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COVID-19 in liver transplant patients: Impact and considerations
Shrouq Khazaaleh1, Mohammad Alomari2, Sanskriti Sharma3
1Department of Internal Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Fairview Hospital, Cleveland, OH 44126, United States.
Insights
The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic presented challenges for liver transplantation, affecting all stages of the process. While concerns existed for cirrhosis patients, outcomes in liver transplant recipients were not uniformly worse.
Area of Science:
- Hepatology
- Transplantation
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has profoundly affected global health systems.
- Liver transplant recipients, particularly those with cirrhosis, were considered a vulnerable population for severe COVID-19 outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on liver transplantation processes.
- To assess the outcomes of liver transplant patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Main Methods:
- Review of transplant policies and organ allocation during the pandemic.
- Analysis of outcomes for liver transplant recipients with COVID-19.
Main Results:
- Significant disruptions occurred in pretransplant, perioperative, and post-transplant phases.
- Despite initial concerns, COVID-19 outcomes in liver transplant patients were not consistently worse than anticipated.
- Transplant policies and organ allocation faced considerable challenges and restrictions.
Conclusions:
- The COVID-19 pandemic introduced substantial operational and logistical hurdles for liver transplantation.
- Further research is needed to fully understand the long-term effects on liver transplant recipients and the healthcare system.
Abstract:
The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has significantly impacted liver tran splantation worldwide, leading to major effects on the transplant process, including the pretransplant, perioperative, and post-transplant periods. It is believed that patients with chronic liver disease, especially those with cirrhosis, have a higher risk of complications from coronavirus disease 2019 infection compared to the general population. However, evaluation of coronavirus disease 2019 effects on liver transplant patients has not uniformly demonstrated worse outcomes. Nonetheless, the pandemic created significant challenges and restrictions on transplant policies and organ allocation.
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