Characterization of Lung Transplant COVID19+ Patients and Mortality Outcomes

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to report the characteristic and mortality outcomes of lung transplant patients that contracted COVID19. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was conducted of lung transplant recipients who tested positive for COVID19 from 6/1/2020 to 9/1/2021. RESULTS: Forty-five patients were included for mortality incidence review with 2 patients who were admitted to outside facilities during their COVID diagnosis with limited treatment data. Mortality incidence was 15.5% with cohort mean age of 62 (±11.7). Median time from transplant to infection was 1281 days (223-5800). Five patients required O2 and n=5 were intubated with 80% mortality (n=4) among those intubated. Baseline demographics of age, gender, indication for transplant or race were not statistically different among patients that died vs those that survived. Vaccinations (2 doses) prior to infection were evident in n=35 (77.8%) of the patients. Maintenance immunosuppressants and covid therapies (table 1) did not have an associated difference in survival from infection. A significant association with mortality was found from the time of reported symptoms to triage or hospitalization in those that survived vs died, 3.3 vs 9.4 days (p=0.003). CONCLUSION: This is one of the largest cohorts reporting lung transplant recipients who contracted COVID19, and despite lungs being the organ directly affected by COVID19, mortality rates are comparable to rates reported in other solid organ transplants. Time to triage from symptom onset to clinic management or hospital admission for COVID appears to be associated with improved mortality rates.