Pediatric heart allocation and transplantation in Eurotransplant.
Pediatric heart allocation in Eurotransplant (ET) has evolved over the past decades to better serve patients and improve utilization. Pediatric heart transplants (HT) account for 6% of the annual transplant volume in ET. Death rates on the pediatric heart transplant waiting list have decreased over the years, from 25% in 1997 to 18% in 2011. Within the first year after listing, 32% of all infants (<12 months), 20% of all children aged 1-10 years, and 15% of all children aged 11-15 years died without having received a heart transplant. Survival after transplantation improved over the years, and in almost a decade, the 1-year survival went from 83% to 89%, and the 3-year rates increased from 81% to 85%. Improved medical management of heart failure patients and the availability of mechanical support for children have significantly improved the prospects for children on the heart transplant waiting list.
Eurotransplant International Foundation, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Jacqueline M
JM
Smits
Josef
J
Thul
Michel
M
De Pauw
Eva
E
Delmo Walter
Agita
A
Strelniece
Dave
D
Green
Erwin
E
de Vries
Axel
A
Rahmel
Juergen
J
Bauer
Guenther
G
Laufer
Roland
R
Hetzer
Hermann
H
Reichenspurner
Bruno
B
Meiser
D000293:Adolescent; D000365:Age Determination by Skeleton; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005060:Europe; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006291:Health Policy; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000401:mortality / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006353:Heart-Assist Devices; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D014019:Tissue Donors / Q000600:supply & distribution; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D066027:Transplant Recipients / Q000145:classification / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014850:Waiting Lists / Q000401:mortality
heart transplant survival; organ donation; pediatric transplantation; wait list mortality