Prevention and Treatment of CMV in Transplant Patients: The Pharmacist's Role

PROGRAM SUMMARY

This program is intended to provide attendees with the latest information about the prevention and treatment of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections in solid organ transplant patients. The faculty will review the epidemiology, pathogenesis, and typical patient presentation of CMV disease; discuss the impact of early infection on long-term outcomes in transplant patients; describe the current and future role of preemptive antiviral drug therapy; and discuss the relationship between dosing and efficacy of antiviral agents for CMV disease.

OBJECTIVES

At the conclusion of this program, attendees should be able to:

Describe the impact of CMV disease on long-term outcomes in solid organ transplant.
Describe the role of preemptive therapy in the management of CMV disease in transplant patients.
Define the syndrome of "late-onset CMV disease."
Summarize the current strategies for the prevention of CMV disease and advantages/disadvantages of oral antiviral treatment.
Describe the relationship between the dose of antiviral agents and efficacy in preventing symptomatic CMV disease.
List the risk factors for antiviral resistance.

Target Audience

This program is designed for pharmacists and technicians who are interested in the prevention and management of cytomegalovirus in solid organ transplant patients.