Guidelines for the selection of lung-transplant candidates

Lung transplantation can improve survival and quality of life in select patients with end-stage lung disease. Because of the limited availability of donor lungs and limited post-transplant survival of recipients, selection of candidates that are most likely to benefit from transplantation is of utmost importance.

Since the revision of 2006 international guidelines for the selection of lung-transplant candidates, new literature has emerged to improve our understanding of disease-specific prognosis and the impact of nonpulmonary comorbidities on post-transplant outcomes. Further published data on the cumulative effect of multiple comorbidities have allowed transplant professionals to better define the high-risk recipient. Applying each of the above principles to the evaluation of potential lung-transplant recipients will allow optimal allocation of donor organs to recipients that are most likely to benefit.

This article will review the most recent literature in the field in order to provide an updated framework for the optimal selection of candidates for lung transplantation.