OPTN/SRTR 2016 Annual Data Report: Heart

In 2016, 3209 heart transplants were performed in the United States. New, active listings increased 57% since 2005. The number of adult heart transplant survivors continued to increase, and in 2016, 30,622 recipients were living with heart transplants. Patient mortality following transplant has declined. The number of pediatric candidates and transplants performed also increased. New listings for pediatric heart transplants increased from 454 in 2005 to 624 in 2016. The number of pediatric heart transplants performed each year increased from 319 in 2005 to 445 in 2016. Among pediatric patients who underwent transplant in 2015, death occurred in 5.9% at 6 months and 7.2% at 1 year.

OPTN/SRTR 2016 Annual Data Report: Lung

In 2016, 2692 candidates aged 12 years or older were added to the lung transplant waiting list; 2345 transplants were performed, the largest number of any prior year. The median waiting time for listed candidates in 2016 was 2.5 months, and waiting times were shortest for group D candidates. The transplant rate increased to 191.9 transplants per 100 waitlist years in 2016, with a slight decrease in waitlist mortality to 15.1 deaths per 100 waitlist years. Short-term survival continued to improve, with a 6-month death rate of 6.6% and a 1-year death rate of 10.8% among recipients in 2015 compared with 8.0% and 13.3%, respectively, among recipients in 2014. Long-term survival rates remained unchanged; 55.6% of recipients were alive at 5 years. In 2016, 23 new candidates aged 0-11 years were added to the waiting list and 16 lung transplants were performed. Incidence of posttransplant mortality for lung transplant recipients aged 0-11 years who underwent transplant in 2014-2015 was 13.8% at 6 months and 19.6% at 1 year. Changes in waitlist and transplant demographic features continued to evolve following implementation of the revised lung allocation score in 2015. Some early trends that may be attributable to the revised LAS are shorter waiting times, stabilization of the number of group D candidates listed for transplant, and convergence of LAS with lower prevalence of extremely high scores.

Communication gaps associated with donor-derived infections

The detection and management of potential donor-derived infections is challenging, in part due to the complexity of communications between diverse labs, organ procurement organizations (OPOs), and recipient transplant centers. We sought to determine if communication delays or errors occur in the reporting and management of donor-derived infections and if these are associated with preventable adverse events in recipients. All reported potential donor-derived transmission events reviewed by the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network Ad Hoc Disease Transmission Advisory Committee from January 2008 to June 2010 were evaluated for communication gaps between the donor center, OPO and transplant centers. The impact on recipient outcomes was then determined. Fifty-six infection events (IEs; involving 168 recipients) were evaluated. Eighteen IEs (48 recipients) were associated with communication gaps, of which 12 resulted in adverse effects in 69% of recipients (20/29), including six deaths. When IEs and test results were reported without delay, appropriate interventions were taken, subsequently minimizing or averting recipient infection (23 IEs, 72 recipients). Communication gaps in reported IEs are frequent, occur at multiple levels in the communication process, and contribute to adverse outcomes among affected transplant recipients. Conversely, effective communication minimized or averted infection in transplant recipients.

Incidence of respiratory viruses in patients with community-acquired pneumonia admitted to the intensive care unit: results from the Severe Influenza Pneumonia Surveillance (SIPS) project

Few patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) require admission to the intensive care unit (ICU-CAP). However, they represent the most severe form of the disease. An understanding of the etiologic agents of ICU-CAP may lead to better treatment decisions and patient outcomes. The objective of this study was to determine the incidence of respiratory viruses in patients with ICU-CAP. This was an observational study conducted in six Kentucky hospitals from December 2008 through October 2011. A case of ICU-CAP was defined as a patient admitted to an ICU with the diagnosis of CAP. The Luminex xTAG multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was used for viral identification. A total of 468 adult and pediatric patients with ICU-CAP were enrolled in the study. A total of 92 adult patients (23 %) and 14 pediatric patients (19 %) had a respiratory virus identified. Influenza was the most common virus identified in adults and the second most common in pediatric patients. This study suggests that respiratory viruses may be common etiologic agents of pneumonia in patients with ICU-CAP. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend empiric anti-influenza therapy during the winter for hospitalized patients with CAP. This study supports this recommendation in patients with ICU-CAP.

Health promotion schools of excellence: learning from the past to impact the future

In 1991, the Jefferson County Medical Society [now Greater Louisville Medical Society] developed a program designed to address many health issues facing the nation's schools. That program, Health Promotion Schools of Excellence (HPSE), has worked for the last 15 years to impact the health and physical fitness of school-aged children in Jefferson County while growing from 15 to 62 participating schools. Data collected from the HPSE program was analyzed in this study and suggests that the program may favorably impact the rate of childhood obesity among participating students. The epidemic of obesity continues to grow among Kentucky children and our findings would support the notion that the HPSE program should move toward a more standardized approach to prevent obesity, define more sophisticated metrics for success, and require consistent participation across all schools in a process that works in concert with the Coordinated School Health program supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Emergency department management of occupational exposures: cost analysis of rapid HIV test

OBJECTIVE

To compare costs for evaluation and treatment of a healthcare worker (HCW) experiencing an occupational exposure, using a rapid human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) test versus a standard enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) HIV test.

DESIGN

Retrospective chart review of all HCWs presenting to the emergency department (ED) for care of an occupational exposure over a 13-month period.

SETTING

A 404-bed university-based level 1 trauma center with an annual ED census of approximately 35,000.

PARTICIPANTS

All HCWs experiencing an occupational exposure treated in the ED using a rapid HIV protocol were included in the analysis.

METHODS

A calculation of selected costs of the initial evaluation and treatment of patients whose evaluation included a rapid HIV test on the source patient were performed. A similar calculation was then made for these patients, had the standard ELISA test been used. Evaluated costs included laboratory tests, postexposure prophylactic medications, and estimated lost work time. Other costs were constant and were not included in the evaluation.

RESULTS

Total evaluated cost using the rapid HIV test as part of the evaluation and treatment protocol was $465.80 for 17 patients. Had the ELISA test been used instead of the rapid test, the total evaluated cost for the 17 patients would have been $5,965.81.

CONCLUSIONS

When used as part of the evaluation and treatment of the HCW with an occupational exposure, the rapid HIV test results in substantial cost savings over the ELISA test .

Reduction in tuberculin skin-test conversion rate after improved adherence to tuberculosis isolation

The rate of purified protein derivative (PPD) conversion in workers at our hospital increased to 1.7% in 1991. After implementation of mandatory respiratory isolation of patients with community-acquired pneumonia, the rate dropped to 0.6%. This policy may protect workers in institutions where the majority of patients with pneumonia have risk factors for tuberculosis.