COVID-19 Pneumonia and Intensive Care Treatment of a Lung Transplant Recipient

Cankar Dal, Hayriye; Eren, Nilgün; Kazanci, Dilek; Yekeler, Erdal; Türkkan, Sinan; Turan, Sema

In the COVID-19 pandemic presently affecting the whole world, solid-organ transplant recipients under immunosuppressive therapy are at higher risk than the general population. COVID-19 infection primarily affects the lungs, and so the risk is further increased in lung transplant recipients. The course of COVID-19 in lung transplant recipients is unclear. Here, we present the intensive care follow-up and treatment process of a bilateral lung transplant recipient who developed acute respiratory failure due to COVID-19, for whom the final outcome was favorable. Antiviral treatment was initiated for the 53-year-old male patient with COVID19 pneumonia, and in the following hyperinflammatory phase, high-dose pulse steroid therapy was administered. The patient was followed up with highflow nasal oxygen, and then he was supported by intermittent noninvasive mechanical ventilation as hypoxia became more severe. With these noninvasive ventilation strategies and good intensive care procedures, the patient was successfully discharged.