More Severe Deficits in Performance Status at Time of Liver Transplant is Associated With Significantly Higher Risk of Death Following Liver Transplantation

Goal: To evaluate the impact of Karnofsky Performance Status score (KPSS) at the time of liver transplantation (LT) on post-LT survival. Background: While the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score is used to prioritize individuals for LT, it does not specifically incorporate functional status into patient assessment for LT. Methods: Using 2005 to 2016 United Network for Organ Sharing data, all adults (age 18 y and above) undergoing LT were identified. The association of KPSS at the time of LT (KPSS 1: functional status 80% to 100%, KPSS 2: 60% to 70%, KPSS 3: 40% to 50%, KPSS 4: 10% to 30%) with post-LT survival was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier methods and adjusted multivariate logistic regression models. Results: Among 66,397 LT recipients (68% male, 72% non-Hispanic white, 22% hepatocellular carcinoma, median age: 55 to 57), women were more likely to be KPSS 4 at the time of LT compared with men (27.95% vs. 22.79%; P
Source: Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology - Category: Gastroenterology Tags: ONLINE ARTICLES: Original Articles Source Type: research