Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42153108›Full record

ReviewJournal of critical care medicine (Universitatea de Medicina si Farmacie din Targu-Mures)2026

Early outcomes of pediatric heart transplantation: Impact of mechanical circulatory support and perioperative challenges. A single-center retrospective study.

Muhammad Shahzad, Reem Beheri, Bushra Algethami, Yasser Alheraish, Dimpna Albert, Felix W Tsai, Zohair Alhalees, Khaled Alarwan

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Journal of critical care medicine (Universitatea de Medicina si Farmacie din Targu-Mures), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Muhammad ShahzadKing Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center Riyadh,Saudi Arabia.
Reem BeheriKing Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center Riyadh,Saudi Arabia.
Bushra AlgethamiKing Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center Riyadh,Saudi Arabia.
Yasser AlheraishKing Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center Riyadh,Saudi Arabia.
Dimpna AlbertKing Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center Riyadh,Saudi Arabia.
Felix W TsaiKing Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center Riyadh,Saudi Arabia.
Zohair AlhaleesKing Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center Riyadh,Saudi Arabia.
Khaled AlarwanKing Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center Riyadh,Saudi Arabia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Pediatric heart transplantation stays the gold standard treatment for end-stage heart failure, but outcomes are influenced by pre-transplant status and bridging strategies, particularly mechanical circulatory support (MCS). Objectives: To evaluate early outcomes following pediatric heart transplantation and assess the impact of pre-transplant MCS on survival and complications. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed all pediatric patients (<14 years) who underwent orthotopic heart transplantation at a single tertiary center between January 2020 and January 2025. Demographics, pre-transplant support, intraoperative data, and early outcomes were collected. Primary outcome was 30-day survival; secondary outcomes included acute rejection, infection, acute kidney injury (AKI), neurologic complications, and ICU/hospital length of stay (LOS). Comparative analyses were performed between patients having ECMO- and ventricular assist devises (VAD) using Fisher's exact and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests. Kaplan-Meier survival estimates were generated. Results: Thirty patients were transplanted (median age 9 years, 63.3% female). Most (96.7%) needed MCS, including 11 ECMO and 18 VAD. Thirty-day survival was 28/30 (93.5%, 95% CI 78-99). Acute rejection occurred in 3 (10%), infections in 4 (13.3%), AKI in 8 (26.7%), with two requiring CRRT, and neurologic complications in 3 (10.3%). Median ICU and hospital LOS were 20 and 37 days, respectively. ECMO patients had longer post-transplant ventilation (12 vs 6 days, p = 0.04) and ICU length of stay (LOS) compared to VAD patients. Total Ischemic time, and CPB times were associated with increased morbidity. Conclusions: Early outcomes after pediatric heart transplantation prove high short-term survival but substantial morbidity. ECMO bridging was associated with greater resource use than VAD. Improving donor heart ischemic time, donor-recipient matching, perioperative management, and early initiation of durable MCS may further improve outcomes.

Indexed as

complicationsmechanical circulatory devicespediatric heart failuretransplantationtreatment

Identifiers

PMID42153108
PMCPMC13180400

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.