Lesser tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion and smaller left atrial diameter are independent predictors of the need for right ventricular assist device support after continuous-flow left ventricular assist device implantation. Right ventricular assist device implantation does not adversely affect eventual transplantation or survival after continuous-flow left ventricular assist device implantation.

BP readings at 3 months and 6 months showed a statistically significant association with ≥mild AR following CF-LVAD implantation, with systolic blood pressure at 3 months, aortic valve closure and longer support duration being independent predictors. Clinical implications of these data may warrant consideration of aggressive early control of BP to protect against the development/progress of AR following CF-LVAD implantation.

Summary Transplant recipients require immunosuppression to prevent allograft rejection, placing them at risk of opportunistic infections including fungal infection. Difficulties in managing fungal infections include: establishing diagnosis, poor treatment response, drug interactions and toxicity. We report our single centre experience of treating fungal infections using systemic non‐Amphotericin current generation antifungals. Patients receiving inpatient antifungal therapy from September 2005 to December 2010 were identified from pharmacy records. Fungal infections were retrospectively classified according to European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) criteria. Treatment outcomes were classified in a manner similar to those used in clinical trials. Two hundred and forty‐nine recipients received antifungal treatment, 204 lungs and 45 hearts. One hundred and one patients received Voriconazole, 82 Caspofungin and 65 received both agents. One patient was unsuccessfully treated with additional Amphotericin. Treatment duration varied from 1.5 to 12 weeks. One hundred and sixty‐five patients had a complete response, 24 had a partial response and in 60 patients treatment was unsuccessful. The response to systemic non‐Amphotericin based antifungal therapy was high. We propose that diagnostic criteria without positive identification of a fungus allow treatment to be started early with few clinically relevant side effects.