Changes in Disease Etiology of Deceased Donor Liver Transplantations Following Acuity Circles Policy Implementation

Introduction: The Acuity Circles (AC) allocation policy was implemented on February 4, 2020, with the primary intent of reducing disparities in access to deceased donor liver transplants (DDLTs). Overall, it has been successful at achieving this goal. However, changes in end-stage liver disease etiology following the policy change have not been well-characterized. Our goal was to understand how primary etiology of disease in DDLTs has changed since implementation of AC. Method(s): Data from the Organ Procurement Transplantation Network (OPTN) and United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS) were analyzed to compare the primary classified etiologies of liver disease for DDLTs overall and based on allocation Model-for-end-stage-liver-disease (aMELD) categories used for AC sharing: aMELD>=37, aMELD 33-36, aMELD 29-32, aMELD 15-28, and aMELD<=14 DDLTs. Time was divided into four equivalent "eras" of 256 days duration by date of transplantation: 1) 9/10/18-5/23/19 (Era 1);2) 5/24/19-2/3/20 (Era 2);3) 2/4/20-10/16/20 (Era 3);and 4) 10/17/20-6/29/21 (Era 4). Result(s): The percentage of all DDLTs for alcohol-related liver disease (ARLD) increased from 32.3% pre-AC to 38.7% of DDLTs post AC. This was met with a corresponding decrease in the relative percentage of DDLTs related to Hepatitis C Virus (from 17.0% of DDLTs pre-AC to 12.2% post-AC), with the relative differences of other etiologies being a less than 1% difference pre- vs post- AC. There is a consistent increase in the share of DDLTs due to ARLD across each Era. The rise in adult DDLTs for ARLD was most pronounced among aMELD >=37 recipients, although similar trends were seen among aMELD 33-36 and aMELD 29-32 groups, but not aMELD 15-28 and aMELD <=14 groups. The median age of adult DDLTs for ARLD decreased consistently over time for the aMELD >=37 group, but not for the aMELD 33-36 and aMELD 29-32 groups. (Figure) (Table) Conclusion(s): Following implementation of AC, there was a relative increase in DDLTs due to ARLD. The younger age and high aMELD scores of these patients suggests these may be largely among patients with acute alcoholic hepatitis. This would align with published data on the overall increase in liver transplantation due to ARLD during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Figure Presented).

Understanding the elevated Lethality of COVID-19 in liver transplant recipients: does immunosuppression management matter? Results from a Brazilian multicentric historical cohort

BACKGROUND Infections by SARS-CoV2 in Liver Transplant recipients (LT) patients are of particular concern, notably due to perceived added risks related to immunosuppression and comorbidity burden. Current literature on this topic often relies on small, non-standardized, and geographically limited studies. This manuscript describes COVID-19 presentations and causes for elevated mortality in a large cohort of LT recipients. METHODS This study was designed as a multi-centric historical cohort, including LT recipient patients with COVID-19 in 25 study centers, with the primary endpoint being COVID-related death. We also collected demographic, clinical, and laboratory data regarding presentation and disease progression. RESULTS 234 cases were included. The study population was predominantly male, white and had a median age of 60 years. Median time from transplantation was 2.6 years (IQR 1-6). Most patients had at least one comorbidity (189, 80.8%). Patient age (p = 0.04)., dyspnea (p < .001), ICU admission (p < .001) and mechanical ventilation (p < .001) were associated with increased mortality. Modifications of immunosuppressive therapy (p < .001), specifically the suspension of tacrolimus, which maintained significance in multivariable analysis. CONCLUSION Attention to risk factors and the individualization of patient care, especially regarding immunosuppression management, is crucial for delivering more precise interventions to these individuals.

2022 CAS Virtual Annual Meeting

The proceedings contain 63 papers. The topics discussed include: a retrospective study to optimize post-anesthetic recovery time after ambulatory lower limb orthopedic procedures at a tertiary care hospital in Canada;a virtual airway evaluation as good as the real thing?;airway management during in hospital cardiac arrest by a consultant led airway management team during the COVID-19 pandemic: a prospective and retrospective quality assurance project;prevention of cautery induced airway fire using saline filled endotracheal tube cuffs: a study in a trachea airway fire model;smart phone assisted retrograde illumination versus conventional laryngoscope illumination for orotracheal intubation: a prospective comparative trial;time to single lung isolation in massive pulmonary hemorrhage simulation using a novel bronchial blocker and traditional techniques;cannabinoid type 2 receptor activation ameliorates acute lung injury induced systemic inflammation;bleeding in patients with end-stage liver disease undergoing liver transplantation and fibrinogen level: a cohort study;endovascular Vena Cavae occlusion in right anterior mini-thoracoscopic approach for tricuspid valve in patients with previous cardiac surgery;and mesenchymal stem cell extracellular vesicles as a novel, regenerative nanotherapeutic for myocardial infarction: a preclinical systematic review.

Management of patients with liver derangement during the COVID-19 pandemic

COVID-19 pandemic has been affecting the whole world for more than 3 years since late 2019. It is often to encounter COVID-19 patients with abnormal liver function, either in the form of hepatitis, cholestasis or both. The clinical implication of such liver derangement may be variable in different clinical scenarios. With the growing evidence of the clinical significance of such liver derangement, it would be clinically helpful to provide practice recommendations to various common clinical scenarios of liver derangement during COVID-19 pandemic. The Asia-Pacific Working Group for Liver Derangement during the COVID-19 Pandemic was formed to systematically review the literature on specified domains of interest, with special focus on clinical management of patients who have been or are at risk of developing liver derangement during COVID-19 pandemic. This Asia-Pacific position statement reports an in-depth review and a position statement on liver derangement during COVID- 19 pandemic. Ten clinical scenarios covering the use of pharmacological treatment for COVID-19 in case of liver derangement, assessment and management of patients with chronic hepatitis B or C, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), liver cirrhosis, liver transplantation are discussed. Specifically, some treatments target the patient's dysregulated inflammatory response during COVID-19 infection and may cause hepatitis B reactivation (HBVr) in patients with current or past hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Current evidence suggests that current or past HBV infection is not associated with an increased risk of liver injury and severe disease in COVID-19 patients. Among patients who received high-dose corticosteroids, various immunosuppressive monoclonal antibodies and inhibitors of Janus kinase, the risk of HBVr exists, especially among those without antiviral prophylaxis.

Acute hepatitis of unknown origin in children. What is the cause?

The World Health Organization has issued a report on 228 cases of acute hepatitis of unknown cause in children between 1 month and 16 years, 10% of them required liver transplantation and 4 died (3 in Indonesia), another 50 cases are under investigation. The adenovirus type 41 is one of the causative agents of acute gastroenteritis in children, characterized by diarrhea, vomiting and fever, often accompanied by respiratory symptoms. Cases of hepatitis in immunocompromised children have been documented;however, there is no available evidence to indicate that adenovirus type 41 can cause hepatitis in healthy children. Although adenovirus is currently hypothesized as the underlying cause, it does not fully explain the severity of the clinical picture. Given this new situation, we have more questions than answers, the reported cases had no apparent risk factors, most had not received the COVID-19 vaccine. Several hypotheses are being evaluated and it seems that the infectious cause is more solid. The possible role of previous SARS-CoV-2 infection in children reported with acute hepatitis is analyzed.Copyright © 2022 Comunicaciones Cientificas Mexicanas S.A. de C.V.. All rights reserved.

Inferior outcomes of liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma during early-COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.

BACKGROUND: Early in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, there was a significant impact on routine medical care in the United States, including in fields of transplantation and oncology. AIM: To analyze the impact and outcomes of early COVID-19 pandemic on liver transplantation (LT) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in the United States. METHODS: WHO declared COVID-19 as a pandemic on March 11, 2020. We retrospectively analyzed data from the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) database regarding adult LT with confirmed HCC on explant in 2019 and 2020. We defined pre-COVID period from March 11 to September 11, 2019, and early-COVID period as from March 11 to September 11, 2020. RESULTS: Overall, 23.5% fewer LT for HCC were performed during the COVID period (518 vs 675, P < 0.05). This decrease was most pronounced in the months of March-April 2020 with a rebound in numbers seen from May-July 2020. Among LT recipients for HCC, concurrent diagnosis of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis significantly increased (23 vs 16%) and alcoholic liver disease (ALD) significantly decreased (18 vs 22%) during the COVID period. Recipient age, gender, BMI, and MELD score were statistically similar between two groups, while waiting list time decreased during the COVID period (279 days vs 300 days, P = 0.041). Among pathological characteristics of HCC, vascular invasion was more prominent during COVID period (P < 0.01), while other features were the same. While the donor age and other characteristics remained same, the distance between donor and recipient hospitals was significantly increased (P < 0.01) and donor risk index was significantly higher (1.68 vs 1.59, P < 0.01) during COVID period. Among outcomes, 90-day overall and graft survival were the same, but 180-day overall and graft were significantly inferior during COVID period (94.7 vs 97.0%, P = 0.048). On multivariable Cox-hazard regression analysis, COVID period emerged as a significant risk factor of post-transplant mortality (Hazard ratio 1.85; 95%CI: 1.28-2.68, P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: During COVID period, there was a significant decrease in LTs performed for HCC. While early postoperative outcomes of LT for HCC were same, the overall and graft survival of LTs for HCC after 180 days were significantly inferior.

Comparison of Transplant Pharmacist Treatment Decisions Between Telehealth and Clinic Visits.

Introduction: Implementation of telehealth in high-risk patient populations provides opportunities for continuous interactions and has previously been shown to positively impact practice. However, there is a paucity of studies focused on telehealth in the liver transplant population specific to pharmacist care. Project Aim: Describe the importance of transplant pharmacist treatment decisions between telehealth, in-clinic, and asynchronous (eg chart review and electronic message support) visit types. Design: This was a single-center comparative evaluation of adult liver transplant recipients transplanted between May 1, 2020 and October 31, 2020 with a transplant pharmacist visit between May 1, 2020 and November 30, 2020. The primary outcome was the average number of treatment decisions per encounter and the average number of important treatment decisions per encounter. The importance of these treatment decisions was determined by a panel of three clinicians. Results: Twenty-eight patients met the inclusion criteria with 85 in-clinic, 42 telehealth, and 55 asynchronous visits. For all treatment decisions, there was no statistical difference in average number of treatment decisions per encounter between telehealth visits and in-clinic visits with an odds ratio (OR) of 0.822 (95% CI, 0.674-1.000; P = 0.051). Similarly, for important treatment decisions, there was no statistical difference between telehealth visits and in-clinic visits (OR 0.847; 95% CI, 0.642-1.116; P = 0.238). Conclusion: Transplant pharmacists can deliver recommendations with similar importance via telehealth compared to in-clinic visits based on the number of total and important treatment decisions.

Etiology of Severe Acute Hepatitis in a Pediatric Transplant Center in Japan.

The proportion of pediatric cases with severe acute hepatitis of unknown etiology in the coronavirus disease 2019 era was higher than that in the pre-coronavirus disease 2019 era in Japan's largest pediatric transplant center. Further research and monitoring are essential.

The impact of COVID-19 on liver transplantation: challenges and perspectives.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic presented unique challenges to patients with decompensated cirrhosis awaiting transplant, with respect to accessing medical facilities for routine clinic visits, imaging, laboratory workup, or endoscopies. There was a delay in organ procurement that led to a decrease in the number of liver transplants (LTs) and an increase in the morality of waitlisted patients at the beginning of the pandemic. LT numbers later equalized to pre-pandemic numbers due to combined efforts and adaptability of transplant centers as well as dynamic guidelines. Due to being immunosuppressed, the demographics of LT patients were at an increased risk of infection. Although there is a higher rate of mortality and morbidity in patients with chronic liver disease, LT itself is not a risk factor for mortality in COVID-19. There was no difference in overall mortality in LT patients compared to non-LT patients, and mortality risk factors were the same: age, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and chronic kidney disease. The most common causes of death were respiratory complications. Liver-related deaths were reported in 1.6% of patients. The optimal timing of liver transplantation post-infection depends on various factors, such as the severity of liver injury, the presence of comorbidities, and the progression of the underlying liver disease. There is not enough data available on COVID-19 cholangiopathy and the number of cases that will be seen in the future that will require LT. There are some concerns of lower immunogenicity of COVID-19 vaccines in LT patients but available evidence suggests that the vaccines are safe and well-tolerated.