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Review
. 2020 Sep;17(9):526-528.
doi: 10.1038/s41575-020-0347-z.

COVID-19 and liver transplantation

Affiliations
Review

COVID-19 and liver transplantation

Tommaso Di Maira et al. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2020 Sep.

Abstract

The effect of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on liver transplantation programmes and recipients is still not completely understood but overall involves the risk of donor-derived transmission, the reliability of diagnostic tests, health-care resource utilization and the effect of immunosuppression. This Comment reviews the effect of COVID-19 on liver transplantation and summarizes recommendations for donor and recipient management.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1. Approach to liver transplantation during COVID-19.
Epidemiological screening includes any of the following: travel or residence in a high-risk area, contact with a suspected case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) ≤21 days before, or contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19 ≤28 days before. Clinical screening includes onset of any of the following symptoms 21 days before evaluation: fever >38 °C; malaise or flu-like symptoms; new cough; shortness of breath; unexplained abdominal pain, nausea or diarrhoea; or loss of sense of taste or smell. *Liver transplantation (LT) decision should be made with caution and at least 28 days after presumptive diagnosis of COVID-19. Figure is based on the main international transplant societies’ recommendations (such as AST and AASLD). DCD, deceased donor; LD, living donor. For further details, see Supplementary Box 1.

References

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