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Updated: Nov 18, 2025
09:12
A Pre-Clinical Porcine Model of Orthotopic Heart Transplantation
Published on: April 27, 2019
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Post-Heart Transplant Care Pathway's Impact on Reducing Length of Stay
Lisa Guertin1, Melinda Earle, Todd Dardas
1University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle (Ms Guertin and Dr Dardas); Rush University College of Nursing, Chicago, Illinois (Dr Earle); and Decision Patterns, Oakland, California (Dr Brown).
Journal of Nursing Care Quality
|February 3, 2021
Summary
Reducing heart transplant length of stay (LOS) is crucial. Optimizing calcineurin inhibitor levels and diuretic use can significantly shorten hospital LOS, improving patient flow and reducing costs.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Surgery
- Transplantation Medicine
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Prolonged length of stay (LOS) in heart transplant recipients increases costs, resource utilization, and morbidity.
- A specific heart transplant center faced a mean index LOS of 23 days, exceeding the 10-day target set by the institutional care pathway.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify key factors influencing prolonged length of stay (LOS) in post-heart transplant patients.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of interventions aimed at reducing LOS in heart transplant recipients.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective regression analysis of 41 post-heart transplant patients to determine factors associated with LOS.
- Modification and reintroduction of the post-heart transplant care pathway and order set.
Main Results:
- Key factors contributing to prolonged LOS included time to first therapeutic calcineurin inhibitor level, time to discontinuation of intravenous diuretics, and time spent outside therapeutic calcineurin inhibitor range.
- Implementation of interventions resulted in an average reduction of 8 days in mean LOS.
Conclusions:
- Increased awareness and education regarding LOS are vital for healthcare teams.
- Consistent application of standardized care pathways significantly contributes to reducing length of stay in heart transplant patients.
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