Outcomes of kidney transplant from deceased donors with acute kidney injury and prolonged cold ischemia time - a retrospective cohort study

Abstract

While deceased donor renal transplants (DDRT) from donors with either acute kidney injury (AKI) or long cold ischemia time (CIT) are associated with increased risk of delayed graft function (DGF), recipients of these kidneys have good patient and allograft survival. There are limited data on whether kidneys with both AKI and long CIT have outcomes similar to kidneys with only one of these insults. Using data from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients, we analyzed transplant outcomes in patients (2005-2015) receiving kidneys with AKI (terminal creatinine ≥2.0 mg/dl) and CIT 24-30 h (n = 1289), 30-36 h (n = 734), and >36 h (n = 614), using kidneys with AKI and CIT <24 h (n = 5434) as a reference. DGF was more common with increasing CIT up to 36 h, then decreased slightly (41.2% vs. 46.8% vs. 52.5% vs. 50.2%, P < 0.001). Death-censored graft survival (DCGS) at 3 years was better with CIT <24 h compared with other groups (92.5% vs. 90.8% vs. 92% vs. 89.2%, P = 0.018). On multivariable analysis, donor creatinine was predictive of DCGS, whereas only CIT >36 h was predictive of DCGS (aHR 1.27, P = 0.03). Recipients transplanted with kidneys with both AKI and long CIT have excellent intermediate-term outcomes.

Keywords: acute kidney injury; cold ischemia time; deceased donor renal transplant; transplant outcome.