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Background: This study evaluates the clinical trends, risk factors, and impact of waitlist blood transfusion on outcomes following isolated heart transplantation., Methods: The UNOS registry was queried to identify adult recipients from January 1, 2014, to June 30, 2022. The recipients were stratified into two groups depending on whether they received a blood transfusion while on the waitlist. The incidence of waitlist transfusion was compared before and after the 2018 allocation policy change. The primary outcome was survival. Propensity score-matching was performed. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify predictors of waitlist transfusion. A sub-analysis was performed to evaluate the impact of waitlist time on waitlist transfusion., Results: From the 21 926 recipients analyzed in this study, 4201 (19.2%) received waitlist transfusion. The incidence of waitlist transfusion was lower following the allocation policy change (14.3% vs. 23.7%, p < 0.001). The recipients with waitlist transfusion had significantly reduced 1-year posttransplant survival (88.8% vs. 91.9%, p < 0.001) compared to the recipients without waitlist transfusion in an unmatched comparison. However, in a propensity score-matched comparison, the two groups had similar 1-year survival (90.0% vs. 90.4%, p = 0.656). Multivariable analysis identified ECMO, Impella, and pretransplant dialysis as strong predictors of waitlist transfusion. In a sub-analysis, the odds of waitlist transfusion increased nonlinearly with longer waitlist time., Conclusion: There is a lower incidence of waitlist transfusion among transplant recipients under the 2018 allocation system. Waitlist transfusion is not an independent predictor of adverse posttransplant outcomes but rather a marker of the patient's clinical condition. ECMO, Impella, and pretransplant dialysis are strong predictors of waitlist transfusion., (© 2024 The Author(s). Clinical Transplantation published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Introduction: Venous thromboembolism (VTE), such as deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), is an important and serious postoperative complication after heart transplantation. We sought to characterize in-hospital VTE after heart transplantation and its association with clinical outcomes., Method: Adult (≧18 years) patients undergoing heart transplantation from 2015 to 2019 at our center were retrospectively reviewed. Post-transplant VTE was defined as newly diagnosed venous system thrombus by imaging studies., Results: There were 254 patients. The cohort's median age was 55 years. A total of 61 patients were diagnosed with VTE, including one with right atrial thrombus, 54 with upper extremity DVT in which one patient subsequently developed PE, four with lower extremity DVT, and two with upper and lower extremity DVT. The cumulative incidence of VTE was 42% at 60-days of post heart transplant. Patients with VTE had longer hospital stay (P < .001), higher in-hospital mortality (P = .010), and worse 5-year survival (P = .009). On the multivariable Cox analysis, history of DVT/PE and intubation for more than 3 days were associated with an increased risk of in hospital VTE., Conclusion: The incidence of VTE in heart transplant recipients is high. Post-transplant surveillance, and appropriate preventive measures and treatment strategies after diagnosis are warranted., (© 2022 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Currently, clinicians often delay initiation of tacrolimus after orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT) to help mitigate nephrotoxicity. This study aimed to determine if there is an association between the time-to-therapeutic range (TTT) of tacrolimus, early renal dysfunction, and acute cellular rejection (ACR) after OHT., Methods: This was a retrospective, single center study with adult patients who underwent OHT from July 2013 to April 2020. Logistic regression analysis was utilized to examine the association of TTT with new renal dysfunction after tacrolimus initiation post-OHT., Results: In a study of 317 patients, the unadjusted analysis showed patients who developed new renal dysfunction after tacrolimus initiation had a numerically shorter TTT (9.5 vs. 11.0 days, P = .065), and were more likely to have supratherapeutic tacrolimus levels (56% vs. 39.2%, P = .010). When adjusted for established risk factors for renal dysfunction, TTT was significantly associated with new renal dysfunction (OR .95; 95% CI [.90, .99], P = .03). There was no association between TTT and the incidence of ACR (11.1 vs. 10.8 days, P = .64)., Conclusion: When adjusting for known risk factors, a shorter TTT was associated with new renal dysfunction. Supratherapeutic tacrolimus levels were also associated with new renal dysfunction. There was no association between TTT and ACR in the setting of high use basiliximab induction., (© 2021 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Recent studies have shown an increased incidence of primary graft dysfunction (PGD) in patients treated with amiodarone prior to orthotopic heart transplant (OHT). We hypothesized that discontinuation of amiodarone before OHT may lower the incidence of severe PGD., Methods: This was a single-center retrospective study of 381 adult OHT recipients between January 2010 and June 2017. Within 6 months prior to OHT, 197 did not receive amiodarone (Group 1), 142 continued amiodarone to OHT (Group 2), and 42 had amiodarone treatment discontinued before OHT (Group 3)., Results: 53 (13.9%) participants developed severe PGD, 13 (6.6%) of which were in Group 1, 36 (25.4%) were in Group 2, and 4 (9.5%) were in Group 3 (P < .001). Multivariable analysis revealed continued amiodarone treatment to OHT (Group 2; OR, 3.70; 95% CI, 1.26-10.88; P = .018) to be an independent risk factor for the development of severe PGD when Group 1 served as the reference group. Moreover, patients in Group 3 had no difference in the risk of severe PGD (OR = 0.416, 95% CI = 0.08-2.15; P = .296)., Conclusion: We found that discontinuing amiodarone treatment prior to OHT resulted a lower incidence of severe PGD., (© 2020 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Systemic right ventricular (RV) failure may progress necessitating referral for orthotropic heart transplantation (OHT). Pulmonary hypertension (PH) frequently coexists in adult congenital heart disease and can complicate the assessment for OHT., Methods: Single-center case series of six patients (median age 34.9 years [IQR, 31.9-42.4]) with systemic RV physiology with PH referred for OHT evaluation from 2008 to 2017., Results: One-third (n = 6) of 18 patients with systemic RV physiology referred for OHT evaluation had pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) defined as mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) > 25 mm Hg and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) > 3 Wood Units. Two of the six patients were considered OHT-ineligible due to PH and comorbidities. Of the remaining four, two had pre-capillary PH and underwent heart-lung transplant (HLTx). The other two demonstrated reversibility of PVR with vasodilator testing and underwent OHT alone, one of whom died post-transplant from PH crisis., Conclusions: Pulmonary arterial hypertension is common in systemic RV patients referred for OHT. Systemic RV dysfunction places these patients at risk for post-capillary PH but pre-capillary PH can exist. Despite management with selective pulmonary vasodilators and afterload reduction, criteria for listing patients for HLTx vs OHT are not known and need further elucidation., (© 2019 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Transcatheter stent implantation for SVC obstruction following OHT has been well described, particularly in pediatric patients. This study describes a large single-center pediatric heart transplant experience that investigates the risk factors for SVC stenosis requiring stent implantation and its associated outcomes. All pediatric OHTs between January 1, 2000, and December 12, 2016, were examined for risk factors. Twelve of 349 (3.4%) OHTs required SVC stent implantation. Patients who required stents were younger (2.5 years vs 10.0 years, P = 0.0097), weighed less (8.6 kg vs 26.0 kg, P = 0.0024), and were more likely to have had CHD (83% vs 32%, P = 0.001) or previous SCPA (58% vs 18%, P = 0.002). Bicaval anastomosis was not associated with subsequent SVC stent implantation. Symptoms included SVC syndrome and chylous effusions. All 12 patients had evidence of significant SVC obstruction by both echocardiographic Doppler interrogation and transcatheter angiography. There were no acute procedural complications; however, reinterventions were common (four of 12 patients) and occurred at a mean of 5.7 ± 3.6 months poststent implantation. In conclusion, transcatheter SVC stent implantation is safe and effective after OHT. There were significant associations between SVC stent implantation and younger age, smaller weight, CHD, and history of SCPA, but not with bicaval anastomosis or donor-recipient weight ratio., (© 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Infections produced by Mycobacterium abscessus are emerging in immunosuppressed patients, such as solid organ transplant recipients. We report the first case, to our knowledge, of a vertebral osteomyelitis caused by M. abscessus in a heart transplant recipient, and review the risk factors, manifestations, and therapeutic approaches to this uncommon disease., (© 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

This study was initiated to assess the temporal trends of renal function, and define risk factors associated with worsening renal function in pediatric heart transplant recipients in the immediate post-operative period. We performed a single-center retrospective study in children ≤18 yr receiving OHT (1993-2012). The AKIN's validated, three-tiered AKI staging system was used to categorize the degree of WRF. One hundred sixty-four patients qualified for inclusion. Forty-seven patients (28%) were classified as having WRF after OHT. Nineteen patients (11%) required dialysis after heart transplantation. There was a sustained and steady improvement in renal function in children following heart transplantation in all age groups, irrespective of underlying disease process. The significant factors associated with risk of WRF included body surface area (OR: 1.89 for 0.5 unit increase, 95% CI: 1.29-2.76, p = 0.001) and use of ECMO prior to and/or after heart transplantation (OR: 3.50, 95% CI: 1.51-8.13, p = 0.004). Use of VAD prior to heart transplantation was not associated with WRF (OR: 0.50, 95% CI: 0.17-1.51, p = 0.22). On the basis of these data, we demonstrate that worsening renal function improves early after orthotopic heart transplantation., (© 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Mechanical circulatory support has been used for more than 30 yr to allow the heart to recover from ischemia and injury. There are limited pediatric data, however, on the efficacy of ECMO in the setting of post-transplantation support for primary graft dysfunction or rejection. Data from all patients at our university-affiliated, tertiary care children's hospital who underwent OHT between 1998 and 2010 and required subsequent ECMO support were analyzed. The primary outcome measure was survival to hospital discharge. Two hundred and three pediatric patients underwent OHT between 1998 and 2010 at our institution. Twenty-nine of these patients experienced post-transplantation cardiac failure requiring ECMO support, 18 of whom survived to hospital discharge (62%). Survival in the rejection and allograft vasculopathy group was 75%, and survival in patients with primary graft failure was 53% after ECMO support (p = 0.273). Patient survival to hospital discharge was not associated with ischemic time or duration of ECMO. ECMO provides hemodynamic support in the setting of cardiac failure and can be used successfully after pediatric OHT for primary graft dysfunction or rejection., (© 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Data are limited on the efficacy and safety of bortezomib for the treatment of AMR following OHT for pediatric acquired or CHD. Retrospective chart review identified patients who received bortezomib for acute (n = 3, within two wk of diagnosis) and chronic (n = 1, three months after diagnosis) AMR or as part of a desensitization regimen (n = 1). Bortezomib was associated with a 3-66% reduction in class I DSA and a 7-82% reduction in class II DSA. Two of the three acute AMR cases resolved by the first follow-up biopsy. Two patients with AMR resolution are currently well. One patient developed a second episode of AMR, which was unresponsive to bortezomib therapy and required retransplantation for progressive coronary allograft vasculopathy. One patient died shortly after the third cycle from multi-organ failure. The desensitization patient showed transient HLA reduction with two cycles, but died five months after transplant from sepsis. Complications included infection (3/5), peripheral neuropathy (2/5), AKI (2/5), and thrombocytopenia (3/5). Adverse events appear more common in critically ill patients. Bortezomib therapy resulted in variable DSA reduction and AMR resolution in AMR in OHT secondary to pediatric acquired or CHD., (© 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus (VISA) infections are an emerging problem and antibiotic options are limited. We report the first case, to our knowledge, of heteroresistant VISA mediastinitis and bacteremia in a patient with a ventricular assist device who underwent orthotopic heart transplantation with clinical cure., (© 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S.)