Thoracic clinicians should read this memo from Dr. Steven Webber, Chair of the Thoracic Organ Transplantation Committee. In November 2012, the OPTN/UNOS Board of Directors adopted the Proposal to Revise the Lung Allocation Score (LAS) System. The revisions to the LAS do not include extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) as a factor in the LAS calculation or as a data element that must be reported in WaitlistSM. In order to ensure that lung transplant candidates supported by ECMO receive a LAS that accurately reflects the severity of their condition, the Thoracic Organ Transplantation Committee offers the following guidance to thoracic transplant programs for reporting data on candidates supported by ECMO:
• Report the candidate’s assisted ventilation as “continuous mechanical ventilation”
• Report the candidate’s supplemental oxygen as FiO2 of 100%
Read Policy 3.7.6 (Lung Allocation) in its entirety. If you have questions, contact your regional administrator at 804-782-4800.
