Pediatric heart allocation and transplantation in Eurotransplant |
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| Authors: | Jacqueline M. Smits Josef Thul Michel De Pauw Eva Delmo Walter Agita Strelniece Dave Green Erwin de Vries Axel Rahmel Juergen Bauer Guenther Laufer Roland Hetzer Hermann Reichenspurner Bruno Meiser |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Eurotransplant International Foundation, , Leiden, The Netherlands;2. University Hospital, , Giessen, Germany;3. University Hospital, , Ghent, Belgium;4. Deutsches Herzzentrum Berlin, , Berlin, Germany;5. University Hospital, , Vienna, Austria;6. University Hospital Eppendorf, , Hamburg, Germany;7. Klinikum Grosshadern der Ludwig‐Maximilians‐Universitaet, , Munich, Germany |
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| Abstract: | 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. |
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| Keywords: | heart transplant survival organ donation pediatric transplantation wait list mortality |
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