THE USE OF MELD SCORE (MODEL FOR END-STAGE LIVER DISEASE) AND DERIVATIVES IN CARDIAC TRANSPLANTATION.

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Transplantation Medicine
• Medical Prognostics

Background:

• Heart transplantation is the optimal treatment for end-stage heart failure.
• Evaluating potential recipients with complication-aware criteria improves post-transplant outcomes.
• The Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score is increasingly used beyond liver disease.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review existing knowledge on the MELD score and its derivatives for predicting prognosis in heart transplant candidates.
• To analyze the correlation between MELD scores and outcomes in patients undergoing heart transplantation.

Main Methods:

• An integrative review of literature published in the last decade.
• Searches conducted in PubMed and Lilacs databases.
• Keywords used: "heart transplantation", "liver disease", "prognosis".

Main Results:

• The MELD-XI score (MELD score excluding International Normalized Ratio) was frequently analyzed due to anticoagulant use in heart failure patients.
• MELD scores and their derivatives were linked to adverse outcomes in cardiac transplantation.
• A limited number of studies specifically correlate MELD scores with heart transplant prognosis.

Conclusions:

• The MELD score demonstrates potential as a predictor in heart transplantation.
• More research is required to solidify the MELD score's predictive value in this context.