COVID-19 Infection in Heart Transplant Recipients: Results of a Six-Month Prospective Survey-Based Study

• Published in: Acta medica Iranica Vol. 60; no. 6; p. 329
• Main Authors: Lalehfar, Vahideh, Larti, Farnoosh, Mehrakizadeh, Ali, Bakhshandeh, Alireza, Badkoubeh, Roya Sattarzadeh, Mohammadzadeh, Shabnam, Sardari, Akram
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Tehran Tehran University of Medical Sciences 12.07.2022
• Subjects: Activities of daily living; Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Heart transplantation; Immunosuppression; Infections; Preventive self-care measures; Telephone-based survey; Transplants & implants
• ISSN: 0044-6025; 1735-9694
• DOI: 10.18502/acta.v60i6.10037

Solid-organ transplantation recipients were assumed highly vulnerable to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, the results of previous studies in patients with orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT) under immunosuppressive therapy are contradictory. Therefore, we aimed to assess the prevalence of COVID-19 infection and associated risk factors, along with the six-month outcomes in COVID-19 positive OHT patients. This single-center telephone-based survey was conducted on OHT patients. Using a detailed questionnaire, exposure to COVID-19, related symptoms, and preventive self-care measures were collected. Outcomes of COVID-19-positive patients were reassessed using another survey six months later. 118 OHT patients (male: n=87, 73.7%) were included with a mean age of 45.3±13.1 years. Sixteen patients (13.5%) reported one or more symptoms compatible with COVID-19, of whom 12 (10.2%) tested positive. Our results indicated no statistically significant association between COVID-19 and comorbidities. Poor adherence to self-care measures and contact with positive index cases were both significantly associated with COVID-19 infection (P<0.001). A later six months follow-up showed that two out of 12 (16.6%) COVID-19 positive OHT patients died. There was no statistically significant difference between the prevalence of COVID-19 in our patients compared to Iran’s general population (P=0.152). Non-compliance with personal protective protocols and a history of contact with COVID-19 cases were the most risk factors for COVID-19 infection in OHT patients.