Abstract

Material/Methods: 36 heart transplant recipients have been evaluated during the first 8 weeks after OHT. Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and Puzynski Mania Rating Scale were used every week in each patient. Cox regression analysis was used to specify, which of 11 studied demographic and medical factors could influence the time of the occurrence of the first depression episode. Kaplan-Meier curves enabled us to track the periods of the highest morbidity risk.
Results: The probability of mood elevation during the first eight weeks after transplantation was 27.8%. The fi rst episode most commonly took place during the first fortnight after the transplantation. None of the studied factors proved to have any effect on the time of the occurrence of the first episode of mood
elevation. The probability of depression during the first 8 weeks after the transplantation was 63.9%. The first episode most commonly took place during the first three weeks after the transplantation. Depression syndromes occurred earlier in patients with more numerous "false alarms" (number of requests to arrive to medical centre not finished with transplantation), and accompanying diseases. For depressions of more severe nature a low mean level of cyclosporine had an additional contribution.
Conclusions: The first episode of mood disorders is most frequently present in the first three weeks after cardiac transplantation. Depression episodes occur earlier in patients with somatic accompanying diseases and low cyclosporine level.

Keywords: Heart Transplantation