Clinical transplantation
Survival and Functional Status Outcomes in Heart Transplant Recipients: An Analysis of Organs From Donors Who Overdosed
By Siebert JL, Mendez JD, Yost J and 1 others.
Abstract
Introduction
Escalating deaths associated with the opioid crisis has increased availability of transplant organs from donors who died of a drug overdose, yet perception of these organs as "increased risk" contributes to their unnecessary discard. Previous research addressing this issue has focused solely on survival outcomes, but quality of life is also a crucial factor in determining transplant success.
Methods
In this study, a secondary analysis of data representing adult, first-time heart transplant recipients from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients between January 1, 2016, and March 1, 2020 was conducted. Logistic regression modeled one-year survival and functional status at one-year, and Cox proportional hazards modeled survival time post-transplant. Non-inferiority testing compared survival and functional status outcomes for overdose donor (n = 2240) and non-overdose donor (n = 9427) organ recipients.