Has MELD-Na Scoring Improved Outcomes of Liver Transplant Candidates and Recipients?

Since MELD-Na replaced MELD, mortality and transplantation probability among waitlisted patients has improved but posttransplantation survival has not.

In January 2016, the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score was refined to take into account serum sodium level, creating the MELD-Na score. This change was implemented because patients with cirrhosis and hyponatremia have significantly higher mortality rates compared with those with normal serum sodium levels. The impact of this change in liver allocation criteria on outcomes in patients awaiting or receiving a transplant has not been evaluated.

In a retrospective analysis of organ donor registry data, researchers compared outcomes between nearly 19,000 patients evaluated with the MELD score between 2013 and January 2016 and some 14,500 patients evaluated with the MELD-Na score from January 2016 through September 2017.

Ninety-day wai…

Reviewing Author

Atif Zaman, MD, MPH

Disclosures

Nothing to disclose

Atif Zaman, MD, MPH

Disclosures

Nothing to disclose

Has MELD-Na Scoring Improved Outcomes of Liver Transplant Candidates and Recipients?

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Reviewing Author