ATC Abstracts

American Transplant Congress abstracts

  • Home
  • Meetings Archive
    • 2022 American Transplant Congress
    • 2021 American Transplant Congress
    • 2020 American Transplant Congress
    • 2019 American Transplant Congress
    • 2018 American Transplant Congress
    • 2017 American Transplant Congress
    • 2016 American Transplant Congress
    • 2015 American Transplant Congress
    • 2013 American Transplant Congress
  • Keyword Index
  • Resources
    • 2021 Resources
    • 2016 Resources
      • 2016 Welcome Letter
      • ATC 2016 Program Planning Committees
      • ASTS Council 2015-2016
      • AST Board of Directors 2015-2016
    • 2015 Resources
      • 2015 Welcome Letter
      • ATC 2015 Program Planning Committees
      • ASTS Council 2014-2015
      • AST Board of Directors 2014-2015
      • 2015 Conference Schedule
  • Search

Donor Bacteremia Does Not Impact Survival Following Heart Transplantation: A UNOS Registry Review

S. Hirji, A. Woolley, M. Pelletier, P. Shekar, F. Yazdchi, H. Mallidi, S. Singh.

Division of Cardiac Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA.

Meeting: 2018 American Transplant Congress

Abstract number: C327

Keywords: Heart transplant patients, Infection, Survival

Session Information

Session Name: Poster Session C: Transplant Infectious Diseases

Session Type: Poster Session

Date: Monday, June 4, 2018

Session Time: 6:00pm-7:00pm

 Presentation Time: 6:00pm-7:00pm

Location: Hall 4EF

Background: There is a reluctance to transplant organs from donors who are bacteremic due to concern for transmission of the infection to the recipient leading to poor outcomes and increased mortality. The aim of this study is to assess the impact of donor bacteremia on recipient survival following heart transplantation.

Methods: We used the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) registry to identify first-time, adult isolated heart transplants performed in the United States between May 2005 and December 2016. Recipients were stratified by the presence or absence of bacteremia in the donor at the time of transplantation. Survival was compared using Multivariable Cox regression.

Results: 23,054 heart transplant recipients met criteria for inclusion in the analysis, of which 1,830 (8%) had bacteremic donors. Both groups were similar in terms of donor and recipient demographics (all P>0.05). Recipients who had bacteremic donors more likely to be EBV positive (76.5% vs 73.3%; P=0.02) but similar CMV or HCV positive status (all P> 0.05). The two groups also had similar median donor ischemic times (3.2 vs 3.3 hours) and length of stay (15 vs 14 days) (all P > 0.05). Donor bacteremia was not a significant predictor of mortality on univariate or multivariable Cox regression. There was also no difference in long-term survival at 5 or 10 years (P=0.7; Figure).

Conclusion: Despite the hesitation to transplant organs from bacteremic donors, our study demonstrated a lack of difference in mortality between recipients who received a heart transplant from bacteremic donors compared with non-bacteremic donors. This finding is consistent with data published for other solid organ transplants. even after adjusting for various patient risk factors. Given the need to utilize more of the otherwise acceptable donated organs in an effort to decrease waitlist times and minimize the morbidity and mortality of those on the cardiac waitlist, our findings should prompt prospective studies to assess the risk associated with transplanting organs from bacteremic donors controlled by key donor and recipient characteristics.

CITATION INFORMATION: Hirji S., Woolley A., Pelletier M., Shekar P., Yazdchi F., Mallidi H., Singh S. Donor Bacteremia Does Not Impact Survival Following Heart Transplantation: A UNOS Registry Review Am J Transplant. 2017;17 (suppl 3).

  • Tweet
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print

To cite this abstract in AMA style:

Hirji S, Woolley A, Pelletier M, Shekar P, Yazdchi F, Mallidi H, Singh S. Donor Bacteremia Does Not Impact Survival Following Heart Transplantation: A UNOS Registry Review [abstract]. https://atcmeetingabstracts.com/abstract/donor-bacteremia-does-not-impact-survival-following-heart-transplantation-a-unos-registry-review/. Accessed June 2, 2025.

« Back to 2018 American Transplant Congress

Visit Our Partner Sites

American Transplant Congress (ATC)

Visit the official site for the American Transplant Congress »

American Journal of Transplantation

The official publication for the American Society of Transplantation (AST) and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons (ASTS) »

American Society of Transplantation (AST)

An organization of more than 3000 professionals dedicated to advancing the field of transplantation. »

American Society of Transplant Surgeons (ASTS)

The society represents approximately 1,800 professionals dedicated to excellence in transplantation surgery. »

Copyright © 2013-2025 by American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons. All rights reserved.

Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Cookie Preferences