Multiple listing in lung transplant candidates: A cohort study

Area of Science:

• Transplantation Medicine
• Pulmonary Medicine
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Lung transplant candidates may be listed at multiple centers, a practice called multiple listing.
• The impact of multiple listing on transplant outcomes and waitlist mortality is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate factors associated with multiple listing for lung transplantation.
• To determine if multiple listing affects waitlist mortality or the likelihood of receiving a lung transplant.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of data from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients for US lung transplant waitlist candidates.
• Comparison of characteristics between single and multiple listed candidates.
• Multivariable logistic regression and Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess associations.

Main Results:

• Multiple listing was identified in 2.3% of lung transplant candidates.
• Factors associated with multiple listing included younger age, female gender, white race, lower lung allocation score, and cystic fibrosis diagnosis.
• Multiple listing significantly increased the likelihood of receiving a lung transplant (aHR 2.74) but did not impact waitlist mortality (aHR 0.99).

Conclusions:

• Multiple listing is associated with an increased probability of lung transplantation.
• Multiple listing does not appear to influence lung transplant waitlist mortality.