Pediatric liver transplantation: patient evaluation and selection, infectious complications, and life-style after transplantation.

Liver transplantation is an increasingly accepted treatment for children with end-stage liver disease. Evaluation of the patient and appropriate patient selection for transplantation will become increasingly important issues as more and more children come to transplantation and compete for available organs. Numerous complications occur after transplantation, including infections. We have summarized our experience with bacterial, fungal, and viral infections in these patients and emphasize the need for continued improvement in immune suppressive drugs and regimens to minimize such complications. And finally, information presented on 65 pediatric patients followed 2 to 5 years suggests that, despite numerous complications and often prolonged hospitalization for transplantation, life-style after transplantation appears to be significantly improved.