Improvement in patient selection, management and outcomes in infant heart transplant from 2000 to 2020
Year: 2024
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: OBJECTIVES: The study's primary outcome was to evaluate if post-transplant survival has improved over the last 2 decades. Secondary outcomes were the infant's waitlist mortality, waitlist time and identifying factors that affected the infant's survival. METHODS: United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) database was queried for infants (age ≤ 1) who were listed for heart transplantation between 2000 and 2020. The years were divided into 3 eras (Era 1 2000-2006, Era 2 2007-2013 and Era 3 2014-2020). Non-parametric tests, Chi-Squared, Log-Rank test and Cox-Proportional hazard ratio were used for analysis (α = 0.05). RESULTS: 4234 infants were listed for heart transplants between 2000 and 2020. At the time of listing, Infants in era 3 were more likely to be heavier [in kg (P < 0.001)] and had better renal function (P < 0.001). Additionally, they were less likely to be on dialysis (P < 0.001), on a ventilator (P < 0.001) and on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (P < 0.001). There has been a significant increase in left ventricular assist device use (P < 0.001), though there was no difference in waitlist (0.154) or post-transplant survival (0.51). In all 3 eras, waitlist survival (P < 0.001) and post-transplant survival (P < 0.001) have improved significantly. Congenital heart disease and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation were associated with worse waitlist survival in all 3 eras (P < 0.05). Infants are now waiting longer on the waitlist (in days) (33 Era 1 vs 46 Era 2 vs 67 Era 3, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Infant heart transplant outcomes have improved, but they are now waiting longer on the waitlist. Further improvement in increasing the donor pool, expert consensus on listing strategies and donor utilization is needed to improve outcomes.
Institution: University of Louisville
Language: English
Subfield: Surgery
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W4403758424