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Author Spotlight: Insights into the Effect of Ischemia Reperfusion on Lung Transplantation
Published on: April 12, 2024
Pre-transplant Anemia as a Marker of Short-term Outcomes in Lung Transplant Recipients
Anil J Trindade1, Avery K Fortier2, William D Tucker3
1Division of Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Medical Center North, Nashville, Tennessee; Vanderbilt Transplant Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Medical Center North, Nashville, Tennessee.
Background:
Anemia is a risk factor for increased morbidity and mortality in multiple medical conditions, yet the impact of pretransplant anemia in patients with advanced lung disease on post-transplant outcomes remains under-explored. We sought to determine whether pretransplant anemia serves as a marker of altered inflammation in the host and associates with short-term outcomes following lung transplantation.
Study Design And Methods:
We performed a single-center, retrospective analysis of 238 lung transplant recipients. We assessed for risk factors of pretransplant anemia and identified associations with short-term post-transplant outcomes.
Results:
Pretransplant anemia was associated with increased intraoperative transfusion of packed red blood cells and a trend towards increased index hospital length of stay and 1-year mortality. Conversely, pretransplant anemia was associated with a decreased incidence of acute cellular rejection.
Conclusion:
These preliminary data suggest that anemia may be a biomarker of altered inflammation in the host recipient and influences post-transplant outcomes.
