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Study finds race-neutral testing could have provided access to life-saving lung transplants for more Black patients

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By American Thoracic Society

Race-neutral lung function interpretation could increase access to lung transplants for Black patients with respiratory disease, according to new research published in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society online ahead of print.

In “Race-Specific Interpretation of Spirometry: Impact on the Lung Allocation Score,” lead researcher J. Henry Brems, MD, MBE, of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and colleagues investigated how race-specific versus race-neutral equations alter the lung allocation score (LAS) and the priority for lung transplant across races. Read the full article in Medical Xpress.

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Local veteran uses second chance at life to bless others through bike donations

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By Sydni Eure

TONAWANDA, N.Y. (WKBW) — So you’re driving through Tonawanda and see a house with a few bikes out front and don’t think twice. That is until you then see some more bikes spread across the front yard. It isn’t until you you take a closer look and see that each bike is labeled with a number that you realize this isn’t something you see every day.

Well, Wendy Coyde, the woman who lined them up and labeled each and everyone says the process was as tedious as it looked.
Watch the full story from WKBW TV.

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A Firefighter’s Life-Saving Double Lung Transplant

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By Alina Kesl

Albert Pedroza was energetic and active, but one day on a hike with his son, he experienced difficulty breathing. Fighting the inner voice in his head that told him to brush it off, he could think only of his family as he scheduled a doctor’s appointment to get checked out.

When Pedroza was told that he had scarring on his lungs likely caused by a previous case of pneumonia or asbestos exposure, he accepted the fact that he would experience periodic breathing difficulties. Read the full story from University Health.

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Outcomes of Lung Transplant Candidates Aged ≥70 Years During the Lung Allocation Score Era.

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Contributor: Alice L Zhou,Alexander K Karius,Jessica M Ruck,Benjamin L Shou,Emily L Larson,Alfred J Casillan,Jinny S Ha,Pali D Shah,Christian A Merlo,Errol L Bush

With the increasing age of lung transplant candidates, we studied waitlist and post-transplant outcomes of candidates ≥70 years during the Lung Allocation Score era.

Adult lung transplant candidates from 2005-2020 in the United Network for Organ Sharing database were included and stratified based on age at listing into: 18-59 years old, 60-69 years old, and ≥70 years old. Baseline characteristics, waitlist outcomes, and post-transplant outcomes were assessed.
Read more in Physician’s Weekly.

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Examining the Impact of Donor, Recipient Characteristics on Lung Transplant Mortality

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By Giuliana Grossi

Results show race and ethnicity were significant factors in posttransplant outcomes highlighting the need for a multifaceted approach to addressing disparities in organ transplant outcomes.

A recent study found that there are significant differences in organ transplant outcomes based on race and ethnicity, while socioeconomic status and region weren’t contributors to most of the observed differences in posttransplant outcomes.1
Read the full story in HCP Live.

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A small shift in temperature could have a big effect on how lung transplants are performed worldwide

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By Avis Favaro
TORONTO – Canadian transplant scientists say they may be able to help boost the number of lungs available for transplants, all with a simple tweak of temperature. 

They’ve been conducting studies that show that storing lungs at 10 C, warmer than the current standard of 4 C, is better for lungs harvested for transplant. They’ve also created a world-first cooler that they say stays at 10 C, boosting the shelf life of a donor’s lungs from six hours to up to 36 hours, and perhaps longer. Read more in CTV News.

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Understanding Lung Health

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A pulmonologist explains the crucial role these organs play in the body and how to keep them healthy.

By Amanda Torres

The lungs, two sponge-like structures that sit behind our ribs, are responsible for sending oxygen to our other organs in our body.

“Just like a sponge soaks up water from a spill, the lungs absorb oxygen from the air we breathe,” says Dr. Lori Shah, a pulmonologist at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center. “Our organs need that oxygen to function.” Read more in Health Matters.

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First Double-Lung Transplants in Advanced Lung Cancer

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By Janet Dyer

Double lung transplant isn’t new; in fact, it’s more common than single lung transplant. But recently surgeons at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago crossed a frontier in the lung transplantation. Two patients with stage 4 lung cancer, Albert Khoury and Tannaz Ameli, are alive and well after successful double transplantation.

The concept of using the procedure in patients with advanced cancer was one of the lessons the Northwestern surgeons took away from the COVID pandemic. Read more in Managed Healthcare Executive.

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Assessing the Suitability of Donor Lungs for Transplantation Based on Recipient Factors

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The following is a summary of the “Assessing donor organ quality according to recipient characteristics in lung transplantation,” published in the February 2023 issue of Thoracic and cardiovascular surgery by Wadowski, et al.

While overall donor organ utilization remains low, there is a severe shortage of donor lungs concerning need. Organ quality is the most common reason for rejection, but selection criteria can vary. Read more in Physician’s Weekly.

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