The Diagnostic Yield and Clinical Impact of Systematic Screening of Kidney Transplant Candidates by Cardiac Computed Tomography : A Cohort Study

Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved..

BACKGROUND: Although cardiovascular screening of kidney transplant candidates is recommended, the optimal approach is debated. Previous studies show that noninvasive imaging provides prognostic information, but systematic screening may have less recognized effects, such as additional investigations, incidental findings, procedural complications, and delay of transplantation. To address this, we characterized the diagnostic yield and clinical implications of systematic screening for cardiovascular disease using cardiac computed tomography (CT) in potential kidney transplant candidates.

METHODS: This was a single-center, observational cohort study including all potential kidney transplant candidates >40 years of age or with diabetes or on dialysis treatment for >5 years, systematically referred to cardiac computed tomography (CT; non-contrast CT and coronary CT angiography) between 2014 and 2019 before evaluation for kidney transplantation at Aarhus University Hospital. Patient records were examined for data on baseline characteristics, additional investigations and complications, plasma creatinine, dialysis initiation, time until wait-listing, and incidental findings.

RESULTS: Of 473 patients who underwent cardiac CT, additional cardiac investigations were performed in 156 (33%), and 32 (7%) were revascularized. Twenty-two patients had significant incidental nonvascular findings on cardiac CT. No patient was rejected for transplantation based on cardiac CT. In patients not yet on dialysis, the slope in the estimated glomerular filtration rate decline did not change significantly after coronary CT angiography.

CONCLUSION: Screening by cardiac CT led to additional cardiac investigations in one-third of patients; only a few patients were revascularized, with unknown benefits in asymptomatic patients. Cardiac CT was safe in this population; however, the clinical consequences of the screening were limited.

Medienart:

E-Artikel

Erscheinungsjahr:

2023

Erschienen:

2023

Enthalten in:

Zur Gesamtaufnahme - volume:55

Enthalten in:

Transplantation proceedings - 55(2023), 9 vom: 28. Nov., Seite 2102-2109

Sprache:

Englisch

Beteiligte Personen:

Nielsen, Marie B [VerfasserIn]
Iversen, Malene S [VerfasserIn]
Derai, Amal [VerfasserIn]
Dahl, Jonathan N [VerfasserIn]
Jespersen, Bente [VerfasserIn]
Ivarsen, Per [VerfasserIn]
Winther, Simon [VerfasserIn]
Birn, Henrik [VerfasserIn]

Links:

Volltext

Themen:

Journal Article
Observational Study

Anmerkungen:

Date Completed 20.11.2023

Date Revised 20.11.2023

published: Print-Electronic

Citation Status MEDLINE

doi:

10.1016/j.transproceed.2023.07.027

funding:

Förderinstitution / Projekttitel:

PPN (Katalog-ID):

NLM362732868