A Review of the Prevalence of Illicit Substance Use in Solid-Organ Transplant Candidates and the Effects of Illicit Substance Use on Solid-Organ Transplant Treatment Outcomes

Solid-organ transplantation is one of the significant advances in the medical field that have improved the quality of life and survival rates of numerous patients with end-organ dysfunction. Substance use is a common condition of individuals who are in need of solid-organ transplantation. The implications of substance use on solid-organ transplants are gaining increasing attention over the past decade. The current review seeks to explore the prevalence rate of illicit substance use among those who receive solid-organ transplantation (pre and post-transplant) and whether illicit substance use before solid-organ transplantation affects the outcome of solid-organ transplants. We searched the Medline database for all the articles available in English on the prevalence of substance use in the context of solid-organ transplant and the effect on outcome measures. We found 21 relevant articles. It appears that substance use is fairly common among solid-organ transplant candidates, with cannabis being the most common substance of abuse. A heterogeneous sample precludes the drawing of a clear-cut conclusion. But it appears that substance use may affect various outcomes of solid-organ transplants. The existing literature may not be sufficient to adequately assess the risk but limited evidence indicates that illicit substance use, particularly cannabis use, may not affect the overall survival following a solid-organ transplant.