Evolving Trends and Impact of Waitlist Transfusion on Recipient Outcomes Following Heart Transplantation

Background: This study evaluates the clinical trends, risk factors, and impact of waitlist blood transfusion on outcomes following isolated heart transplantation.

Methods: The UNOS registry was queried to identify adult recipients from January 1, 2014, to June 30, 2022. The recipients were stratified into two groups depending on whether they received a blood transfusion while on the waitlist. The incidence of waitlist transfusion was compared before and after the 2018 allocation policy change. The primary outcome was survival. Propensity score-matching was performed. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify predictors of waitlist transfusion. A sub-analysis was performed to evaluate the impact of waitlist time on waitlist transfusion.

Results: From the 21 926 recipients analyzed in this study, 4201 (19.2%) received waitlist transfusion. The incidence of waitlist transfusion was lower following the allocation policy change (14.3% vs. 23.7%, p < 0.001). The recipients with waitlist transfusion had significantly reduced 1-year posttransplant survival (88.8% vs. 91.9%, p < 0.001) compared to the recipients without waitlist transfusion in an unmatched comparison. However, in a propensity score-matched comparison, the two groups had similar 1-year survival (90.0% vs. 90.4%, p = 0.656). Multivariable analysis identified ECMO, Impella, and pretransplant dialysis as strong predictors of waitlist transfusion. In a sub-analysis, the odds of waitlist transfusion increased nonlinearly with longer waitlist time.

Conclusion: There is a lower incidence of waitlist transfusion among transplant recipients under the 2018 allocation system. Waitlist transfusion is not an independent predictor of adverse posttransplant outcomes but rather a marker of the patient's clinical condition. ECMO, Impella, and pretransplant dialysis are strong predictors of waitlist transfusion.