discussed.