Pulmonary fibrosis: rate of disease progression as a trigger for referral for lung transplantation

Abstract

Patients with pulmonary fibrosis who died awaiting transplantation had similar disease severity at assessment as those who achieved transplantation. However, the interval between symptom onset and transplant referral was significantly shorter in those who died while on the waiting list, suggesting they had more rapidly progressive disease. The rate of disease progression appears to be a more sensitive indicator for transplantation referral than any single physiological measure of disease severity and should act as an important trigger for early transplant referral.