News
Alpha-1 patient in Canada doing well after getting lung transplant despite infection with H1N1 (swine flu) virus
CBC News
EDMONTON, Alberta—A 50-year-old Canadian with Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency underwent a successful double lung transplant last year in Edmonton even though he was infected with the H1N1 virus at the time of the surgery, doctors reported this month.
The man was short of breath with end-stage lung disease at the time that he was admitted for a double lung transplant.
Transplant patients receive drugs to suppress their immune system to prevent rejection of the transplanted organs, which can increase their risk for infections like flu.
When he was admitted, he had flu-like symptoms, including malaise. As a safety measure, a swab was taken, and he was started on antiviral treatment.
Just after the operation, his swab came back positive for H1N1, said Dr. Mohammed Al Aklabi of the cardiac surgery division at the University of Alberta in Edmonton.
