title: Liver transplanted patients with donors older than 60 years require more hospital resources.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The increasing utilization of organs from older donors to fulfill the increasing demand for transplantation has been associated with an increased complication rate and shorter graft survival. Nevertheless, few studies have evaluated the impact of these donors on resource utilization. We sought to evaluate hospital resource utilization during the first year after liver transplantation among patients receiving a liver from a donor >60 years versus a younger donor.
  
  
  METHODS
  This prospective study evaluated 149 consecutive liver transplantations performed in our center between 2000 and 2005. We divided the patients into 2 groups according to the donor's age; group A <60 and group B, ≥ 60 years. The follow-up was for the first year. Herein we have reported data related to resource utilization, such as number and length of stay hospitalizations, length of ICU stay; surgical and diagnostic procedures including ultrasounds, cholangiography, computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging, as well as external consultations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Group B patient required a greater number of hospitalizations (2.7 ± 2.4 vs 1.7 ± 1.5; P = .006), and a longer length of initial stay (37.5 ± 20.9 vs 27.8 ± 17.5 days; P = .012). There were no differences between groups concerning diagnostic and surgical procedures or external consultations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients transplanted from donors >60 years required more hospital resources in the first year after transplantation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Clinic University Hospital Lozano, Blesa, Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cortés
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Campillo
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Fiteni
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lorente
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Garcia-Gil
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tejero
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Serrano
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D015276:Health Care Rationing; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014019:Tissue Donors