COVID-19 and transplantation-Data censoring

Am J Transplant. 2022 Aug;22(8):1958-1962. doi: 10.1111/ajt.17065. Epub 2022 Apr 28.

Abstract

During the early wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR) designated a "black out" period between March 12, 2020, and June 12, 2020, for transplant outcomes reporting. We discuss the implications and potential bias it has introduced as it may selectively favor the outcomes for certain regions and harm other regions due to varied effects of different waves of COVID-19 infections across the United States.

Keywords: Scientific Registry for Transplant Recipients (SRTR); editorial/personal viewpoint; ethics and public policy; law/legislation; organ transplantation in general; patient survival.

MeSH terms

  • COVID-19* / epidemiology
  • Humans
  • Organ Transplantation*
  • Pandemics
  • Registries
  • Tissue and Organ Procurement*
  • Transplant Recipients
  • Transplants*
  • United States / epidemiology