A Holistic Clustering Methodology for Liver Transplantation Survival.
Lisiane Pruinelli, György J Simon, Karen A Monsen and 4 others
PMID 29877986WHAT IT FOUND
Five clusters of liver transplant patients had different survival after transplant.
The musculoskeletal cluster had 37.5% at 5 years; the endocrine cluster had the worst 5-year survival.
Key findings
01Five clusters of liver transplant patients had significantly different survival probabilities.
02The musculoskeletal cluster had 37.5% survival at 5 years.
03The endocrine cluster had the worst 5-year survival probability.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
This was a single-centre retrospective analysis of 344 patients, so the clusters may not apply to other hospitals. There was no cross-validation, so the clusters have not been shown to work in another health system. The sample was 70% male and 82.2% Caucasian, so it may not represent women or other racial groups. Fourteen patients were excluded for missing MELD score or insufficient laboratory data. Donor variables, logistics variables, patient general health status, and abstinence time before transplant were not included. The study did not test any nursing, exercise, nutrition, or pain intervention.
Declared interests
No funding or conflict-of-interest statement is included in the supplied text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the 37.5% 5-year survival in the musculoskeletal cluster as proof that treating pain or musculoskeletal problems will improve survival. The study analysed existing pre-transplant records and did not test any intervention.