The Canadian Transplant Registry (CTR) identifies transplant opportunities across Canada for liver transplant candidates who are designated as medically urgent
This policy describes the eligibility requirements for potential transplant recipients to participate in the Inter-provincial Sharing: Liver program.
Type | Canadian Transplant Registry |
Program | Inter-provincial Sharing: Liver |
Policy Title | Recipient Eligibility |
Policy Number | CTR.20.001 |
Version (Date) | v1.0 (FINAL - 2023-01-17) |
Policy Sponsor | Liver Transplant Advisory Committee (LTAC) |
Committee Review | LTAC (2017-11-30/2019-12-06), DTAAC (2017-11-30), ODTEAC (2017-11-30), CLTN (2017-09-26/2019-12-06) |
Committee Endorsement | LTAC (2019-12-06), DTAAC (2021-06-09), ODTEAC (ADD DATE), CLTN (2022-09-20) |
Provincial/Territorial Sign-Off | 2021-06-09 |
Effective Date | TBD |
Purpose
The Canadian Transplant Registry (CTR) identifies transplant opportunities across Canada for liver transplant candidates who are designated as medically urgent. This policy describes the eligibility requirements for potential transplant recipients to participate in the Inter-provincial Sharing: Liver program.
Policy
1. General Requirements
1.1 To be eligible for the Inter-provincial Sharing: Liver program in the CTR, potential recipients must meet the following criteria:
4F |
In intensive care requiring mechanical ventilation for fulminant liver failure, including primary nonfunction of a graft; without liver transplantation, death is considered imminent. Primary nonfunction and fulminant (in adults) is defined using the criteria in the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) policies. The pediatric definition of acute liver failure is uncorrectable INR >1.5 with signs of encephalopathy or uncorrectable INR >2 in children with no pre-existing known liver disease (based on the NIH funded PALF study). Primary non-function of a graft or Hepatic Artery Thrombosis (HAT), provided the thrombosis occurs within 7 days of transplantation. Beyond 7 days after transplantation, a patient is to be classified according to standard liver failure/urgency criteria. |
3F |
In intensive or equivalent care facility for fulminant liver failure but not on mechanical support, who fulfills the King’s College criteria for high risk of mortality without liver transplantation. Primary nonfunction and fulminant (in adults) is defined using the criteria in the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) policies. The pediatric definition of acute liver failure is uncorrectable INR >1.5 with signs of encephalopathy or uncorrectable INR >2 in children with no pre-existing known liver disease (based on the NIH funded PALF study) |
3LS (New classification) |
Paediatric patients requiring a combined liver / small bowel (terminology: multi-visceral) Patients with a status of 3F will be prioritized over patients in 3LS status unless their calculated CPALS or MELD-Na is >35. In these cases, a mandatory discussion between centers with 3F and 3LS patient will be required. |
3P (New classification) | Paediatric patients weighing less than or equal to 6kg. |
2. Citizenship and Residency Requirements
2.1 In addition to meeting the General Requirements in section 1, potential recipients must meet one of the following requirements:
3. Review
This policy is reviewed annually at the discretion of the Liver Transplant Advisory Committee (LTAC), Donation and Transplantation Administrators Advisory Committee (DTAAC) and the Organ Donation and Transplantation Expert Advisory Committee (ODTEAC).
References |
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None |
Version History | ||
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Version | Date | Comments/Changes |
V1.0 | 2023-01-17 | Original version |
This policy outlines the rules used to identify and rank patients who are eligible for interprovincial liver sharing.
Type | Canadian Transplant Registry |
Program | Inter-provincial sharing: Liver |
Policy Title | Liver Allocation: Matching and Ranking |
Policy Number | CTR.20.002 |
Version (Date) | v1.0 (FINAL - 2023-01-17) |
Policy Sponsor | Liver Transplant Advisory Committee (LTAC) |
Committee Review | LTAC (2017-11-30/2019-12-06), DTAAC (2017-11-30), ODTEAC (2017-11-30), CLTN (2017-09-26/2019-12-06) |
Committee Endorsement | LTAC (2019-12-06), DTAAC (2021-06-09), ODTEAC (ADD DATE), CCTN (2022-09-20) |
Provincial/Territorial Sign-Off | 2021-06-09 |
Effective Date | TBD |
Purpose
The Canadian Transplant Registry (CTR) identifies transplant opportunities across Canada, for liver transplant candidates who are designated as medically urgent. This policy outlines the rules used to identify and rank patients who are eligible for interprovincial liver sharing.
Policy
1. Identifying Potential Recipient Matches
There are three steps that the matching algorithm performs to generate the list of potential recipients (i.e., matches) for a liver from a deceased donor who has been registered in the CTR:
1) Blood Group (ABO) Compatibility
2) Recipient and Transplant Program specific filters:
Filter Attribute |
---|
Accept a donor to specified maximum age (<45, <55, <65, no restriction) |
Accept a donor above a specified minimum age (>10, >11, >12, >13, >14, >15, >16, >17, >18, no restriction) |
Accept a donor who has tested positive for Hepatitis B core antibody |
Accept a donor who has tested positive for Hepatitis C |
Accept a DCD (donation after cardio-circulatory death) donor |
HLA Virtual Crossmatching will be included as an optional capability of the CTR for liver patients. If HLA antibodies are entered for a waitlisted individual, especially a multi-visceral patient, those antibodies will be used to produce a predicted positive or negative virtual crossmatch, but it will not exclude this patient from the matching. This information would be supplied as supplementary information for consideration by the reviewing program. |
1.1 Blood Group Compatibility
1.1.1 Potential recipients are first identified by an assessment of blood group compatibility, which is determined according to the following table.
Blood Group (ABO) Compatibility | |
---|---|
If donor blood group is: | then recipient blood group can be: |
O, A2 | O, A, B, AB |
A | A, AB |
B, A2B | B, AB |
AB | AB |
1.1.2 Transplant programs can designate potential recipients as eligible for ABO incompatible transplants, regardless of age.
1.1.3 Potential recipients designated as eligible for ABO incompatible transplants will be included in the list of matched potential recipients by the matching algorithm.
.
1.2 MELD-Na
1.2.1 The formula for calculation of the MELD‐Na (SRTR) [7] = MELD + 1.32 * (137 – sodium mmol/L) – [0.033 *MELD * (137 – sodium mmol/L)]
1.3 Canadian Pediatric Allocation for Liver System (CPALS)
1.3.1 A CPALS score shall be used for all paediatric patients, which is defined as any child less than 18 years of age.
1.3.2 The methodology used for calculating the CPALS score for pediatric patients is as follows:
Patient Group | Score |
---|---|
Life-threatening complications of liver disease with imminent risk of death
|
40 points |
Liver disease with conditions associated with high risk of death within weeks to months
|
30 points to 39 points if not transplanted within 1 month |
End-Stage Liver Disease | 24 points* + additional 3 points every 3 months to a maximum of 39 points (*Note: use calculated CPALS /PELD/ Na-MELD if score greater than exception points) |
Inborn Errors of Metabolism Associated with Rapid Deterioration of Metabolic Stability
|
40 points |
Inborn Errors of Metabolism with more Stable, Chronically Managed Metabolic Status
|
29 points + additional 2 points every 2 months to a maximum of 39 points |
2. Ranking of Matched Potential Recipients
2.1 If more than one potential recipient is a match for a donor liver, matches are prioritized by the Canadian Transplant Registry based on the following ranking criteria.
Interprovincial Ranking Attribute | Priorité |
---|---|
Pediatric Patient (<18 years of age) with Medical urgency (Status = 4F) | 1 |
Adult Patient with Medical urgency (Status = 4F) | 2 |
Pediatric Patient (<18 years of age) with Medical urgency (Status = 3F or 3LS)
|
3 |
Adult Patient with Medical urgency (Status = 3F)
|
4 |
Pediatric Patient at or below 6kg in weight (Status = 3P) | 5 |
Number of Days Listed at Current Medical Status, including hold time | 6 |
The donor and potential recipient are in the same service region
|
7 |
Below Interprovincial Ranking Attributes | Rank |
---|---|
The CTR National Waitlist will continue to list all liver patients of all medical urgency levels. For patients below the interprovincial eligibility (i.e. 4F / 3F / 3LS / 3P), actively listed patients will be sorted based on their MELD-Na or CPALS score, their ABO, and finally their time on list. |
2.1.1. All potential recipients (i.e., patients wait-listed for liver transplant either designated as Medically Urgent (Status = 4F or 3F) are reviewed annually at a meeting of representatives from a majority of transplant centres (i.e., Canadian Liver Transplant Network meetings).
2.2 Candidate wait time is from date of first listing in CTR and includes any time on hold.
3. Review
This policy is reviewed at the discretion of the Liver Transplant Advisory Committee (LTAC), Donation and Transplantation Administrators Advisory Committee (DTAAC), and the Organ Donation and Transplantation Expert Advisory Committee (ODTEAC).
References |
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None |
Version History | ||
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Version | Date | Comments/Changes |
V1.0 | <Date> | Original version |
This policy describes the procedure with respect to Organ Donation Organizations (ODO) offering donor livers under the Inter-provincial Sharing: Liver program and the subsequent offer acceptance by Transplant Programs.
Type | Canadian Transplant Registry |
Programme | Inter-provincial Sharing: Liver |
Titre de la politique | Requirement to Offer |
Policy Number | CTR.20.003 |
Version (Date) | v1.0 (FINAL - 2023-01-17) |
Policy Sponsor | Liver Transplant Advisory Committee (LTAC) |
Committee Review | LTAC (2017-11-30), DTAAC (2017-11-30), ODTEAC (2017-11-30), CLTN (2022-09-20) |
Committee Endorsement | LTAC (2019-12-06), DTAAC (2021-06-09), ODTEAC (ADD DATE), CLTN (2022-09-20) |
Provincial/Territorial Sign-Off | 2021-06-09 |
Effective Date | TBD |
Purpose
The Canadian Transplant Registry (CTR) identifies transplant opportunities across Canada for liver transplant candidates who are designated as medically urgent. This policy describes the procedure with respect to Organ Donation Organizations (ODO) offering donor livers under the Inter-provincial Sharing: Liver program and the subsequent offer acceptance by Transplant Programs.
Policy
1. Liver Offer Requirements
1.1 All consented liver deceased donors are entered in the CTR.
1.2 Provinces participating in the Inter-provincial Sharing: Liver program make available all livers from deceased donors deemed to be transplantable.
1.3 When a donor whole liver is made available, the CTR will generate a ranked list of all potential recipient matches.
1.3.1.1 If multiple potential 3F recipients are listed, then the donor ODO must offer to the first potential recipient on the allocation list and notify all ODOs, who have a similar status potential recipient listed. This notification is required to provide the opportunity for Transplant Programs to have a discussion in order to request the liver on behalf of their potential recipient(s).
1.3.1.1.1 A physician-to-physician discussion will be arranged between the transplant centre within the donor province and the out-of-province transplant centre to verify that the highest-ranked recipient fulfills the criteria for 3F listing. This verification may involve use of a listing checklist.
1.3.1.1.2 If there is sufficient evidence to suggest that the highest-ranked recipient fulfills criteria for 3F listing, the donor ODO must offer the liver to the highest ranked 3F recipient.
1.3.1.1.3 If the evidence suggests that the highest-ranked recipient does not fulfill criteria for 3F listing and there are multiple potential 3F recipients listed, the donor ODO will verify that the next potential recipient on the allocation fulfills criteria for listing.
1.3.1.1.4 If the evidence suggests that the highest-ranked recipient does not fulfill criteria for 3F listing and there is only one potential 3F recipient listed, the donor ODO will then offer to the next highest ranked potential recipient within the donor province.
1.3.1.2 If multiple potential 4F recipients are listed, the donor ODO must offer to the first potential recipient on the allocation list and no mandatory notification or discussion is required.
1.3.1.2.1 A physician-to-physician discussion will be arranged between the transplant centre within the donor province and the out-of-province transplant centre to verify that the highest-ranked recipient fulfills the criteria for 4F listing. This verification may involve use of a listing checklist.
1.3.1.2.2 If there is sufficient evidence to suggest that the highest-ranked recipient fulfills criteria for 4F listing, the donor ODO must offer the liver to the highest ranked 4F recipient.
1.3.1.2.3 If the evidence suggests that the highest-ranked recipient does not fulfill criteria for 4F listing and there are multiple potential 4F recipients listed, the donor ODO will verify that the next potential recipient on the allocation fulfills criteria for listing.
1.3.1.2.4 If the evidence suggests that the highest-ranked recipient does not fulfill criteria for 4F listing and there is only one potential 4F recipient listed, the donor ODO will then offer to the next highest ranked potential recipient within the donor province.
1.3.2 The obligation to offer a donor liver to a matched recipient includes both in-province and out-of-province matches.
1.3.3 Patients with a status of 3F will be prioritized over patients in 3LS status unless their calculated CPALS is >35. In these cases, a mandatory discussion between centers with 3F and 3LS patient will be required.
1.3.4 Any decision to offer a liver to a potential recipient listed for simultaneous liver-kidney requires a mandatory discussion between the Transplant Programs regarding the kidney.
1.3.5 The decision to split the liver belongs to the transplant program after acceptance of the initial offer. Programs in close proximity are encouraged to discuss liver splitting opportunities.
1.3.6 Programs/agencies receiving offers have up to 120 minutes (2 hours) to accept or decline an offer from the time the verbal offer is made.
1.3.7 Offer confirmation must occur verbally (by telephone) between the donor and recipient ODOs
1.3.8 If an emergent 4F is listed at any point throughout the originating transplant program’s allocation process, a mandatory discussion must occur with the program listing the new high-status patient.
1.3.9 The offer is considered final once the donor retrieval team has departed the transplant program, after which time the addition of a new participant in the Inter-provincial Sharing: Liver program does not necessitate reconsideration of the allocation decision.
2. Exceptions
2.1 The requirement to offer through the Inter-provincial Sharing: Liver program does not apply under the following circumstances:
3. Allocated Liver Not Transplanted into Intended Recipient
3.1 Should a transplant program receive a donor liver that was accepted through the Inter-provincial Sharing: Liver program and determine that it cannot be transplanted into the intended recipient, the province allocates the liver:
4. Allocated Liver Deemed Not Transplantable
4.1 Should the donor liver be received by the recipient centre and deemed non-transplantable, the ODO of the transplant program must contact the donor ODO immediately.
5. Review
This policy is reviewed at the discretion of the Liver Transplant Advisory Committee (LTAC), Donation and Transplantation Administrators Advisory Committee (DTAAC) and the Organ Donation and Transplantation Expert Advisory Committee (ODTEAC).
References |
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<Reference Name> (<Reference Date>) |
Version History | ||
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Version | Date | Comments/Changes |
V1.0 | <Date> | Original Version |
This policy describes the process for tracking the number of livers shared between provinces under the Inter-provincial Sharing: Liver program.
Type | Canadian Transplant Registry |
Program | Inter-provincial Sharing: Liver |
Policy Title | Exports & Imports |
Policy Number | CTR.20.004 |
Version (Date) | v1.0 (FINAL - 2023-01-17) |
Policy Sponsor | Liver Transplant Advisory Committee (LTAC) |
Committee Review | LTAC (2017-11-30), DTAAC (2017-11-30), ODTEAC (2017-11-30), CCTN (2019-12-06) |
Committee Endorsement | LTAC (2019-12-06), DTAAC (2021-06-09), ODTEAC (ADD DATE), CLTN (2022-09-20) |
Provincial/Territorial Sign-Off | 2021-06-09 |
Effective Date | TBD |
Purpose
The Canadian Transplant Registry (CTR) identifies transplant opportunities across Canada for liver transplant candidates who are designated as medically urgent. This policy describes the process for tracking the number of livers shared between provinces under the Inter-provincial Sharing: Liver program.
Policy
1. Exports and Imports
1.1 An export is counted once a liver is procured and leaves the donor center with the intent of being shipped to a transplant centre that has accepted the liver, regardless of whether the liver is ultimately transplanted into the designated recipient or another recipient or not transplanted at all.
1.2 An import is counted once a liver is transplanted, regardless of whether the liver is transplanted into the designated recipient or a different recipient.
1.3 If the liver is shipped but not transplanted due to organ quality, the export is counted but the import is not counted.
2. Inter-Provincial Balances
2.1 The CTR is programmed to provide a real-time balance of inter-provincial liver transfers. A Balancing Report is available on-line in the CTR, or by request to Canadian Blood Services to provide real-time balances and activity by province/region.
2.2 A province/region’s inter-provincial balance is the net of all imports less exports since the launch of the Inter-provincial Sharing: Liver program.
Province/Region | Province(s) |
---|---|
Alberta | Alberta, Northwest Territories, Saskatchewan |
Atlantic | New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland & Labrador |
British Columbia | British Columbia, Yukon |
Ontario | Ontario, Nunavut, Manitoba |
Quebec | Quebec |
2.3 Balances are between a province/region and the rest of Canada, not between 2 provinces/regions.
2.4 To minimize organs being shipped unnecessarily, the matching algorithm for the Inter-provincial Sharing: Liver program gives priority to recipients in the same province/region as the donor.
2.5 Thresholds - there will be no thresholds placed to limit imports or exports at this time.
3. Review
This policy is reviewed at the discretion of the Liver Transplant Advisory Committee (LTAC), Donation and Transplantation Administrators Advisory Committee (DTAAC) and the Organ Donation and Transplantation Expert Advisory Committee (ODTEAC).
References |
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None |
Historique de la version | ||
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Version | Date | Comments/Changes |
V1.0 | <Date> | Original Version |