The impact of public health service increased risk donors in pediatric liver transplantation

Use of DCD organs: Expanding the donor pool to increase pediatric transplantation

The number of children being listed for transplant continues to be greater than the number of available organs. In fact, over the past decade, rates of liver and kidney transplants in pediatric transplantation are essentially unchanged (Am J Transplant. 2020;20:193 and Am J Transplant. 2020;20:20). The use of DCD donors offers a potential solution to organ scarcity; however, the use of DCD organs in pediatric transplantation remains a rare event. Pediatric transplants done using carefully chosen DCD donor organs have shown to have outcomes similar to those seen with the use of donation after brain death (DBD) donors. Herein, we review the literature to examine the utilization of DCD livers and kidneys, outcomes of these allografts, and assess if DCD organs are a viable method to increase organ availability in pediatric transplantation.

Challenging the Traditional Paradigm of Supply and Demand in Pediatric Liver Transplantation Through Nondirected Living Donation: A Case Series

A gap exists between the demand for pediatric liver transplantation and the supply of appropriate size-matched donors. We describe our center's experience with pediatric liver transplantation using anonymous nondirected living liver donors (ND-LLD). First-time pediatric liver transplant candidates listed at our center between January 2012 and June 2020 were retrospectively reviewed and categorized by donor graft type, and recipients of ND-LLD grafts were described. A total of 13 ND-LLD pediatric liver transplantations were performed, including 8 left lateral segments, 4 left lobes, and 1 right lobe. Of the ND-LLD recipients, 5 had no directed living donor evaluated, whereas the remaining 8 (62%) had all potential directed donors ruled out during the evaluation process. Recipient and graft survival were 100% during a median follow-up time of 445 (range, 70-986) days. Of ND-LLDs, 69% were previous living kidney donors, and 1 ND-LLD went on to donate a kidney after liver donation. Of the ND-LLDs, 46% were approved prior to the recipient being listed. Over time, the proportion of living donor transplants performed, specifically from ND-LLDs, increased, and the number of children on the waiting list decreased. The introduction of ND-LLDs to a pediatric liver transplant program can expand the benefit of living donor liver transplantation to children without a suitable directed living donor while achieving excellent outcomes for both the recipients and donors.

The Surge in Deceased Liver Donors Due to the Opioid Epidemic: Is It Time to Split the Difference?

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to compare trends in use of drug overdose (DO) donors in adult versus pediatric liver transplants and the utilization of split liver transplantation in this donor population.

METHODS

The United Network for Organ Sharing database was reviewed for deceased donor liver transplants from March 2002 to December 2017. Recipients were categorized by donor mechanism of death. Donor splitting criteria was defined as age <40 y, single vasopressor or less, transaminases no >3 times the normal limit, and body mass index ≤ 28 kg/m2.

RESULTS

Adult liver transplants from DO donors increased from 2% in 2002 to 15% in 2017, while pediatric liver transplants from DO donors only increased from <1% to 3% in the same time. While 28% of DO donors met splitting criteria, only 3% of those meeting splitting criteria were used as a split graft. Both pediatric and adult recipients of DO donor livers achieved excellent patient and graft survival.

CONCLUSIONS

DO donors are underutilized in pediatric liver transplantation. Increased splitting of DO donor livers could significantly decrease, if not eliminate, the pediatric liver waiting list.