Hepatorenal dysfunction assessment with the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease Excluding INR score predicts worse survival after heart transplant in pediatric Fontan patients.

BACKGROUND

Fontan physiology results in multiorgan dysfunction, most notably affecting the liver and kidney. We evaluated the utility of Model for End-Stage Liver Disease Excluding INR (MELD-XI) score, a score evaluating the function of both liver and kidney to identify Fontan patients at increased risk for morbidity and mortality post-heart transplant.

METHODS

The Pediatric Heart Transplant Society database was queried to identify Fontan patients listed for heart transplant between January 2005 and December 2018. MELD-XI scores were calculated at listing and heart transplant. A multivariable analysis was conducted to identify risk factors for post-heart transplant mortality. Demographic, clinical characteristics, and survival differences were evaluated and compared between the high and low MELD-XI score cohorts. The impact of changing MELD-XI scores during the waitlist period on post-heart transplant outcomes was also evaluated.

RESULTS

Of 565 Fontan patients who underwent transplantation, 524 (93%) had calculable MELD-XI scores at the time of heart transplant: 421 calculable at listing and 392 calculable at listing and at heart transplant. On multivariable analysis, only MELD-XI score (squared) (hazard ratio, 1.007), history of protein-losing enteropathy (hazard ratio, 2.1), and ventricular assist device use at transplant (hazard ratio, 3.4) were risk factors for early phase post-heart transplant mortality. Patients with high MELD-XI scores at heart transplant had inferior survival post-heart transplant (P = .02); those in the high MELD-XI score cohort at wait listing and heart transplant tend to have the worst post-heart transplant survival; however, this was not significant (P = .42).

CONCLUSIONS

The MELD-XI, an easily calculated score, serves as a valuable aid in identifying pediatric Fontan patients at increased risk for post-heart transplant mortality.