Respiratory risk score for the prediction of 3-month mortality and prolonged ventilation after liver transplantation.
Kleine M, Vondran J, et al.Liver Transplantation 2013; 19(8): 862-871.
Aims
To investigate the significant risk factors for long term ventilation and three month mortality, and to develop and validate a respiratory risk score for the prediction of these outcomes in liver transplant recipients.
Interventions
Patients were randomized into a training group for model design to enable creative score development and a validation group to validate developed model scores.
Participants
254 liver transplant recipients.
Outcomes
Three month mortality was described as the primary outcome. The secondary outcomes included prolonged mechanical ventilation and the duration of mechanical ventilation.
Follow-up
2 years.
CET Conclusions
This study investigates the risk factors for early (3-month) post-transplant mortality and prolonged ventilation following liver transplantation, with the aim of developing a clinical risk score to predict these outcomes. The study is retrospective in nature, randomising a cohort of 254 liver transplant recipients from a single centre to training and validation groups (although the method of randomisation is not described). The authors present a model for the prediction of 3-month mortality and requirement for prolonged ventilation that they claim has high sensitivity and specificity. It should be noted that this model was derived from a single centre population transplanted between 2006 and 2010, and thus would require prospective validation in contemporary cohorts in other settings to be truly useful.
Quality notes
Quality assessment not appropriate.
Trial registration
Not reported.