Acute right ventricular failure after pediatric cardiac transplant: Predictors and long-term outcome in current era of transplantation medicine

Objectives

To identify pretransplant factors associated with postprocedural right ventricular failure and the relationship between right ventricular failure and long-term survival in children.

Methods

Records were reviewed for children having heart transplantation from 2000 to 2006.

Results

Right ventricular failure was identified by clinical and echocardiographic parameters in 33/129 (25%) recipients: dilated cardiomyopathy in 14/90 (15%), congenital heart disease in 11/27 (41%), and restrictive cardiomyopathy in 8/12 (66%). In 9 of 12 (75%), known elevated (reactive) pulmonary vascular resistance progressed to right ventricular failure. In a further 23/117 (20%) recipients, pulmonary vascular resistance within predefined acceptable range progressed to right ventricular failure. Multiple logistic regression analyses indicated elevated pulmonary vascular resistance (odds ratio 12.30; 95% confidence interval 2.73, 55.32; P = .001) and primary diagnosis, restrictive cardiomyopathy (odds ratio 9.21; 95% confidence interval 2.07, 41.12; P = .004), and congenital heart disease (odds ratio 4.07; 95% confidence interval 1.36, 12.19; P = .012) were strongly associated with right ventricular failure, but duration of heart failure, pretransplant mechanical support, donor status, and ischemic times were not. Treatment included inhaled nitric oxide in 28 (84%), mechanical support in 10 (31%), hemofiltration in 13 (40%), and retransplantation in 2. A Cox multiple regression model including: primary diagnosis, right ventricular failure, and elevated pulmonary vascular resistance indicated that only the latter was independently linked with eventual mortality (hazards ratio 5.45; 95% confidence interval 1.36, 21.96; P = .017).

Conclusions

Primary diagnosis and pretransplant elevated reactive pulmonary vascular resistance are both linked to the evolution of right ventricular failure. Pulmonary vascular resistance assessment in end-stage heart failure is challenging; therefore, avoidance of right ventricular failure may not always be possible. Aggressive early treatment may mitigate the effects of right ventricular failure: pretransplant elevated pulmonary vascular resistance was independently associated with long-term survival, but right ventricular failure was not.

CTSNet classification: 20, 21, 22, 34

Abbreviations and Acronyms: BSA, body surface area, CHD, congenital heart disease, DCM, dilated cardiomyopathy, ECMO, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, iNO, inhaled nitric oxide, PVR, pulmonary vascular resistance, PVRI, pulmonary vascular resistance index, RCM, restrictive cardiomyopathy, RVF, right ventricular failure, TPG, transpulmonary gradient