Current availability and status of paediatric cardiac transplantation and mechanical circulatory support in twenty-eight European countries - PubMed
6 hours ago
- #Mechanical circulatory support
- #Pediatric heart transplantation
- #European healthcare variation
- Survey from 28 European countries shows variation in pediatric heart transplant (HTx) and mechanical circulatory support (MCS) services.
- Most countries have pediatric and adult congenital HTx services, but center density varies widely.
- Organ allocation often follows Eurotransplant or Scandiatransplant protocols, with many countries performing low HTx volumes.
- Ventricular assist device (VAD) programs are available in most countries, with families typically incurring no cost.
- Resource limitations include ICU beds and impacts on congenital heart surgery, with few standardized post-HTx care protocols.
- No correlation found between HTx center density, population, or GDP per capita, highlighting heterogeneity.
- Cross-national collaboration is recommended to standardize criteria and improve outcomes across Europe.