title: The impact of MELD/PELD revisions on the mortality of liver-intestine transplantation candidates.
abstract: Patients listed for liver-intestine transplantation suffer higher waiting list mortality than those listed for liver-only, thus leading to policy revisions seeking to close the gap. We sought to determine the impact of key model for end-stage liver disease (MELD)/pediatric end-stage liver disease (PELD) policy modifications on the waiting list mortality of adult and pediatric liver-intestine candidates as compared to liver-only candidates. Analysis of UNOS data separated into adult and pediatric categories and based on time periods of policy implementation revealed higher mortality in liver-intestine candidates over all time periods studied (p < 0.001 pediatric and adult). After implementation of a revision to augment their MELD scores based on a sliding scale, adult liver-intestine candidates with calculated MELD > 15 no longer suffered higher mortality although this change did not completely eliminate the mortality disparity for candidates with MELD < 15 (p < 0.01). The waiting list mortality of pediatric liver-intestine candidates dropped significantly after a revision that gave them 23 additional MELD/PELD points (p < 0.01) although the mortality disparity with pediatric liver-only candidates was not eliminated. Following this revision, mortality in pediatric liver-only and liver-intestine Status 1 candidates was similar, however more liver-intestine candidates were listed as Status 1B. This data demonstrates that a mortality disparity remains for liver-intestine candidates compared with candidates listed for liver-only.
authors.affiliation: Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kaplan
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Halgrimson
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fryer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D007422:Intestines / Q000637:transplantation*; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000401:mortality*; D014850:Waiting Lists