Impact of COVID-19 on the number of transplants performed in Brazil during the pandemic. Current situation

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Solid Organ Transplant and Rejection Episodes in Brazil's Unified Healthcare System

BACKGROUND

Brazil has the world's largest public organ transplant program, which was severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The primary aim of the study was to evaluate differences in solid organ transplants and rejection episodes during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the five years before the pandemic in the country.

METHODS

A seven-year database was built by downloading data from the DATASUS server. The pandemic period was defined as March 2020 to December 2021. The pre-pandemic period was from January 2015 to March 2020.

RESULTS

During the pandemic, the number of solid organ transplants decreased by 19.3% in 2020 and 22.6% in 2021 compared to 2019. We found a decrease for each evaluated organ, which was more pronounced for lung, pancreas, and kidney transplants. The seasonal plot of rejection data indicated a high rejection rate between 2018 and 2021. There was also an 18% (IRR 1.18 (95% CI 1.01 to 1.37), p = 0.04) increase in the rejection rate during the COVID-19 pandemic.

CONCLUSIONS

The total number of organ transplants performed in 2021 represents a setback of six years. Transplant procedures were concentrated in the Southeast region of the country, and a higher proportion of rejections occurred during the pandemic. Together, these findings could have an impact on transplant procedures and outcomes in Brazil.

How COVID-19 Affects Lung Transplantation: A Comprehensive Review

Lung transplant (LuTx) recipients are at a higher risk of developing serious illnesses from COVID-19, and thus, we have closely reviewed the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on lung transplantation. In most transplant centers, the overall LuTx activity significantly declined and led to a specific period of restricting lung transplantation to urgent cases. Moreover, several transplant centers reported difficulties due to the shortage of ICU capacities. The fear of donor-derived transmission generated extensive screening programs. Nevertheless, reasonable concerns about the unnecessary losses of viable organs were also raised. The overall donor shortage resulted in increased waiting-list mortality, and COVID-19-associated ARDS became an indication of lung transplantation. The impact of specific immunosuppressive agents on the severity of COVID-19 varied. Corticosteroid discontinuation was not found to be beneficial for LuTx patients. Tacrolimus concentrations were reported to increase during the SARS-CoV-2 infection, and in combination with remdesivir, tacrolimus may clinically impact renal functions. Monoclonal antibodies were shown to reduce the risk of hospitalization in SOT recipients. However, understanding the pharmacological interactions between the anti-COVID-19 drugs and the immunosuppressive drugs requires further research.

Care actions in obtaining tissues and organs during the COVID-19 pandemic: a mixed methods study

OBJECTIVE

to map health care actions in the organ and tissue donation process in Brazilian regions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

a mixed methods study. Data collection was performed simultaneously through an online questionnaire with 72 nurses. Descriptive statistical analysis and content analysis.

RESULTS

a total of 34.7% of professionals work in the state of São Paulo. The largest number of responses was from the Southeast region. Four categories emerged. The first addresses triage care actions; the second involves guidelines for SARS-CoV-2 prevention in potential donors; the third relates to the epidemiological screening of professionals; the fourth presents the scenario of donation training in pandemic times.

CONCLUSION

care actions are aimed at tracking the path taken until arrival at the hospital, assessing temperature and saturation curves, in addition to screening for signs and symptoms for SARS-CoV-2 contamination among professionals.