Pretransplant Fecal Carriage of Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase–producing Enterobacteriaceae and Infection after Liver Transplant, France

Bacterial infection after liver transplant is fairly common, mostly because liver transplant patients are severely ill and the surgery is very complex. Adding to the seriousness of this situation is that some bacteria are resistant to many antimicrobial drugs. However, treating all infections as drug resistant would lead to even more drug resistance, so only patients at highest risk should receive the most powerful drugs. But who is at highest risk? A recent study in France screened fecal samples of liver transplant candidates and found that post-operative infections were most likely for those patients who already had certain bacteria in their feces before surgery. Thus, fecal screening for those multiresistant bacteria should be considered for all liver transplant candidates so that if post-operative infection develops, those at high risk can receive the most specific drugs right away.