Abstract
Background: The Donor Risk Index (DRI) is used to predict graft survival following liver transplantation, but has not been used to predict post-operative infections in graft recipients. We hypothesized that lower-quality grafts would result in more frequent infectious complications. Methods: Using a prospectively collected infection data set, we matched liver transplant recipients (and the respective allograft DRI scores) with their specific post-transplant infectious complications. All transplant recipients were organized by DRI score and divided into groups with low-DRI and high-DRI scores. Results: We identified 378 liver transplants, with 189 recipients each in the low-DRI and high-DRI groups. The mean DRI scores for the low- and high-DRI-score groups were 1.14±0.01 and 1.74±0.02, respectively (p<0.0001 for the difference). The mean Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) scores were 26.25±0.53 and 24.76±0.55, respectively (p=0.052), and the mean number of infectious complications per patient were 1.60±0.19 and 1.94±0.24, respectively (p=0.26). Logistic regression showed only length of hospital stay and a history of vascular disease as being associated independently with infection, with a trend toward significance for MELD score (p=0.13). Conclusion: We conclude that although DRI score predicts graft-liver survival, infectious complications depend more heavily on recipient factors.
Original language | English (US) |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 94-98 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Surgical Infections |
Volume | 15 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Apr 1 2014 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Surgery
- Microbiology (medical)
- Infectious Diseases