Successful Heart Transplantation after Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation of Donors

Impact of prolonged cardiopulmonary resuscitation on outcomes in heart transplantation with higher risk donor heart

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the influence of prolonged cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on outcomes in heart transplantation with higher risk donor hearts (HRDHs).

METHODS

Patients transplanted in our hospital between May 2006 and December 2019 were divided into 2 groups, HRDH recipients and non HRDH recipients. HRDH was defined as meeting at least one of the following criteria: (1) donor left ventricular ejection fraction ≤ 50%, (2) donor-recipient predicted heart mass ratio < 0.8 or > 1.2, (3) donor age ≥ 55 years, (4) ischemic time > 4 h and (5) catecholamine index > 20. Recipients of HRDHs were divided into 3 groups according to the time of CPR (Group1: non-CPR, Group 2: less than 30 min-CPR, and Group 3: longer than 30 min CPR).

RESULTS

A total of 125 recipients were enrolled in this study, composing of HRDH recipients (n = 97, 78%) and non HRDH recipients (n = 28, 22%). Overall survival and the rate of freedom from cardiac events at 10 years after heart transplantation were comparable between two groups. Of 97 HRDH recipients, 54 (56%) without CPR, 22 (23%) with CPR < 30 min, and 21 (22%) with CPR ≥ 30 min were identified. One-year survival rates were not significantly different among three groups. The 1-year rate of freedom from cardiac events was not also statistically different, excluding the patients with coronary artery disease found in early postoperative period, which was thought to be donor-transmitted disease. Multivariate logistics regression for cardiac events identified that the CPR duration was not a risk factor even in HRDH-recipients.

CONCLUSION

The CPR duration did not affect the outcomes after heart transplantation in HRDH recipients.

Up to an Hour of Donor Resuscitation Does Not Affect Pediatric Heart Transplantation Survival

BACKGROUND

In pediatric heart transplantation, surgeons historically avoided donors requiring cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), despite evidence that donor CPR does not change posttransplant survival (PTS). This study sought to determine whether CPR duration affects PTS.

METHODS

All potential brain-dead donors aged <40 years from 2001 to 2021 consented for heart procurement were identified in the United Network for Organ Sharing database (n = 54,671). Organ acceptance was compared by CPR administration and duration. All recipients aged <18 years with donor CPR data were then identified (n = 5680). Survival analyses were conducted using increasing CPR duration as a cut point to identify the shortest duration beyond which PTS worsened. Additional analyses were performed with multivariable and cubic spline regression.

RESULTS

Fifty-one percent of donors (28,012 of 54,671) received CPR. Donor acceptance was lower after CPR (54% vs 66%; P < .001) and across successive quartiles of CPR duration (P < .001). Of the transplant recipients, 48% (2753 of 5680) belonged to the no-CPR group, and 52% (2927 of 5680) belonged to the CPR group. Kaplan-Meier analyses of CPR duration attained significance at 55 minutes, after which PTS worsened (11.1 years vs 9.2 years; P = .025). There was no survival difference between the CPR ≤55 minutes group and the no-CPR group (11.1 years vs 11.2 years; P = .571). A cubic spline regression model confirmed that PTS worsened at more than 55 minutes of CPR. A Cox regression demonstrated that CPR >55 minutes predicted worsened PTS relative to no CPR (HR, 1.51; P = .007) but CPR ≤55 minutes did not (HR, 1.01; P = .864).

CONCLUSIONS

Donor CPR decreases organ acceptance for transplantation; however, shorter durations (≤55 minutes) had equivalent PTS when controlling for other risk factors.

2023 American Heart Association Focused Update on Adult Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support: An Update to the American Heart Association Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care

Cardiac arrest is common and deadly, affecting up to 700 000 people in the United States annually. Advanced cardiac life support measures are commonly used to improve outcomes. This "2023 American Heart Association Focused Update on Adult Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support" summarizes the most recent published evidence for and recommendations on the use of medications, temperature management, percutaneous coronary angiography, extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and seizure management in this population. We discuss the lack of data in recent cardiac arrest literature that limits our ability to evaluate diversity, equity, and inclusion in this population. Last, we consider how the cardiac arrest population may make up an important pool of organ donors for those awaiting organ transplantation.

Heart transplantation in the era of corona virus disease 2019: Impact of the pandemic on donors, recipients and outcome

INTRODUCTION

Since March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has tremendously impacted health care all around the globe. We analyzed the impact of the pandemic on donors, recipients, and outcome of heart transplantation (HTx).

METHODS

Between 2010 and early 2022, a total of n = 235 patients underwent HTx in our department. Patients were assigned to the study groups regarding the date of the performed HTx. Group 1 (09/2010 to 02/2020): n = 160, Group 2 (03/2020 to 02/2022): n = 75.

RESULTS

Since the pandemic, the etiology of heart failure in the recipients has shifted from dilated (Group 1: 53.8%, Group 2: 32.0%) to ischemic cardiomyopathy (Group 1: 39.4%, Group 2: 50.7%, p < .01). The percentage of high urgency status of the recipients dropped from 50.0% to 36.0% (p = .05), and the use of left ventricular assist (LVAD) support from 56.9% to just 37.3% (p < .01). Meanwhile, the waiting time for the recipients also decreased by about 40% (p = .05). Since the pandemic, donors were 2- times more likely to have been previously resuscitated (Group 1: 21.3%, Group 2: 45.3% (p < .01), and drug abuse increased by more than 3-times (p < .01), indicating acceptance of more marginal donors. Surprisingly, the incidence of postoperative severe primary graft dysfunction requiring extracorporeal life support decreased from 33.1% to 19.4% (p = .04) since the pandemic.

CONCLUSION

The COVID-19 pandemic affected both donors and recipients of HTX but not the postoperative outcome. Donors nowadays are more likely to suffer from ischemic heart disease and are less likely to be on the high-urgency waitlist and on LVAD support. Simultaneously, an increasing number of marginal donors are accepted, leading to shorter waiting times.

Cardiovascular mechanism of donor brain death and heart recipient survival

BACKGROUND

Heart donation after donor brain death from cardiac arrest despite successful resuscitation may be associated with worse recipient outcomes due to potential graft ischemia or underlying rhythmic/structural defects. However, selected grafts from such donors often have normal cardiac function and anatomy. We investigated whether a cardiovascular mechanism of donor brain death (CV-DBD) was associated with worse recipient outcomes.

METHODS

We queried the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) database for first-time, single-organ, adult (age 18+) heart transplant recipients and their associated donors between January 2005 and March 2021. Recipients were stratified by donor status (CV-DBD vs. non-CV-DBD). We performed multivariable Cox proportional hazards modeling to ascertain whether receiving a CV-DBD graft was independently associated with mortality.

RESULTS

Of 35,833 included recipients, 2,702 (7.5%) received CV-DBD grafts. The associated donors were significantly more likely to be female, older, and have a history of diabetes, hypertension, and substance use (all p < .001). On unadjusted Kaplan-Meier analysis, CV-DBD recipients had a significantly reduced median survival than non-CV-DBD recipients (12.0 vs. 13.1 years, log-rank p = .04). However, after adjusting for donor/recipient age, recipient comorbidities, annualized center volume, and transplantation era, CV-DBD organ status was not associated with recipient mortality (hazard ratio: 1.05, 95% confidence interval: 0.96-1.13, p = .28).

CONCLUSION

In this analysis of over 35,000 heart transplants, CV-DBD status was not associated with adjusted recipient survival. Donor brain death due to cardiac arrest should not be an absolute contraindication to heart donation, although graft function should be carefully assessed before transplantation.

Impact of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation of Donors on Days Alive and Out of Hospital after Orthotopic Heart Transplantation

Background: The number of patients waiting for heart transplantation (HTX) is increasing. Optimizing the use of all available donor hearts is crucial. While mortality seems not to be affected by donor cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), the impact of donor CPR on days alive and out of hospital (DAOH) is unclear. Methods: This retrospective study included adults who underwent HTX at the University Hospital Duesseldorf, Germany from 2010–2020. Main exposure was donor-CPR. Secondary exposure was the length of CPR. The primary endpoint was DAOH at one year. Results: A total of 187 patients were screened and 171 patients remained for statistical analysis. One-year mortality was 18.7%. The median DAOH at one year was 295 days (interquartile range 206–322 days). Forty-two patients (24.6%) received donor-CPR hearts. The median length of CPR was 15 (9–21) minutes. There was no significant difference in DAOH between patients with donor-CPR hearts versus patients with no-CPR hearts (CPR: 291 days (211–318 days) vs. no-CPR: 295 days (215–324 days); p = 0.619). Multivariate linear regression revealed that there was no association between length of CPR and DAOH (unstandardized coefficients B: −0.06, standard error: 0.81, 95% CI −1.65–1.53, p = 0.943). Conclusions: Donor CPR status and length of CPR are not associated with reduced DAOH at one year after HTX.

Organ Procurement From Poisoned Patients: A 14-Year Survey in 2 Academic Centers

OBJECTIVES

Organ transplant from poisoned donors is an issue that has received much attention, especially over the past decade. Unfortunately, there are still opponents to this issue who emphasize that toxins and drugs affect the body's organs and do not consider organs from poisoned donors appropriate for transplantation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Cases of brain death due to poisoning were collected from 2 academic centers in Tehran, Iran during a period from 2006 to 2020. Donor information and recipient condition at 1 month and 12 months after transplant and the subsequent transplant success rates were investigated.

RESULTS

From 102 poisoned donors, most were 30 to 40 years old (33.4%) and most were men (55.9%). The most common causes of poisoning among donors were opioids (28.4%). Six candidate donors had been referred with cardiorespiratory arrest; these patients had organs that were in suitable condition, and transplant was successful. Acute kidney injury was seen in 30 donors, with emergency dialysis performed in 23 cases. For 51% of donors, cardiopulmonary resuscitation was performed. The most donated organs were the liver (81.4%), left kidney (81.4%), and right kidney (80.4%). Survival rate of recipients at 1 month and 12 months was 92.5% and 91.4%, respectively. Graft rejection rate at 1 month and 12 months after transplant was 0.7% and 2.21%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Organ donation from poisoning-related brain deaths is one of the best sources of organ supply for people in need. If the organ is in optimal condition before transplant, there are no exclusions for use of the graft.