Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 Jan 1;105(1):187-192.
doi: 10.1097/TP.0000000000003522.

Trends in Lung Transplantation Practices Across the United States During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Ernest G Chan  1 , Patrick G Chan  1 , Takashi Harano  1 , John P Ryan  1 , Matthew R Morrell  2 , Pablo G Sanchez  1
Affiliations

Trends in Lung Transplantation Practices Across the United States During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Ernest G Chan et al. Transplantation. .

Abstract

Background: The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on adult lung transplants and report practice changes in the United States.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of a public dataset from the United Network for Organ Sharing was performed regarding adult lung transplantation (January 19, 2020-June 30, 2020). Data were stratified into 3 periods: pre-COVID-19 (January 19, 2020-March 14, 2020), first COVID-19 era (March 15, 2020-May 8, 2020), and second COVID-19 era (May 9, 2020-June 30, 2020). Weekly changes in waitlist inactivations (COVID-19 precautions or not), waitlist additions, transplant volume, and donor recovery were examined across eras and changes across era were correlated.

Results: During the first COVID-19 era, 301 patients were added to the waitlist, representing a 40% decrease when compared to the prior 8-week period. This was followed by a significant increase in listing during the second COVID-19 era (t = 2.16, P = 0.032). Waitlist inactivations decreased in the second COVID-19 era from the first COVID-19 era (t = 3.60, P < 0.001). There was no difference in waitlist inactivations between the pre-COVID era and the second COVID-19 era (P = 0.10). Weekly volume was not associated with trends in COVID-19 cases across any era, but was negatively associated with waitlist inactivations due to COVID-19 precautions entering the first COVID-19 era (r = -0.73, P = 0.04) and second COVID-19 era (r = -0.89, P = 0.003).

Conclusions: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States experienced a decrease in lung transplant volume. While overall volume has returned to normal, additional studies are needed to identify areas of improvement to better prepare for future pandemics.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no funding or conflicts of interest.

References

    1. Abuzeineh M, Desai N, Brennan DC, et al. COVID-19 early after a deceased donor kidney transplant surgery. Transplantation. 2020;104:e354–e355.
    1. Cholankeril G, Podboy A, Alshuwaykh OS, et al. Early impact of COVID-19 on solid organ transplantation in the United States. Transplantation. 2020;104:2221–2224.
    1. Reddy MS, Hakeem AR, Klair T, et al. Trinational study exploring the early impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Organ Donation and liver transplantation at national and unit levels. Transplantation. 2020;104:2234–2243.
    1. Woolley AE, Mehra MR. Dilemma of organ donation in transplantation and the COVID-19 pandemic. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2020;39:410–411.
    1. Yi SG, Rogers AW, Saharia A, et al. Early experience with COVID-19 and solid organ transplantation at a US high-volume transplant center. Transplantation. 2020;104:2208–2214.

LinkOut - more resources