The Journal of heart and lung transplantation : the official publication of the International Society for Heart Transplantation
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J. Heart Lung Transplant. · Dec 1997
Multicenter Study Comparative StudyOutcome of listing for heart transplantation in infants younger than six months: predictors of death and interval to transplantation. The Pediatric Heart Transplantation Study Group.
The major limiting factor to successful heart transplantation in infants is the limited supply of donors. To examine the impact of donor limitations on survival after listing, a multiinstitutional study was designed to identify risk factors for death while waiting and for longer interval to transplantation. ⋯ The mortality rate is unacceptably high among infants awaiting transplantation, particularly in patients with HLHS. Infants receiving intravenous inotropes or mechanical support at listing are at high risk of early death while waiting. The distribution of blood group O donors to non-blood group O recipients results in higher mortality rates among blood group O recipients. Greater emphasis should be placed on medical strategies to improve survival while waiting and on expanding existing graft resources.
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J. Heart Lung Transplant. · Dec 1997
Multicenter Study Comparative StudyInfection after pediatric heart transplantation: results of a multiinstitutional study. The Pediatric Heart Transplant Study Group.
Detailed information regarding the spectrum and predictors of infection after heart transplantation in children is limited because of relatively small numbers of patients at any single institution. We therefore used combined data obtained from the Pediatric Heart Transplant Study Group to gain additional information regarding infectious complications in the pediatric population. ⋯ Although most infections in pediatric heart transplant recipients are successfully treated, infection remains an important cause of posttransplantation morbidity and death, especially in infants. Bacterial infections predominate within the first month after transplantation, whereas the peak hazard for viral infections occurs approximately 2 months after transplantation. Cytomegalovirus infections are common in the pediatric transplant population, but death related to cytomegalovirus is low.