Outcomes of Heart Failure Hospitalizations at Urban Teaching vs. Non-Teaching Hospitals: A Nationwide Propensity Score Matched Analysis in the United States

February 26, 2026 No Comments

This nationwide propensity-matched study of 7.5 million U.S. heart failure hospitalizations (2016–2022) found that urban teaching hospitals had higher inpatient mortality, complication rates, length of stay, costs, and palliative care consultations compared with urban non-teaching hospitals. Despite worse in-hospital outcomes, 30- and 90-day readmission rates were similar. Findings likely reflect referral bias and greater illness severity at teaching centers rather than differences in care quality.

Expanding the Donor Pool: Rethinking Time to Death in DCD Liver Transplantation

Donor Time to Death and DCD Liver Transplant Outcomes: Challenging the Dogma That Shorter Is Better

February 23, 2026 No Comments

This large UNOS registry study of 8,489 DCD liver transplants (2010–2024) found that shorter donor time to death (TTD) was associated with worse graft survival, while prolonged TTD did not negatively impact outcomes—even without normothermic regional perfusion (NRP). Despite this, liver utilization declined sharply after 15 minutes of TTD. Simulation modeling showed that avoiding TTD-based decline could increase utilization by 17%, potentially adding hundreds of safe transplants.

Elective Use of Intraoperative Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation in Patients With Pulmonary Fibrosis Reduces Primary Graft Dysfunction After Bilateral Lung Transplantation

February 23, 2026 No Comments

This single-center retrospective study evaluated 422 pulmonary fibrosis patients undergoing bilateral lung transplantation between 2012 and 2025. After adopting a more liberal elective intraoperative veno-arterial ECMO strategy in 2020, the incidence of severe primary graft dysfunction (PGD grade 3 at 72 hours) significantly decreased. Elective ECMO use was associated with shorter ventilation times, reduced dialysis rates, and a trend toward improved one-year graft survival without increasing major vascular complications.

Heart Transplantation Graft Survival Following Donation After Circulatory Death via Thoracoabdominal Normothermic Regional Perfusion

February 18, 2026 No Comments

This national cohort study analyzed adult heart transplants in the United States from 2020–2024 to compare graft survival among donation after circulatory death (DCD) using thoracoabdominal normothermic regional perfusion (TA-NRP), DCD with direct procurement and perfusion (DPP), and donation after brain death (DBD). Two-year graft and patient survival were comparable across groups, supporting broader use of TA-NRP in heart transplantation.

Machine Learning for In-hospital Mortality Prediction in Critically Ill Patients With Acute Heart Failure: A Retrospective Analysis Based on the MIMIC-IV Database

April 3, 2025 No Comments

This study developed machine learning (ML) models to predict in-hospital mortality among ICU patients with acute heart failure (AHF) using data from the MIMIC-IV database. Among five tested algorithms, XGBoost showed the highest predictive accuracy (AUC: 0.82) and outperformed traditional clinical scoring systems. The model incorporated 18 clinical variables from the first 24 hours of ICU admission to aid early intervention strategies.

CytoSorb Filter During Kidney Normothermic

Protocol for a Single-Centre Randomised Pilot Study to Assess the Safety and Feasibility of Adding a CytoSorb Filter During Kidney Normothermic Machine Perfusion to Remove Inflammatory and Immune Mediators Prior to Kidney Transplantation

April 3, 2025 No Comments

This pilot study assesses the safety and feasibility of using a CytoSorb filter during kidney normothermic machine perfusion (NMP) before transplantation. The goal is to reduce inflammation-related damage by filtering immune mediators. Twenty patients will be randomized to receive kidneys preserved with or without the filter. Outcomes include immune gene expression, delayed graft function, and kidney performance at intervals post-transplant.

CytoSorb Hemoadsorption of Apixaban During Cardio-Pulmonary Bypass for Heart Transplantation

March 29, 2025 No Comments

This case study reports on the successful intraoperative removal of apixaban using a CytoSorb hemoadsorption device during emergency heart transplantation. The 61-year-old patient, previously on apixaban, underwent cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), during which the device significantly reduced anticoagulant levels without complications. The results suggest CytoSorb may offer a viable method to manage DOACs in urgent cardiac surgery settings.

Impact of Extracorporeal Life Support on Outcome in Patients with Idiopathic Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Awaiting Lung Transplantation

March 19, 2025 No Comments

This study evaluates the impact of extracorporeal life support (ECLS) as a bridge to lung transplantation (BTT) for patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (iPAH). A comparison between two cohorts (1997–2005 and 2006–2010) shows that ECLS significantly reduced waiting list mortality (from 22% to 0%) while slightly increasing ICU stay. The findings suggest that aggressive ECLS management can improve survival rates for iPAH patients awaiting lung transplants.

Outcomes of Donation After Circulatory Death Heart Transplantation Using Normothermic Regional Perfusion

March 19, 2025 No Comments

This study examines outcomes of donation after circulatory death (DCD) heart transplantation using thoracoabdominal normothermic regional perfusion (TA-NRP). A retrospective analysis of 32 recipients between 2020-2023 found 100% one-year survival, low rejection rates, and acceptable primary graft dysfunction (PGD) and cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) rates. No significant differences were observed between co-localized and distant donor transplants. TA-NRP proves to be a viable method for DCD heart transplantation.

The 2024 American Association for Thoracic Surgery Expert Consensus Document: Current Standards in Donor Lung Procurement and Preservation

February 6, 2025 No Comments

This expert consensus document from the American Association for Thoracic Surgery outlines standardized best practices for donor lung procurement and preservation. It highlights significant variability in existing techniques and emphasizes the role of ex vivo lung perfusion (EVLP), cold storage, and normothermic regional perfusion. The document provides 34 evidence-based recommendations aimed at improving organ utilization and lung transplant outcomes.