Risk Factors for Recurrent Infections
Risk factors that contribute to infection in mitochondrial disease include:
- Specific immunologic deficiencies (e.g., neutropenia in Barth syndrome and Pearson syndrome);
- Non-specific immunologic deficiency;
- The presence of foreign devices such as central venous lines and ports;
- Risk of aspiration from gastroesophageal reflux and/or neurologic disease or oropharyngeal incoordination;
- Fatigue/weakness in pulmonary musculature;
- Gut dysmotility with bacterial overgrowth and microbial translocation from the gut;
- Urinary retention and incomplete evacuation with/without vesicoureteral reflux and the risk of bladder and/or kidney infection;
- Diabetes mellitus.




