Risk Factors for Mortality in 272 Patients With Lung Transplant: A Multicenter Analysis of 7 Intensive Care Units

One-year survival in lung transplant is around 85%, but this figure has not increased in recent years, in spite of technical improvements.

Retrospective, multicenter cohort study. Data from 272 eligible adults with lung transplant were recorded at 7 intensive care units (ICU) in Spain in 2013. The objective was to identify variables that might help to guide future clinical interventions in order to reducethe risk of death in the postoperative period.

One patient (0.3%) died in the operating room and 27 (10%) within 90 days. Twenty (7.4%) died within 28 days, after a median of 14 ICU days. Grade 3 pulmonary graft dysfunction was documented in 108 patients, of whom 21 died, compared with 6 out of 163 without pulmonary graft dysfunction (P<.001). At ICU admission, non-survivors had significantly lower (P=.03) median PaO2/FiO2 (200mmHg vs 280mmHg), and the difference increased after 24hours (178 vs 297mmHg, P<.001). Thirteen required extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, and 7(53.8%) died. A logistic regression model identified pulmonary graft dysfunction (OR: 6.77), donor age>60yr (OR: 2.91) and SOFA>8 (OR: 2.53) as independent predictors of 90-day mortality. At ICU admission, higher median procalcitonin (1.6 vs 0.6) and lower median PaO2/FiO2 (200 vs 280mmHg) were significantly associated with mortality.

Graft dysfunction remains a significant problem in lung transplant. Early ICU interventions in patients with severe hypoxemia or high procalcitonin are crucial in order to lower mortality.