Scientific publications
Infectious complications associated with short-term mechanical circulatory support in urgent heart transplant candidates
Miguel Solla-Buceta 1 , Francisco González-Vílchez 2 , Luis Almenar-Bonet 3 , José Luis Lambert-Rodríguez 4 , Javier Segovia-Cubero 5 , José González-Costello 6 , Juan F Delgado 7 , Félix Pérez-Villa 8 , María G Crespo-Leiro 9 , Diego Rangel-Sousa 10 , Manuel Martínez-Sellés 11 , Gregorio Rábago-Juan-Aracil 12 , Luis De-la-Fuente-Galán 13 , Teresa Blasco-Peiró 14 , Daniela Hervás-Sotomayor 15 , Iris P Garrido-Bravo 16 , Sonia Mirabet-Pérez 17 , Javier Muñiz 18 , Eduardo Barge-Caballero 19
Introduction and objectives: Short-term mechanical circulatory support is frequently used as a bridge to heart transplant in Spain. The epidemiology and prognostic impact of infectious complications in these patients are unknown.
Methods: Systematic description of the epidemiology of infectious complications and analysis of their prognostic impact in a multicenter, retrospective registry of patients treated with short-term mechanical devices as a bridge to urgent heart transplant from 2010 to 2015 in 16 Spanish hospitals.
Results: We studied 249 patients, of which 87 (34.9%) had a total of 102 infections. The most frequent site was the respiratory tract (n=47; 46.1%). Microbiological confirmation was obtained in 78 (76.5%) episodes, with a total of 100 causative agents, showing a predominance of gram-negative bacteria (n=58, 58%). Compared with patients without infection, those with infectious complications showed higher mortality during the support period (25.3% vs 12.3%, P=.009) and a lower probability of receiving a transplant (73.6% vs 85.2%, P=.025). In-hospital posttransplant mortality was similar in the 2 groups (with infection: 28.3%; without infection: 23.4%; P=.471).
Conclusions: Patients supported with temporary devices as a bridge to heart transplant are exposed to a high risk of infectious complications, which are associated with higher mortality during the organ waiting period.
CITATION Rev Esp Cardiol (Engl Ed). 2022 Feb;75(2):141-149. doi: 10.1016/j.rec.2020.11.019. Epub 2021 Feb 27.