COVID Pandemic and Social Mitigations Decrease Hospitalizations for Heart Transplant Patients

Abstract

<h3>Purpose</h3> The COVID pandemic has affected the management of heart transplant (HTx) patients. Patients were seen virtually via telemedicine and patients self-isolated at home. We assessed the impact of telemedicine and isolation during the COVID pandemic on HTx outcomes at our center. <h3>Methods</h3> We assessed 55 HTx patients who were transplanted March - September 2020 and followed for 6 months. Patients were self-isolating and only had every other clinic visit in-person after the first month. Outcomes included 6-month survival, re-hospitalization, non-COVID infections (defined as requiring intravenous antibiotics), any treated rejection (ATR), and maintenance of therapeutic immunosuppressive blood levels. The study patients were then compared to a control group of HTx patients evaluated during March of the previous three years. <h3>Results</h3> The study group (during the COVID pandemic) demonstrated a significant decrease in re-hospitalization in the first 6 months following HTx compared to the control group. There was a numerical decrease in non-COVID infectious complications. There was no difference in survival or freedom from treated rejection episodes between the two groups. Reasons for rehospitalization included infections, cardiac and renal issues, malaise, and fever. Of note, 2 patients in the study group developed COVID subsequently after HTx but were not hospitalized. <h3>Conclusion</h3> The COVID pandemic demonstrated that self-isolation and virtual visits resulted in less hospitalizations, possibly due to fewer infectious complications. This implies that perhaps stricter restrictions for community exposure might benefit HTx patients in the 6 months following transplantation.