Pediatric liver transplant outcome using severe hypernatremic donors

Abstract

Introduction Pediatric liver transplantation is limited by donation. In the last 5 years, urgent conditions have forced transplant teams to accept donors with minor suboptimal conditions, termed "extended donor criteria." Among those, the risk of using severe hypernatremic donors (SHD) for liver transplant is not yet well established. The aim of this study is to report the outcome of pediatric patients receiving grafts from SHD. Methods Clinical records of patients transplanted in the last 3 years at Hospital Luis Calvo Mackenna, Santiago, Chile, were reviewed. Outcome was evaluated in terms of patient and graft survival and complications potentially associated to the donor condition. Results Five of 33 deceased donor transplants presented with SHD. All recipients were waiting transplant in an acute condition, one of them in acute liver failure (ALF). No living related donor was available. Donors' serum sodium was 169 to 193 mEq/L before medical management and between 157 and 172 mEq/L