Lung

Area of Science:

• Medicine
• Transplantation
• Pulmonology

Background:

• Lung allocation is complex, considering age, geography, blood type, and the lung allocation score (LAS).
• In 2014, a record number of adult and adolescent candidates were added to the lung transplant waitlist.
• Lung transplant recipients in 2014 were sicker, indicated by a higher median LAS.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze lung transplant trends, waiting times, and survival outcomes in adult, adolescent, and child candidates.
• To evaluate the impact of the lung allocation score (LAS) on posttransplant survival.
• To identify survival disparities among different age groups.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of national data for lung transplant candidates and recipients in 2014.
• Comparison of waiting times and lung allocation scores (LAS) over time.
• Assessment of short-term and long-term patient survival rates post-lung transplant.

Main Results:

• The median waiting time for lung transplant decreased to 3.7 months for candidates listed in 2014.
• Despite improvements in short-term survival, 5-year posttransplant survival has plateaued at 42.4% since 2005.
• Infants (younger than 1 year) had the poorest 5-year survival rates after lung transplantation.

Conclusions:

• While lung transplant waiting times improved, long-term survival remains a significant challenge.
• The lung allocation score (LAS) may not fully address long-term survival disparities.
• Further research is needed to improve long-term outcomes, especially for pediatric lung transplant recipients.