The adolescent liver transplant patient

The experiences of adolescent solid organ transplantation recipients, parents, and healthcare professionals in healthcare transition: A qualitative systematic review

PROBLEM

The transition from paediatric-centred to adult healthcare services in adolescent solid organ transplantation recipients is a period of increased risk and vulnerability, the issues related to healthcare transition have become key concerns to the healthcare community.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Qualitative studies of any design and qualitative components of mixed method studies that explored the experiences of healthcare transition among adolescent solid organ transplant recipients, parents, and healthcare professionals were included.

SAMPLE

Nine articles were finalised and included in the review.

METHODS

A systematic review of qualitative studies was conducted. Databases searched were Scopus, PsycINFO, EMBASE, Web of Science, PubMed, CINAHL and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses. Studies published between the inception of respective database and December 2022 inclusive were considered. A three-step inductive thematic synthesis method outlined by Thomas and Harden was used to form descriptive themes and the 10-item Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist was utilised to appraise the quality of included articles.

RESULTS

Two hundred and twenty studies were screened, and 9 studies published between 2013 and 2022 were included. Five analytical themes were generated: 'the struggle of being an adolescent with a transplant'; 'perceptions of transition'; 'the role of parents'; 'lack of transition readiness' and 'the need for better support'.

CONCLUSIONS

Adolescent solid organ transplant recipients, parents, and healthcare professionals faced multiple challenges in the healthcare transition.

IMPLICATIONS

Future interventions and health policies should provide targeted intervention strategies that address the barriers present in the healthcare transition to facilitate the optimization of the youth healthcare transition.

Education and Psychosocial Factors Predict Odds of Death After Transfer to Adult health Care in Pediatric Liver Transplant Patients

OBJECTIVES

To analyze demographic, psychosocial, and clinical factors in pediatric liver transplant recipients for their association with death or loss to follow up in adulthood. We aimed to better understand known health disparities in transplant outcomes and identify potentially modifiable risk factors prior to transfer.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study of children who underwent liver transplantation at a large tertiary transplant center and were transferred to adult care between 2000 and 2015.

RESULTS

During the study period, 101 qualifying patients were transferred. Ninety-three individuals followed with an adult provider, while 8 were lost to follow up. In total 23 of 93 patients died after transfer (24.7%). Several childhood factors were associated with adult death: Black race [odds ratio (OR) 6.59, P < 0.001]; psychiatric illness or substance use (OR 2.81, P = 0.04); failure to graduate high school before transfer (OR 9.59, P < 0.001); posttransplant tacrolimus medication-level variability index >2.5 (OR 5.36, P = 0.04); provider documentation of medication nonadherence (OR 4.72, P = 0.02); acute cellular rejection (OR 4.44, P = 0.03); the presence of diabetes mellitus (OR 5.71, P = 0.001), and chronic kidney disease (OR 2.82, P = 0.04). Failure to graduate HS was associated with loss to follow up ( P < 0.001). On multivariate analysis, Black race, substance use, diabetes, and failure to graduate HS retained association with adult death (each P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Complex, intertwined patient characteristics are associated with increased odds of death in pediatric liver transplant recipients transferred to adult care. Early recognition of high-risk patients and intervention for modifiable factors, such as improved HS graduation and substance use prevention, may improve long-term outcomes.

Not only a small liver - The pathologist's perspective in the pediatric liver transplant setting

Pediatric liver transplantation represents a safe and long-lasting treatment option for various disease types, requiring the pathologist’s input. Indeed, an accurate and timely diagnosis is crucial in reporting and grading native liver diseases, evaluating donor liver eligibility and identifying signs of organ injury in the post-transplant follow-up. However, as the procedure is more frequently and widely performed, deceptive and unexplored histopathologic features have emerged with relevant consequences on patient management, particularly when dealing with long-term treatment and weaning of immunosuppression.

In this complex and challenging scenario, this review aims to depict the most relevant histopathologic conditions which could be encountered in pediatric liver transplantation. We will tackle the conditions representing the main indications for transplantation in childhood as well as the complications burdening the post-transplant phases, either immunologically (i.e., rejection) or non-immunologically mediated. Lastly, we hope to provide concise, yet significant, suggestions related to innovative pathology techniques in pediatric liver transplantation.

African American Pediatric Liver Transplant Recipients Have an Increased Risk of Death After Transferring to Adult Healthcare

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the long-term outcomes in pediatric liver transplant recipients after they have transferred to an adult provider and assess for racial disparities in health outcomes.

STUDY DESIGN

This is a single-center, retrospective review of pediatric patients who underwent liver transplantation between July 1990 and August 2015 at a tertiary healthcare system with a large transplant center. Patient mortality and retransplantation were assessed after transfer to adult care.

RESULTS

There were 120 patients who were transferred, of whom 19 did not meet the inclusion criteria. Of the remaining 101 patients, 64 (63%) transferred care to a nearby affiliated tertiary adult facility, 29 (29%) were followed by other healthcare systems, and 8 (8%) were lost to follow-up. Of the patients followed at our affiliated adult center, 18 of the 64 (28%) died. Of those 18 deaths, 4 (22%) occurred within the first 2 years after transfer, and 10 (55%) within 5 years of transfer. Four patients were retransplanted by an adult provider, of whom 2 eventually received a third transplant. African Americans had higher rates of death after transfer than patients of other races (44% mortality vs 16%, representing 67% of all cases of death; P = .032), with nearly 50% mortality at 20 years from time of transplantation.

CONCLUSIONS

Death is common in pediatric liver transplant recipients after transfer to adult care, with African Americans having disproportionately higher mortality. This period of transition of care is a vulnerable time, and measures must be taken to ensure the safe transfer of young adults with chronic health care needs.

TRANSITION of Pediatric Liver Transplant Patients to Adult Care: a Review

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Many pediatric liver transplant patients are surviving to adulthood, and providers have come to recognize the importance of effectively transitioning these patients to an adult hepatologist. The review aims to analyze the most recent literature regarding patient outcomes after transition, barriers to successful transition, recommendations from clinicians and medical societies regarding transition programs, and to provide personal insights from our experience in transitioning liver transplant recipients.

RECENT FINDINGS

While results were variable between studies, many recent reports show significant morbidity and mortality in patients following transition to adult care. Medical non-adherence is frequently seen in adolescents and young adults both prior to and after transition, and is consistently associated with higher rates of rejection, graft loss, and death. In general, transplant programs with a formal transition process had better patient outcomes though recent findings are mostly-single center and direct comparison between programs is difficult. Societal recommendations for how to create a transition program contain a number of common themes that we have categorized for easier understanding. Successful transition is vital to the continued health of pediatric liver transplant patients. While an effective transition program includes a number of key components, it should be individualized to best function within a given transplant center. Here, we have reviewed a number of recent single-center retrospective studies on transition, but multi-site retrospective or prospective data is lacking, and is a fertile area for future research.

Clinicopathologic characteristics of de novo nodular regenerative hyperplasia in pediatric liver transplant

Liver NRH is seen in all patients age; however, more frequently in those over the age of 60 years and associated with multiple systemic diseases. In liver allograft recipients, the development of DnNRH has been linked with the use of azathioprine or vascular abnormalities. We present the clinicopathologic characteristics of 17 pediatric patients who underwent liver transplantation and subsequently developed DnNRH. The patients were divided into early and late onset depending if DnNRH was diagnosed within or beyond 4 years after transplant. Eight patients (47%) presented as early onset, of which two had normal ultrasound at time of diagnosis. One patient (12.5%) with early onset lost the graft secondary to DnNRH. Nine patients (53%) presented as late onset, of which two (22%) had normal ultrasound at time of diagnosis. Two patients (25%) of the late onset lost their graft secondary to chronic rejection and DnNRH. Two patients (12%) died secondary to cytomegalovirus pneumonitis and pancolitis. Furthermore, both groups presented with symptoms differing from the adult population in prior studies and were not associated with the use of azathioprine or vascular abnormalities. Interestingly, episodes of acute cellular rejection were more common in the early-onset group compared to the late-onset group. In conclusion, DnNRH in the pediatric age group has a different clinical presentation, possibly reflecting a different pathogenesis compared to the adult population.

Adherence to medical regimen after pediatric liver transplantation: a systematic review and meta-analysis

PURPOSE

Adherence to the medical regimen after pediatric liver transplantation is crucial for good clinical outcomes. However, the existing literature provides inconsistent evidence regarding the prevalence of and risk factors for nonadherence to the medical regimen after pediatric liver transplantation. This study aimed to investigate such nonadherence after pediatric liver transplantation and risk factors associated with this nonadherence using findings of reported studies.

METHODS

The electronic databases of Excerpta Medica, Ovid Technologies, PubMed and WanFang Data were searched using the keywords "adherence", "liver transplant" and "paediatric". Additionally, relevant references cited in related studies were used to obtain original articles. Using 22 original articles, data regarding nonadherence to the medical regimen after pediatric liver transplantation were quantitatively combined, and risk factors associated with nonadherence were qualitatively identified. Average rates of nonadherence in four areas of medical regimens were calculated. The heterogeneity of the included original articles was also analyzed. When I ²>50 and P<0.05, a random effects model was used; otherwise, a fixed effects model was used. Moreover, Egger's and Begg's tests were used to evaluate publication bias, if any, and original articles with P>0.05 were considered to have no publication bias.

RESULTS

The clinical attendance nonadherence rate was 45% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 39-51), global nonadherence rate was 17% (95% CI: 13-21) and immunosuppression non-adherence rates were 39% (95% CI: 26-52) and 34% (95% CI: 30-39) for cyclosporine and tacrolimus, respectively. Risk factors included older age of the pediatric patient, low family cohesion, poor social functioning, poor mental health and single-parent family.

CONCLUSIONS

The nonadherence rate in pediatric liver transplantation is high. Therefore, intervention on the basis of risk factors, such as mental health and family function, may be necessary. Moreover, a standard technique for assessing nonadherence to the medical regimen after pediatric liver transplantation, comprising as many dimensions as possible, is required in order to be more objective and comprehensive when assessing nonadherence.

The Health Care Transition of Youth With Liver Disease Into the Adult Health System: Position Paper From ESPGHAN and EASL

BACKGROUND

Medical advances have dramatically improved the long-term prognosis of children and adolescents with once-fatal hepatobiliary diseases. However, there is no generally accepted optimal pathway of care for the transition from paediatric care to the adult health system.

AIM

The purpose of this position paper is to propose a transition process for young people with paediatric onset hepatobiliary diseases from child-centred to adult-centred healthcare services.

METHODS

Seventeen ESPGHAN/EASL physicians from 13 countries (Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and United Kingdom) formulated and answered questions after examining the currently published literature on transition from childhood to adulthood. PubMed and Google Scholar were systematically searched between 1980 and January 2018. Quality of evidence was assessed by the Grading of Recommendation Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) system. Expert opinions were used to support recommendations whenever the evidence was graded weak. All authors voted on each recommendation, using the nominal voting technique.

RESULTS

We reviewed the literature regarding the optimal timing for the initiation of the transition process and the transfer of the patient to adult services, principal documents, transition multi-professional team components, main barriers, and goals of the general transition process. A transition plan based on available evidence was agreed focusing on the individual young people's readiness and on coordinated teamwork, with transition monitoring continuing until the first year of adult services.We further agreed on selected features of transitioning processes inherent to the most frequent paediatric-onset hepatobiliary diseases. The discussion highlights specific clinical issues that will probably present to adult gastrointestinal specialists and that should be considered, according to published evidence, in the long-term tracking of patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Transfer of medical care of individuals with paediatric onset hepatobiliary chronic diseases to adult facilities is a complex task requiring multiple involvements of patients and both paediatric and adult care providers.

Transition after pediatric liver transplantation - Perceptions of adults, adolescents and parents

AIM

To develop a locally adapted, patient-focused transition-program, we evaluated the perceptions of adult and adolescent patients and parents regarding transition-programs and transfer.

METHODS

We evaluated these perceptions by analyzing the responses of pre-transfer adolescents (n = 57), their parents (n = 57) and post-transfer adults (n = 138) from a cohort of pediatric-liver-transplant-patients using a self-designed questionnaire. Furthermore, we compared a responder group with a non-responder group as well as the provided answers with baseline characteristics and clinical outcomes to exclude selection bias, characterize high-risk patients for non-adherence and test for gender differences. Included in our study were all pre-transfer liver transplant and combined liver-kidney transplant recipients aged 11-19 currently under our care and their parents, as well as all post-transfer liver transplant and combined liver-kidney transplant recipients aged ≥ 17 years who had received a liver transplant and were treated at our center during childhood.

RESULTS

Fifty-seven (24 female) pre-transfer patients who received a transplant in the previous 8-186 mo (mean 93.9 mo, median 92 mo, SD 53.8 mo) and 138 (57 female) post-transfer patients who received a transplant in the preceding 2-29 years (mean 15.6 years, median 17, SD 6.90) met the inclusion criteria. A total of 67% of pre-transfer patients (71% of female; 64% of male; P = 0.78) and their parents replied. Additionally, 54% of post-transfer patients (26% of female; 48% of male; P = 0.01) replied. No differences in clinical outcomes were observed between the responder and non-responder groups, and responses did not differ significantly based on clinical complication rates, although they did differ based on gender and the location of medical follow-up after transfer. Adolescents were generally ambivalent toward transition programs. However, adults strongly supported transition programs.

CONCLUSION

Transition programs need to be developed in close collaboration with adolescents. The best clinical practices regarding transition should respect local circumstances, gender and the location of post-transfer medical follow-up.

Pediatric Liver Transplantation: An Update for the Pediatrician

Pediatric liver transplantation is a state-of-the-art treatment for children with end-stage liver disease. Over the past few decades, the advent of new surgical techniques using split liver grafts and living donors has drastically increased the organ availability for pediatric patients, while advances in immunosuppression have improved overall outcomes. The pediatrician is a key player in the multidisciplinary team that cares for these children starting with the timely referral of children who require liver transplantation to the active participation in optimizing the child's overall health before and after transplantation. [Pediatr Ann. 2016;45(12):e439-e445.].

Survival outcomes scores (SOFT, BAR, and Pedi-SOFT) are accurate in predicting post-liver transplant survival in adolescents

SOFT and BAR scores utilize recipient, donor, and graft factors to predict the 3-month survival after LT in adults (≥18 years). Recently, Pedi-SOFT score was developed to predict 3-month survival after LT in young children (≤12 years). These scoring systems have not been studied in adolescent patients (13-17 years). We evaluated the accuracy of these scoring systems in predicting the 3-month post-LT survival in adolescents through a retrospective analysis of data from UNOS of patients aged 13-17 years who received LT between 03/01/2002 and 12/31/2012. Recipients of combined organ transplants, donation after cardiac death, or living donor graft were excluded. A total of 711 adolescent LT recipients were included with a mean age of 15.2±1.4 years. A total of 100 patients died post-LT including 33 within 3 months. SOFT, BAR, and Pedi-SOFT scores were all found to be good predictors of 3-month post-transplant survival outcome with areas under the ROC curve of 0.81, 0.80, and 0.81, respectively. All three scores provided good accuracy for predicting 3-month survival post-LT in adolescents and may help clinical decision making to optimize survival rate and organ utilization.