Title: Infectious complications after percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage in pediatric liver transplant recipients
Source: Pediatric Transplantation 2026, 30 (5): e70328
Date of publication: May 2026
Publication type: Retrospective review
Abstract: Background: The gold-standard for the diagnosis and management of biliary complications, particularly biliary strictures in pediatric liver transplant (LT) recipients is percutaneous transhepatic cholangiogram (PTC) followed by biliary drainage (PTBD). Despite the established role of PTBD in managing biliary complications in pediatric LT recipients, limited data exist on post-procedural infection rates and optimal antibiotic prophylaxis strategies. The primary aim was to analyze the complications of PTBD in pediatric LT recipients. The secondary aim was to analyze factors associated with PTBD complications.
Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of children having undergone LT between August 2004 and October 2020 in our center. Patients who developed a biliary complication treated by PTBD were selected. We then compared PTBD patients with complications to those without.
Results: Eleven patients underwent 35 percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) sessions. Biliary atresia was the most frequent indication for LT in 6/11 (54%) children. Ten (10/11; 91%) received a left lateral segment, and all had undergone biliary-enteric anastomosis. Anastomotic stricture was the most common finding on PTC in 22/35 (63%) sessions. 25/35 (71%) PTBD were conducted using one-day antibiotic prophylaxis and 10/35 (29%) using extended-24-h antibiotherapy. Of 35 PTBD sessions, 17/35 (49%) experienced complications, primarily infectious (40%; 14/35). We compared different antibioprophylaxis regimens in 14 PTBD with infection. There was a trend to a lower incidence of infections in the extended-24-h antibiotherapy group (10%; 1/10) compared to the one-day antibiotic prophylaxis group (52%; 13/25) with a relative risk of 0.19 (0.03-1.28).
Conclusions: PTBD is associated with a high rate of post-procedure infectious complications. These complications result in a high burden and morbidity. There was a trend to an association between extended-24-h antibiotherapy and the absence of infectious complications after PTBD.
