Organ donation and utilization in the United States, 2004

Comparison of Prognosis for Lung Transplantation between Older and Younger Donors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Based on Cohort Studies

PURPOSE

This meta-analysis aimed to compare the prognosis of lung transplantation recipients based on donor age.

METHODS

A detailed search was performed in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library for cohort studies on lung transplantation. The prognosis of lung transplant recipients was investigated based on the donor age, with the primary outcomes being 1-year overall survival (OS), 3-year OS, 5-year OS, and 5-year chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD)-free survival.

RESULTS

This meta-analysis included 10 cohort studies. Among the short-term outcomes, the older donor group demonstrated no significant difference from the young donor group in primary graft dysfunction within 72 hours, use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, length of ventilator use, and intensive care unit hours. However, a longer hospital stay was associated with the older donor group. In terms of long-term outcomes, no difference was found between the two groups in 1-year OS, 3-year OS, and 5-year OS. Notably, patients with older donors exhibited a superior 5-year CLAD-free survival.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this meta-analysis indicate that older donors are not inferior to younger donors in terms of long-term and short-term recipient outcomes. Lung transplantation using older donors is a potential therapeutic option after rigorous evaluation.

Comparative study of the outcomes of the second kidney transplantation from the young deceased donors versus living-unrelated donors

PURPOSE

To compare the kidney graft function and survival in patients who had second kidney transplantation from living donors versus those who had a second transplant from young deceased donors.

METHODS

In this retrospective cohort study, a total of 86 patients who underwent second kidney transplantation in Shariati hospital from 2001 until 2017 were enrolled. Baseline clinical data on the age, sex, type of kidney donor (living unrelated or deceased), duration of pretransplant dialysis, and the length of hospitalization were recorded. As the indicators of the graft function, we used the serum creatinine level and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) at time intervals during the study. The 1, 5, and 10-year graft survival rates were reported using life tables and the relative hazard ratios of the graft failure were calculated using the forward stepwise Cox proportional hazard model.

RESULTS

Forty-six of our patients were men (53.5%), with a mean ± SD age of 44.3 ± 12.3 years at the time of transplantation. The majority of the enrolled patients received the kidney from living unrelated donors (50 vs. 36 patients). In terms of serum creatinine and eGFR, at time intervals, no significant difference was found between the two recipient groups. In the living donor group, the 1, 5, and 10-year graft survival rates of the second transplant were 91% (95%CI: 73-96%), 87% (95%CI: 69-95%), and 82% (95%CI: 59-92%), and for the deceased donor group were 95% (95% CI: 69-99%), 95% (95%CI: 69-99%), and 79% (95%CI: 31-95%), respectively.

CONCLUSION

Considering the long-term outcomes of the second kidney transplantation, in our experience, the graft function and survival, either from the living or deceased donors, were favorable; and the type of organ donation had no significant effect on the risk of graft failure.

Sequence of refusals for donor quality, organ utilization, and survival after lung transplantation

BACKGROUND

Lung donor utilization rates remain low, with many organs refused for donor quality. However, some centers have successfully transplanted these organs despite multiple refusals for donor quality (RDQs) by other centers. We hypothesized that the number of refusals due to donor quality does not impact post-transplant outcomes.

METHODS

Lung transplants (LTxs) from 2006 to 2015, identified using the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) database, were matched against the potential transplant recipient (PTR) data set by donor identification. Transplants were categorized into 2 groups: low RDQ (0 to 3 RDQs) and high RDQ (>3 RDQs). Post-transplant survival and predictors for high RDQ were observed using Kaplan‒Meier and logistic regression analyses, respectively.

RESULTS

Of 10,126 adult (>18 years) LTxs, 77% had at least 1 RDQ, with a median of 4 RDQs. Post-transplant 1-year survival was similar for both the low and high RDQ groups (p = 0.49). Furthermore, groups of recipients who received donors with an increasing number of RDQs (>3, >6, or >10) also had similar post-transplant 1-year survival (p = 0.77). Treatment for rejection within 1 year and intubation at 72 hours post-transplant were higher in the high RDQ group (p < 0.01). An inverse relationship was identified between the number of RDQs and likelihood of utilization. After 10 RDQs, the likelihood of utilization varied significantly by donor characteristics.

CONCLUSIONS

Lung transplant survival is not associated with number of refusals due to donor quality. When determining whether an organ is suitable for transplant, the number of refusals due to donor quality should not influence one's decision, especially in this era of limited donor supply.

Importance for the Elderly of Discussion in the Family and Society About Attitude Toward Organ Donation

BACKGROUND

The aging of the population has changed some of the approaches to the organ donation and transplant (ODT) process, such as considering elderly people as potential donors. We aimed to assess social and family discussions among the elderly about ODT and its effect on their attitude toward organ donation.

METHODS

A study was carried out at 2 publicly-funded social centers for the elderly. Contact was made with individuals >65 years of age (n = 120) to seek their participation in the study. A questionnaire was distributed to them with questions about ODT. A descriptive assessment was performed with the Student t test and χ² test used for statistical analysis.

RESULTS

The completion rate was 87% (n = 104). Of the respondents with a partner and children, 48% had discussed the topic of ODT. It was found that talking about the subject with one's partner, children, or friends had a favorable influence on attitude compared with when this was not done (93%, 86%, and 83% vs 19%, 30%, and 31%, respectively; P < .001). In addition, the opinion of one's partner and children toward ODT also had an influence; if favorable, the respondent's attitude was more favorable, compared with when they did not know their opinion (92% to 88% vs 58% to 37%, respectively; P < .001). Other ODT-related variables did not affect their attitude (P > .05).

CONCLUSIONS

Almost half of the elderly people had discussed ODT socially or with their family. This discourse has a favorable influence on their attitude toward organ donation and, therefore, it is important to encourage social and family dialog among this group.

The Risk of Transplant Failure With HLA Mismatch in First Adult Kidney Allografts 2: Living Donors, Summary, Guide

Background

Allografts from living donors survive longer than those from deceased donors but the role of HLA mismatching in living kidney donation is still in question. We examined the effect of HLA compatibility on kidney allograft survival from living donors by studying all first adult kidney transplants performed in the United States over 25 years.

Methods

Using the United Network for Organ Sharing data, we identified first kidney transplants between October 1, 1987, and December 31, 2013. Recipients were classified by their number of HLA mismatches and stratified by donor origin. Cox multivariate regression analyses adjusting for recipient and donor transplant characteristics were performed to determine impact of HLA compatibility on kidney allograft survival for all living donors and for living related and living unrelated subsets.

Results

There were 66 596 first adult transplants from living donors with 348 960 years of follow-up. We found a linear relationship between HLA mismatch and allograft survival. In adjusted analyses, among all living donors, 1 mismatch conferred a 44% higher risk, whereas 6 mismatches conferred a twofold higher risk of allograft failure. When using 0-mismatched full siblings as a reference, living-donor kidneys reduce the hazard of failure by approximately 34% when compared with deceased donors. Twenty-five years of transplant experience, stratified by donor source, was summarized and presented as a guide for allocation.

Conclusions

These data reinforce the importance of optimizing HLA matching to further improve survival in first adult kidney allografts in the future, especially in living unrelated donations, when possible.

Hospital characteristics associated with increased conversion rates among organ donors in New England

BACKGROUND

It is unknown whether hospital characteristics affect institutional performance with regard to organ donation. We sought to determine which hospital- and patient-level characteristics are associated with high organ donor conversion rates after brain death (DBD).

METHODS

Data were extracted from the regional Organ Procurement Organization (2011-2014) and other sources. Hospitals were stratified into high-conversion hospitals (HCH; upper-tertile) and low-conversion hospitals (LCH; lower-tertile) according to conversion rates. Hospital- and patient-characteristics were compared between groups.

RESULTS

There were 564 potential DBD donors in 27 hospitals. Conversion rates differed between hospitals in different states (p < 0.001). HCH were more likely to be small (median bed size 194 vs. 337; p = 0.024), non-teaching hospitals (40% vs. 88%; p = 0.025), non-trauma center (30% vs. 77%; p = 0.040). Potential donors differed between HCH and LCH in race (p < 0.01) and mechanism of injury/disease process (p < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

There is significant variation between hospitals in terms of organ donor conversion rates. This suggests that there is a pool of potential donors in large specialized hospitals that are not successfully converted to DBD.

An investigation into the factors effective in the consent of families with brain-dead patients candidates for organ donation in Isfahan, Iran in 2012-13

Background:

Studies have shown that, with regard to social, cultural, and institutional contexts, several factors affect family decision-making on organ donation. This study aimed to investigate the effective factors in organ donation by family members with brain-dead patients.

Materials and Methods:

This was a descriptive-comparative study in which a researcher-made questionnaire was used to collect data. The reliability of the questionnaire was obtained as 0.81 using Cronbach's alpha. The study sample consisted of 85 members of families with brain-dead patients in Isfahan, Iran in 2012–13. The collected data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 20.0, and the level of significance was considered as <0.05.

Results:

The obtained results indicated that factors such as age, marital status, level of education, and cause of brain death did not have any effect on their families consent, whereas factors such as gender, duration of hospitalization, having an organ donation card, personal view of the brain-dead patient, and the number of patient's children had a significant relationship with the consent on organ donation. In addition, the care and treatment team were effective in family decisions regarding organ donation.

Conclusions:

In general, the necessary culture and increasing the population awareness and their knowledge can be a positive step in this regard and may bring about an easy and rapid acceptance of organ donation by the involved families.

Intention to Register as Organ Donors: A Survey of Adolescents

Background

Little is known about factors that influence the intention of adolescents to register as organ donors. The identification of such factors has important implications for the development and implementation of educational programs and subsequent donor registration rates.

Objective

To determine whether adolescents with an expressed commitment to becoming organ donor registrants differ significantly from nondonors on sociodemographic characteristics and factors influencing their decision.

Participants

Four hundred forty-five adolescents visiting a Department of Motor Vehicles office for a permit or license (n = 153) or attending a driver's education course (n = 292) completed a semistructured interview and questionnaire.

Results

Female (52.6%) and white (55.8%) adolescents were more likely to have favorable donation intentions relative to male (45.6%) and nonwhite (39.0%) adolescents (χ2 = 7.5, P = .02, and χ2 = 19.7, P = .003, respectively). Those with favorable donation intentions also endorsed significantly more positive factors (benevolence, need awareness, existentialism) as being more important in their decision. Adolescents who did not want to donate (58.7%) and those who were undecided (23.1%) were less likely to have discussed their decision with parents than were those who wanted to donate (67.7%, χ2 = 63.6, P = .0001). Finally, providing adolescents with a free driver's license in exchange for organ donor registration would have the greatest impact on registering undecided adolescents (29.8%, χ2 = 33.2, P = .0001).

Conclusions

There is a pressing need for more systematic and culturally sensitive organ donation education directed toward adolescents, and the Department of Motor Vehicles and driver's education courses may be appropriate venues. An educational program from the US Department of Health and Human Services, Decision: Donation, could be used in this context.

Outcomes of living kidney donors with rheumatoid arthritis

BACKGROUND

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis are more likely to have reduced kidney function develop over time. The aim of this study was to assess the clinical and safety outcomes of living kidney donors with rheumatoid arthritis.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study at a tertiary referral hospital to assess the outcomes of living kidney donors with rheumatoid arthritis. All 6 adults with rheumatoid arthritis who underwent nephrectomy as living kidney donors between January 2000 and September 2014 were included. Eighteen nondonors with rheumatoid arthritis (3 nondonors per donor) were randomly selected for comparison by matching the year of birth and comorbidity score.

RESULTS

None of the donors with rheumatoid arthritis had a flare-up of arthritis at a median follow-up time of 5.9 years (interquartile range [IQR], 3.1-7.5 years), while 5 (27.8%) nondonors with rheumatoid arthritis had a flare-up at a median follow-up time of 4.7 years (IQR, 3.1-6.7 years). After nephrectomy, donors' estimated glomerular filtration rate decreased to a mean of 43.53 (SD, 4) mL/min per 1.73 m2 at 7 days after the index date. The estimated glomerular filtration rate of donors subsequently increased significantly at rate of 3.99 mL/min per 1.73 m2 (P<.001). None of the donors with rheumatoid arthritis had end-stage renal disease develop or died at median follow-up times of 5.9 (IQR, 3.1-7.5) years and 8.2 (IQR, 5.8-9.7) years, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Healthy kidney donors with rheumatoid arthritis have good outcomes, with no increased risk of decline in renal function, end-stage renal disease, or death.

Outcomes of living kidney donors with medullary sponge kidney

BACKGROUND

Patients with medullary sponge kidney (MSK) commonly encounter recurrent nephrolithiasis. The existing knowledge on safety of donors with MSK has not been studied.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cohort study at a tertiary referral hospital to assess the outcomes of living kidney donors with MSK. All adults with MSK (N = 26) who underwent nephrectomy as living kidney donors between January 2000 and September 2014 were included. Non-donors with MSK (N = 78) were randomly selected by matching the year of birth and the comorbidity score with a ratio of 1:3 for comparison.

RESULTS

The incident rates of symptomatic stone were 0.7, 0.4 and 4.9 events/100 patient-years in donors, recipients and non-donors, respectively. After adjusting for history of kidney stones and baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), the kidney stone-related event was significantly lower in donors than in non-donors (hazard ratio 0.14; 95% confidence interval 0.01-0.66). One recipient of MSK living donor had symptomatic stone at median follow-up time of 8.4 years (interquartile range 5.6-12.4 years). None of MSK donors had hypercalciuria, hypocitraturia or hyperoxaluria prior to kidney donation. At 5 years after the index surgery date, there was no significant difference in eGFR between donors and non-donors (76.1 versus 70.9 mL/min/1.73 m², P = 0.12).

CONCLUSIONS

These findings are reassuring for the safety of MSK kidney donors with normal kidney function, low kidney stone risk and no significant comorbidity.

Increasing the Number of Organ Transplants in the United States by Optimizing Donor Authorization Rates

While recent policies have focused on allocating organs to patients most in need and lessening geographic disparities, the only mechanism to increase the actual number of transplants is to maximize the potential organ supply. We conducted a retrospective cohort study using OPTN data on all "eligible deaths" from 1/1/08 to 11/1/13 to evaluate variability in donor service area (DSA)-level donor authorization rates, and to quantify the potential gains associated with increasing authorization rates. Despite adjustments for donor demographics (age, race/ethnicity, cause of death) and geographic factors (rural/urban status of donor hospital, statewide participation in deceased-donor registries) among 52 571 eligible deaths, there was significant variability (p < 0.001) in donor authorization rates across the 58 DSAs. Overall DSA-level adjusted authorization rates ranged from 63.5% to 89.5% (median: 72.7%). An additional 773-1623 eligible deaths could have been authorized, yielding 2679-5710 total organs, if the DSAs with authorization rates below the median and 75th percentile, respectively, implemented interventions to perform at the level of the corresponding reference DSA. Opportunities exist within the current organ acquisition framework to markedly improve DSA-level donor authorization rates. Such initiatives would mitigate waitlist mortality while increasing the number of transplants.

Geographic inequity results in disparate mortality: a multivariate intent-to-treat analysis of liver transplant data

CONTEXT

The distribution of livers to listed transplant candidates shows substantial geographic inequity.

OBJECTIVE

To compare mortality between the 11 UNOS (United Network of Organ Sharing) regions from the time of listing and to show that the geographic region impacts survival.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS

We studied the data of 1930 adults listed with a Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score of 18 for a liver transplant from March 1, 2002 through December 31, 2007. We calculated one- and three-yr survival rates and performed multivariate Cox regression analysis to determine significant risk factors for mortality.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Patient survival from the time of listing for transplantation.

RESULTS

Actual one-yr mortality rate from the time of listing ranged from 30.5% (Region 2) to 12.9% (Region 4). The three-yr mortality rate ranged from 42.0% (Region 2) to 21.6% (Region 4). Multivariate analysis showed a significant increase in mortality in Region 2 (odds ratio [OR], 1.49; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.21 to 1.83) and a significant decrease in mortality in Region 3 (OR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.59 to 0.93).

CONCLUSIONS

We found significant differences in one- and three-yr mortality rates among UNOS regions. Regional disparities significantly affect patient survival and result in national inequality.

Hand-assisted laparoscopic living donor nephrectomy: initial Glasgow experience

AIMS

The study presents the early results of hand-assisted laparoscopic living donor nephrectomy (HALDN) carried out in West of Scotland from June 2009 to October 2010.

METHODS

The first 20 HALDN procedures carried out in our unit are presented. The outcomes reported are warm ischaemia time, operative time, delayed graft function, recipient renal function and one-month morbidity and mortality of donor and recipient. SPSS 15.0 was used for statistical analysis.

RESULTS

The mean age of the donors was 44 ± 10 years, predominantly females (n = 13), median operative time 135 ± 33 min and warm ischaemia time 41 ± 16 s. The length of the incision used was 65 mm in all cases. Duration of hospital stay was 5 ± 1 days. Patient mortality was 0 and morbidity minimal with two donors developing minor wound infection and no other clinically significant postoperative morbidity. Among the recipients, 18/20 (90%) transplants worked primarily with two delayed graft functions, one due to early surgical complications in a small paediatric recipient and one due to recipient renal artery thrombosis.

CONCLUSION

HALDN is safe and associated with minimal morbidity; further analysis aims to confirm excellent cosmetic results and quick return to activity compared with the standard open nephrectomy technique.

Racial and socioeconomic disparities in the allocation of expanded criteria donor kidneys

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

In carefully selected individuals, receiving expanded criteria donor (ECD) kidneys confer a survival advantage over remaining on dialysis. However, wait lists for ECD kidneys often include a significant proportion of young patients, who have no predictable survival benefit from ECD kidneys. This study hypothesized that educational and socioeconomic factors might influence a younger patient's decision to accept an ECD kidney.

DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS

This study was a retrospective analysis of all first single-kidney transplants in the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients database from 2000 to 2009 in patients aged 18-40 years and waitlisted <3 years. The primary outcome measured was the odds of receiving an ECD kidney compared with an standard criteria donor kidney in different demographic subgroups. Race, income, and education were analyzed in main-effect and two-way interaction models, corrected for candidate panel reactive antibodies and sex.

RESULTS

Of 13,615 ECD transplants, 591 kidneys (4.3%) went to recipients aged between 18 and 40 years who were waitlisted <3 years. African Americans (odds ratio, 1.71; 95% confidence interval, 1.26 to 2.33) or those with low education (odds ratio, 2.32; 95% confidence interval, 1.38 to 3.89) were more likely to receive an ECD kidney than Caucasians or those with a college degree, respectively. However, African Americans with higher education levels did not have significantly higher odds of receiving an ECD kidney than Caucasians with a college degree.

CONCLUSIONS

In patients aged <40 years and waitlisted <3 years, African Americans and those with lower educational status and low income are more likely to receive an ECD kidney than Caucasians or those with higher education. It is important that health care providers and patients understand such disparities to facilitate a more rational use of ECD kidneys.

Why offered pancreases are refused in the allocation process-a descriptive study using routine data from eurotransplant

BACKGROUND

The majority of pancreases, offered in allocation, are discarded. This pancreas underutilization is not well understood yet.

METHODS

We analyzed the detailed allocation protocols of all Eurotransplant-registered German whole-pancreas donors (2005-2009; n=1758). Outcome measures included donor characteristics, number of refusals per organ, and proportion of different refusal reasons in the whole sample and subgroups.

RESULTS

Thirty-seven percent of offered pancreases were transplanted; among these, 62% of pancreases were of potentially high quality (favorable donor age and pre-procurement pancreas allocation suitability score, no malignancy, n=290). A pancreas was placed after four offers (median) or withdrawn after eight offers (median). Seventy-five percent of refusal reasons were donor related (e.g., "lab results", "age", "macroscopy", and "long intensive care unit [ICU] stay"). Among pancreases refused for "diabetes" or "malignancy" at least once, the proportion of transplanted organs was less than 10%; pancreases refused due to "trauma", "age", or "resuscitation" were later transplanted in 48%, 32%, and 28%, respectively. The impact of donor age and ICU stay on organ refusal varied substantially: organs were refused due to length of ICU stay even if donors stayed 7 days or less; some organs were transplanted without ever being refused due to ICU stay in donors who stayed 8 days or more in ICU. There were no clinically significant disparities between donors of used and unused pancreases, except age (median, 31 vs. 42 years).

DISCUSSION

The loss of several pancreases seems avoidable. Many refusal reasons are not plausible, because there is no evidence supporting the refusal and because many of these organs were transplanted by other centers. This increases inefficiency in the allocation system.

Persufflation (gaseous oxygen perfusion) as a method of heart preservation

Persufflation (PSF; gaseous oxygen perfusion) is an organ preservation technique with a potential for use in donor heart preservation. Improved heart preservation with PSF may improve outcomes by maintaining cardiac tissue quality in the setting of longer cold ischemia times and possibly increasing the number of donor hearts available for allotransplant. Published data suggests that PSF is able to extend the cold storage times for porcine hearts up to 14 hours without compromising viability and function, and has been shown to resuscitate porcine hearts following donation after cardiac death. This review summarizes key published work on heart PSF, including prospective implications and future directions for PSF in heart transplantation. We emphasize the potential impact of extending preservation times and expanding donor selection criteria in heart allotransplant. Additionally, the key issues that need to be addressed before PSF were to become a widely utilized preservation strategy prior to clinical heart transplantation are summarized and discussed.

Deceased organ donation consent rates among racial and ethnic minorities and older potential donors

OBJECTIVES

We sought to assess consent rates for organ donation from potential brain-dead donors, and to identify factors associated with variation in consent for donation that could guide the development of targeted interventions to increase organ consent rates.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND SUBJECTS

We used data provided by the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network to analyze the 35,823 organ procurement organization-reported eligible deaths (potential brain-dead donors ≤ 70 yr of age) from January 1, 2008, to October 31, 2011.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Excluding cases where donation authorization was based on prior patient documentation (e.g., donor registry), consent was obtained on 21,601 (68.9%), not obtained on 8,727 (27.8%), and not requested on 1,080 (3.4%) eligible deaths. There were substantial differences in consent rates among racial/ethnic groups (77.0% in whites, 67.5% in Hispanics, 54.9% in blacks, and 48.1% in Asians) and organ procurement organizations (median [interquartile range]: 72.4% [67.5-87.3]). In generalized estimating equation models, with whites and patients ages 18-39 yr as the respective reference groups, consent for donation was less likely to be obtained among Hispanics (odds ratio 0.54; 95% confidence interval 0.44-0.65), blacks (odds ratio 0.35; 95% confidence interval 0.31-0.39), Asians (odds ratio 0.31; 95% confidence interval 0.25-0.37), and eligible donors ages 55-64 (odds ratio 0.72; 95% confidence interval 0.67-0.77), and ≥ 65 yr (odds ratio 0.58; 95% confidence interval 0.52-0.64).

CONCLUSIONS

In presenting the first published analyses of consent rates among all eligible deaths, this study confirms smaller and regional studies that showed significant differences in consent rates between whites and racial/ethnic minorities (blacks, Hispanics, and Asians). The study also identifies considerable variation in consent rates between age groups and between organ procurement organizations. Critical care physicians are usually the front-line providers for potential brain-dead donors and their next-of-kin, and these data highlight the need for further research to identify the causes of variation in consent rates and mechanisms to increase rates where appropriate.

Clinical research and social status investigation for donor and recipient of living-related kidney transplant

OBJECTIVE

Renal transplantation is the best options for treating end-stage renal disease. Better patient and allograft survival rates are provided by living donation, which has been safe, with minimal immediate and long-term risk for the donor. This study aims to investigate the life status and summarize the clinical experience in living-related kidney transplant (LRKT) before and after renal transplantation.

METHODS

A total of 310 cases of LRKT have been performed in our center since 1998. Tissue matching and risk factors assessment in donors and recipients were performed before donation. Small lumbar incision was used in all cases for unilateral nephrectomy. Donors and recipients were followed up regularly after renal transplantation.

RESULTS

All living donors were healthy, with normal renal function after unilateral nephrectomy. The 1- and 5-year patient/graft survival rates of LRKT were 98.3 %/97.6 % and 91.3 %/86.9 %, respectively. The cumulative incidence of delayed graft function (DGF) and acute rejection (AR) was 2.9 % (9 cases). Thirteen cases developed pulmonary infection (4.2 %) and eight cases were cured. The graft function in most cases returned to normal range soon after kidney transplant. Moreover, the creatinine and BUN levels of grafts donated by children or siblings of recipients were markedly lower than those donated by parents, at 1 month after transplant.

CONCLUSION

Adequate pretransplant assessment, better tissue matching, and reduced ischemia time may result in lower incidence of DGF, AR and higher patient/graft survival rates for LRKT. It is important to improve selection criteria and health assessment of donors. Long-term follow-up is essential to ensure a healthy life for donors and recipients after kidney transplant.

Evaluation of the medically complex living kidney donor

Due to organ shortage and difficulties for availability of cadaveric donors, living donor transplantation is an important choice for having allograft. Live donor surgery is elective and easier to organize prior to starting dialysis thereby permitting preemptive transplantation as compared to cadaveric transplantation. Because of superior results with living kidney transplantation, efforts including the usage of “Medically complex living donors” are made to increase the availability of organs for donation. The term “Complex living donor” is probably preferred for all suboptimal donors where decision-making is a problem due to lack of sound medical data or consensus guidelines. Donors with advanced age, obesity, asymptomatic microhematuria, proteinuria, hypertension, renal stone disease, history of malignancy and with chronic viral infections consist of this complex living donors. This medical complex living donors requires careful evaluation for future renal risk. In this review we would like to present the major issues in the evaluation process of medically complex living kidney donor.

A hierarchical communication model of the antecedents of health care professionals' support for donations after cardiac death

Using structural equation modeling, the direct and indirect impact of five variables on the support of donation after cardiac death from the perspective of health care professionals were investigated: knowledge, trust in the transplant team, whether patients are in a state of irreversibility, whether health care professionals participate in a patient's death, and perceptions about the brain death versus cardiac death donation process. In total, 10/15 relationships posited in the model had significant pathways. The results provide insight into sequential communication strategies for generating support for donations after cardiac death.

Choosing to be a designated organ donor on their first driver's license: actions, opinions, intentions, and barriers of Asian American and Pacific Islander adolescents in Hawaii

CONTEXT

The factors associated with Asian American and Pacific Islander adolescents' decision to be a designated organ donor on their first driver's license are largely unknown.

OBJECTIVE

To assess knowledge and attitudes about organ donation and sociocultural factors associated with designated organ donor status in Asian American and Pacific Islander youth in Hawaii.

DESIGN AND SETTING

Written surveys and focus groups were conducted at high schools and churches.

PARTICIPANTS

Two hundred eight Asian American and Pacific Islander teens, mean age 16 (SD, 2) years, 52.6% females, and 53.4% Catholic.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Donor status on driver's license, awareness, attitudes, intentions, and barriers to becoming a designated organ donor.

RESULTS

Eighteen percent of teens with a driver's license are designated organ donors. Twenty-one percent have talked to their parents about becoming a designated donor on their license. Of those without a license, 27.7% intended to become a designated donor. Sex, grade level, and immigrant status were not associated with designated organ donor status; however, Catholics were significantly less likely to be donors. Key barriers to being a designated donor included a lack of knowledge or misperceptions due to urban myths about organ donation, parents completing "organ donor" question on driver's license application, and not wanting to have their body "cut up."

CONCLUSIONS

Future organ donor campaigns should educate ethnic minority adolescents about the importance of becoming a designated organ donor on their first driver's license and counter urban myths about deceased organ donation. Guidelines for how to initiate family discussions about organ donation should be sensitive to cultural and religious beliefs.

Choosing to Be a Designated Organ Donor on Their First Driver's License: Actions, Opinions, Intentions, and Barriers of Asian American and Pacific Islander Adolescents in Hawaii

Context

The factors associated with Asian American and Pacific Islander adolescents' decision to be a designated organ donor on their first driver's license are largely unknown.

Objective

To assess knowledge and attitudes about organ donation and socio-cultural factors associated with designated organ donor status in Asian American and Pacific Islander youth in Hawaii.

Design and Setting

Written surveys and focus groups were conducted at high schools and churches.

Participants

Two hundred eight Asian American and Pacific Islander teens, mean age 16 (SD, 2) years, 52.6% females, and 53.4% Catholic.

Main Outcome Measures

Donor status on driver's license, awareness, attitudes, intentions, and barriers to becoming a designated organ donor.

Results

Eighteen percent of teens with a driver's license are designated organ donors. Twenty-one percent have talked to their parents about becoming a designated donor on their license. Of those without a license, 27.7% intended to become a designated donor. Sex, grade level, and immigrant status were not associated with designated organ donor status; however, Catholics were significantly less likely to be donors. Key barriers to being a designated donor included a lack of knowledge or misperceptions due to urban myths about organ donation, parents completing “organ donor” question on driver's license application, and not wanting to have their body “cut up.”

Conclusions

Future organ donor campaigns should educate ethnic minority adolescents about the importance of becoming a designated organ donor on their first driver's license and counter urban myths about deceased organ donation. Guidelines for how to initiate family discussions about organ donation should be sensitive to cultural and religious beliefs.

Characterization of the in vitro macrophage response and in vivo host response to poly(ethylene glycol)-based hydrogels

Photopolymerizable poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)- based hydrogels have great potential as in vivo cell delivery vehicles for tissue engineering. However, their success in vivo will be dependent on the host response. The objectives for this study were to explore the in vivo host response and in vitro macrophage response to commonly used PEG-based hydrogels, PEG and PEG containing RGD. Acellular hydrogels were implanted subcutaneously into c57bl/6 mice and the foreign body response (FBR) was compared to medical grade silicone. Our findings demonstrated PEG-RGD hydrogels resulted in a FBR similar to silicone, while PEG-only hydrogels resulted in a robust inflammatory reaction characterized by a thick layer of macrophages at the material surface with evidence of gel degradation. In vitro, bone marrow-derived primary macrophages adhered well and similarly to PEG-based hydrogels, silicone, and tissue culture polystyrene when cultured for 4 days. Significantly higher gene expressions of the proinflammatory cytokines, TNF-alpha and Il-1beta, were found in macrophages seeded onto PEG compared to PEG-RGD and silicone at 1 and 2 days. PEG hydrogels were also shown to be susceptible to oxidative biodegradation. Our findings indicate that PEG-only hydrogels are proinflammatory while RGD attenuates this negative reaction leading to a moderate FBR.

Caveat patiens — ethical dilemmas in decision -making

More than 99,358 men, women and children are on organ transplant lists in the United States. Pressure on family members to donate organs can therefore be intense. The medical excuse was created to address this potential coercion. It is a fabricated anatomical or physiological reason given to a donor (with or without the donor’s request) that provides an immediate shield against coercive pressure by family and friends on the potential donor. While the long-term risks and benefits of the medical excuse have not been studied, they could arguably include: 1) Reinforced perception that donation is expected; hence, declining donation is aberrant, and requires legitimization by external authority; 2) Eroded family trust of transplant physicians; 3) Eroded family trust in the individual reporting a “true” medical excuse; 4) Falsification of potential donor’s medical record; 5) Development of “toxic secrets” in the family unit; 6) Paternalism; and 7) General erosion of trust in both health care providers and the healthcare system. This author proposes a system of transparent and balanced communication where both the potential donor and the transplant team are clearly cognizant of the voluntary nature of the purported donation and where provisions for “opting-out” occur at any point along the pre-transplantation continuum.

Understanding the antecedents of the acceptance of donation after cardiac death by healthcare professionals

OBJECTIVE

A 3-yr study funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services was conducted to identify potential barriers to and opportunities for increasing the number hospitals with donation after cardiac death (DCD) protocols, the support of DCD by individuals involved in the donation request process, and the number DCD donors recovered. This study reports the qualitative findings.

DESIGN

Methods used included an advisory committee and an extensive array of key informant interviews and focus groups.

SETTING

Hospitals and telephone contact.

SUBJECTS

Discussions with nurses, physicians, social service staff, clergy, administrators, and organ procurement organization staff. A total of 216 people participated.

INTERVENTIONS

Collection and analysis of information regarding perceptions of DCD, potential barriers and opportunities, and strategies for gaining support.

MEASUREMENT AND MAIN RESULTS

Key barriers included a lack of knowledge about DCD, psychological barriers for DCD vs. brain death, concerns about whether death has been reached, saving vs. killing patients, trust in the organ procurement organization, moving from saving patients to being a donation advocate, and concerns with the DCD process. Opportunities included education initiatives, well-trained requesters, a cultural shift, a consistent DCD protocol separating care from recovery, process monitoring, and a strong sense of teamwork.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings provide a better understanding of healthcare professionals' knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding DCD. Understanding these issues is critical to the implementation of strategic plans for DCD programs. One of the biggest barriers to overcome is a lack of knowledge of DCD, which leads to misperceptions, which in turn contribute to negative attitudes and/or discomfort by healthcare professionals. Communication efforts that are able to educate healthcare professionals and eliminate misperceptions will increase support for DCD. Key to future success requires confident and well-trained DCD requesters.

Organ donation and utilization in the United States, 1997-2006

Deceased organ donation has increased rapidly since 2002, coinciding with implementation of the Organ Donation Breakthrough Collaborative. The increase in donors has resulted in a corresponding increase in the numbers of kidney, liver, lung and intestinal transplants. While transplants for most organs have increased, discard and nonrecovery rates have not improved or have increased, resulting in a decrease in organs recovered per donor (ORPD) and organs transplanted per donor (OTPD). Thus, the expansion of the consent and recovery of incremental donors has frequently outpaced utilization. Meaningful increases in multicultural donation have been achieved, but donations continue to be lower than actual rates of transplantation and waiting list registrations for these groups. To counteract the decline in living donation, mechanisms such as paired donation and enhanced incentives to organ donation are being developed. Current efforts of the collaborative have focused on differentiating ORPD and OTPD targets by donor type (standard and expanded criteria donors and donors after cardiac death), utilization of the OPTN regional structure and enlisting centers to increase transplants to match increasing organ availability.

Increasing organ donations after cardiac death by increasing DCD support among health care professionals: a case report

This case report focuses on the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics Organ Procurement Organization (UWHC-OPO) efforts to produce a verifiable and demonstrable increase in organ donations by developing a replicable, transferable and feasible model intervention for increasing health care professionals' support for donation after cardiac death (DCD). A grant from the US Department of Health and Human Services funded a 3-year study allowing the UWHC-OPO to (i) identify barriers to and opportunities for increasing DCD support among those involved in the donation request process, (ii) implement this better understanding of these support factors in the creation of intervention materials designed to increase knowledge of and support for DCD and finally (iii) to track and document the progress made in increasing knowledge, support, number of hospitals with DCD protocols, actual requests made and number of DCD donors. The results of the model intervention were extremely positive, showing lasting increases in DCD knowledge and support, adoption of DCD protocols and referrals in the two tracking survey stages following the intervention. Perhaps most notably, DCD donor numbers within the UWHC-OPO region increased 93% in the year following the intervention and 179% to date.

Live donor nephrectomy for kidney transplantation

The number of patients with end-stage renal disease is increasing substantially every year around the world. Renal transplantation is the best treatment option to improve survival and quality of life. Although the numbers of living, related and deceased transplant donors has also increased, this growth is insufficient to keep up with the expansion rate of the renal failure population. The introduction of laparoscopic donor nephrectomy has gained widespread acceptance by physicians and patients, and seems to be better than open donor nephrectomy in terms of reduced postoperative pain, quick recovery and improved cosmetic outcomes. Evidence strongly suggests that graft survival is similar in recipients of kidneys from living related and unrelated donors. Fortunately, this information has raised awareness of the suitability of potential live, unrelated donors, including spouses, friends, or even anonymous donors. In this Review we touch on sociological aspects of living related kidney transplantation and review the available and proposed methods of increasing the live donor pool, including organ exchange and desensitization protocols for ABO-incompatible and cross-match-positive donor pairs.

An empirical examination of the antecedents of the acceptance of donation after cardiac death by health care professionals

Findings are reported from a US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) funded study to identify barriers to increasing support for donations after cardiac death by health professionals. A donations after cardiac death (DCD) acceptance model is conceptualized and tested via 806 survey responses from certified requestors, all of whom had their identities protected through Institutional Review Board (IRB) protocol. The overall model was significant and explained 35% of the variation in DCD support. Greater knowledge about DCD, greater trust in the organ procurement organization (OPO) and a belief that futility has been reached were all positively associated with DCD acceptance. Negative perceptions of DCD versus brain death, transitioning from caregiving to donation advocate, concerns about the DCD process and the idea that DCD leads to active participation in the death reduced its support. The three greatest impediments to support of DCD exist when health professionals feel they are playing an active role in killing the patient, that a state of death has not yet been reached, and that DCD has more psychological barriers than does the brain death donation process. Opportunities and strategic initiatives are discussed to overcome these barriers, including the value of communication and education initiatives and the need for well-trained requestors. The implementation of these strategic guidelines helped to increase the number of DCD donors by 225%.

25 years of live related renal transplantation in children: The Buenos Aires experience

The number of pediatric patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD) has been steadily growing during the last 10 years all over the world, because of the improvement of medical and surgical treatment of severe urologic malformations and congenital and acquired nephrological disorders. Kidney transplantation (Tx) with a live related donor continues to be the gold standard therapy to treat ESRD in children because of the best final results, the chronic lack of cadaveric donors and the frequent possibility of young patients to have parents or relatives as a source of a potential graft donor.Nowadays almost every pediatric patient can be dialyzed and transplanted, even early in life, if he or she has the possibility of a live related donor. Improvements in pediatric anesthesiology and intensive care have also been very important, in reducing the morbidity and mortality related to Tx procedures.Here we report our experience with Tx for the last 25 years, specially our long experience of live related donor transplantation in children and adolescents with emphasis on technical issues in small children and pediatric patients with severe urologic malformations and bladder dysfunction. We'll make special considerations on the improvement in short and long follow-up with the actual prevention and treatment of graft rejection, due to the new immunosuppressive agents and protocols.

Pediatric staff perspectives on organ donation after cardiac death in children

OBJECTIVES

The aims of this project were to describe whether pediatric clinical staff members believe that a donation after cardiac death (DCD) program could be consistent with the mission and core values of a children's hospital and to identify what staff consider essential to the acceptability of such a program.

DESIGN

Qualitative study.

SETTING

Children's hospital.

SUBJECTS

Pediatric clinical staff.

INTERVENTIONS

Data were gathered from pediatric clinical staff during eight focus groups conducted in a children's hospital in March and April 2005.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Eighty-eight staff members participated. Six major themes emerged from qualitative analysis of the data: a) identifying children who could be candidates for DCD; b) considering the best interests of the dying child; c) approaching parents about DCD; d) preparing parents for their child's DCD; e) doing DCD well; and f) maintaining program integrity. Themes were used to construct a conceptual framework describing a model pediatric DCD program. Pediatric staff voiced numerous concerns. However, they identified "making it happen for families" who voice a desire to participate in organ donation as the primary reason for program adoption.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides a framework for understanding pediatric staff perspectives on DCD programs in children. Results suggest several possible elements that may be helpful in framing interdisciplinary dialogue and informing institutional practices in the design of a pediatric DCD program.

Primary nonfunction (PNF) in the MELD Era: An SRTR database analysis

PNF following liver transplantation (LT) is an infrequent but life-threatening complication. Liver allocation under MELD is based upon recipient severity of illness, a known risk factor for the occurrence of PNF. The incidence of PNF since the application of MELD has not previously been reported. The SRTR database was studied since inception of MELD until September 2004 for all adult recipients of deceased donor LT. PNF was defined as graft loss or death within 14 days of LT secondary to PNF or without defined cause. A total of 10545 transplants met inclusion criteria and PNF occurred in 613 (5.81%) of recipients. Univariate analysis demonstrated donor age, serum creatinine >1.5 mg/mL, hypertension and CVA as risk factors for PNF. Recipient factors included life support, mechanical ventilation, use of inotropes, hemodialysis, initial status 1 and use of a shared transplant. In the multivariate model only donor age and recipient serum creatinine, bilirubin, on life support and status 1 at transplant were significant risk factors for PNF. In this analysis of PNF in the MELD era the incidence of PNF does not appear to have increased from prior reports. Risk factors for PNF are related to donor age and severity of recipient illness.

Early detection of graft failure using the blood metabolic profile of a liver recipient

In this case report we describe the blood metabolic profile ("metabolomics") by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and principle component analysis (PCA) from a patient who underwent two consecutive liver transplantations. The first graft from a living-related donor failed and was followed by a second successful transplant from a deceased donor. Using quantitative high-resolution H-NMR spectroscopy, 48 endogenous metabolites were analyzed in whole blood samples at baseline and different time points after each transplantation. From 48 analyzed metabolites, six metabolites were identified by PCA as metabolic markers consistent with a non-functional liver after first transplantation. Importantly, this distinctive metabolic profile was present as early as two hours after first transplant surgery when no other variable or conventional laboratory tests indicated poor graft function. This article reports the potential usefulness of quantitative H-NMR based metabolomics to diagnose early graft dysfunction in liver transplantation.

Early detection of graft failure using the blood metabolic profile of a liver recipient

In this case report we describe the blood metabolic profile ("metabolomics") by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and principle component analysis (PCA) from a patient who underwent two consecutive liver transplantations. The first graft from a living-related donor failed and was followed by a second successful transplant from a deceased donor. Using quantitative high-resolution H-NMR spectroscopy, 48 endogenous metabolites were analyzed in whole blood samples at baseline and different time points after each transplantation. From 48 analyzed metabolites, six metabolites were identified by PCA as metabolic markers consistent with a non-functional liver after first transplantation. Importantly, this distinctive metabolic profile was present as early as two hours after first transplant surgery when no other variable or conventional laboratory tests indicated poor graft function. This article reports the potential usefulness of quantitative H-NMR based metabolomics to diagnose early graft dysfunction in liver transplantation.

Survival analysis of liver transplant patients in Canada 1997-2002

Liver transplantation is an important health care issue for Canadians. Very few studies have assessed survival and determinants of survival in liver transplant patients in Canada.

METHODS

We carried out an epidemiological analysis of 1 year survival and determinants of 1 year survival in liver transplant patients, using Canadian Organ Replacement Registry data (1997-2002). Survival curves were plotted by the Kaplan-Meier method. Cox proportional hazards analysis was applied to evaluate hazard ratios with different age groups, gender, ethnicity, blood groups, donor type, pretransplantation medical status, and HBV infection status.

RESULTS

A total of 1164 liver transplant patients were included in the analysis. One-year survival rate was 84.7%. Male recipients had a 21% higher risk of developing organ failure than females. Recipients over 60 years of age had a 5% lower survival probability in comparison with recipients below 20 years of age. Pacific Islanders and Aboriginals had 32% and 9% lower survival probabilities, respectively, in comparison with Caucasians. Type B blood recipients had a 12% higher survival probability, whereas type AB blood recipients had a 7% lower survival probability compared with type O blood recipients. Twenty-six live organ recipients had 40% higher survival probabilities than 1138 cadaveric organ recipients. Patients with fulminant hepatitis (status 3F) had the highest survival, while patients with fulminant failure in ICU with intubation/ventilation (status 4F) had the lowest survival. One hundred sixty-seven recipients with positive HBsAg antigen showed 10% lower survival probability than 997 cases with negative HBsAg antigen.

CONCLUSION

In Canada, the first year survival rate is about 85%, which is comparable with other industrialized countries. Type of donor organs and recipient gender, ethnicity, ABO blood group, pretransplantation medical status, and HBV infection status had significant affects on the recipient survival.

Number of deaths by neurological criteria, and organ and tissue donation rates at three critical care centres in Canada

PURPOSE

Comparative organ donation rates are expressed per million population and by this measurement, Canada lags behind other countries. These estimates do not account for differing demographics and health patterns of populations which can result in different rates of death by neurological criteria and subsequent donation rates. We sought to measure directly the number of deaths by neurological criteria, the associated donation rates, and the reasons for the differences.

METHODS

A prospective evaluation of deaths by neurological and cardiorespiratory criteria in the critical care areas of three major adult Canadian tertiary care centres over a seven month period was undertaken. Patients were assessed for eligibility for organ and tissue donation and ultimate disposition.

RESULTS

Annualized rates of death by neurological criteria varied from 2.3%-7.5% (8.6-28 patients) of all deaths. Conversion to actual donors ranged from 20-86%, with family refusal rates accounting for most of this variation. There were only three cases of suspected death by neurological criteria where a complete examination was not performed.

CONCLUSIONS

There is substantial geographic variability in the rate of neurological death and actual organ donation rates in these Canadian tertiary care centres. These variations are principally related to regional differences in demographics of brain injury, referral patterns and donation consent rates, rather than lack of identification of potential donors.

National evaluation of healthcare provider attitudes toward organ donation after cardiac death

OBJECTIVE

Organ donation after cardiac death will save lives by increasing the number of transplantable organs. But many healthcare providers are reluctant to participate when the withdrawal of intensive care leads to organ donation. Prior surveys indicate ethical concerns as a barrier to the practice of organ donation after cardiac death, but the specific issues that characterize these concerns are unknown. We thus aimed to identify what barriers healthcare providers perceive.

DESIGN

We conducted a qualitative analysis of focus group transcripts to identify issues of broad importance.

SETTING

Healthcare setting.

PARTICIPANTS

Participants included 141 healthcare providers representing critical care and perioperative nurses, transplant surgeons, medical examiners, organ procurement personnel, neurosurgeons, and neurologists.

INTERVENTIONS

Collection and analysis of information regarding healthcare providers' attitudes and beliefs.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

All focus groups agreed that increased organ availability is a benefit but questioned the quality of organs recovered. Study participants identified a lack of standards for patient prognostication and cardiopulmonary death and a failure to prevent a conflict between patient and donor interests as obstacles to acceptance of organ donation after cardiac death. They questioned the practices and motives of colleagues who participate in organ donation after cardiac death, apprehensive that real or perceived impropriety would affect public perception.

CONCLUSIONS

Healthcare providers are uncomfortable at the clinical juncture where end-of-life care and organ donation interface. Our findings are consistent with theories that care providers are hesitant to perform medical tasks that they consider to be outside the focus of their practice, especially when there is potential conflict of interest. This conflict appears to impose moral distress on healthcare providers and limits acceptance of organ donation after cardiac death. Future research is warranted to examine the effect of standardized procedures on reducing moral distress. The hypothesis generated by this qualitative study is that use of neutral third parties to broach the subject of organ donation may improve acceptance of organ donation after cardiac death.

Organ procurement organizations Internet enrollment for organ donation: abandoning informed consent

Background

Requirements for organ donation after cardiac or imminent death have been introduced to address the transplantable organs shortage in the United States. Organ procurement organizations (OPOs) increasingly use the Internet for organ donation consent.

Methods

An analysis of OPO Web sites available to the public for enrollment and consent for organ donation. The Web sites and consent forms were examined for the minimal information recommended by the United States Department of Health and Human Services for informed consent. Content scores were calculated as percentages of data elements in four information categories: donor knowledge, donor consent reinforcement, donation promotion, and informed consent.

Results

There were 60 Web sites for organ donation enrollment serving the 52 states. The median percent (10 percentile-90 percentile) content scores of the Web sites for donor knowledge, donor consent reinforcement, and donation promotion were 33% (20–47), 79% (57–86), and 75% (50–100), respectively. The informed consent score was 0% (0–33). The content scores for donor knowledge and informed consent were significantly lower than donor consent reinforcement and donation promotion for all Web sites (P < .05). The content scores for the four categories were similar among the 11 regions of the United Network for Organ Sharing.

Conclusion

The Web sites and consent forms for public enrollment in organ donation do not fulfill the necessary requirements for informed consent. The Web sites predominantly provide positive reinforcement and promotional information rather than the transparent disclosure of organ donation process. Independent regulatory oversight is essential to ensure that Internet enrollment for organ donation complies with legal and ethical standards for informed consent.

Living-donor kidney transplantation: risks of the donor ? benefits of the recipient

For patients with end-stage renal disease, kidney transplantation is the optimal therapy. Due to organ shortage, however, most patients have to wait on dialysis for a considerable period of time prior to transplantation. Living-donor kidney transplantation is a valid option to expand the organ pool and to reduce waiting time. The risk-benefit ratio of living-donor kidney transplantation needs to be evaluated critically, as healthy persons voluntarily donate an organ for transplantation. The available data from the literature seem to prove that the donor operation can be performed with a minimal perioperative risk. Regarding the long-term course after kidney donation, the published data suggest that the risk is minimal for well-selected healthy donors who are closely followed postoperatively. The potential donor, however, needs to be completely informed regarding the potential short- and long-term risks of kidney donation prior to the planned procedure. From the recipient point of view, transplantation of a kidney from a living donor is a very good if not the optimal option, as the short- and long-term outcomes seem to be favorable compared with cadaveric kidney transplantation. With donor safety being constantly monitored, it seems to be justified to further pursue living-donor kidney transplantation programs.

Impact of New Legislation on Presumed Consent on Organ Donation on Liver Transplant in Singapore: A Preliminary Analysis

Demand for the liver organ for transplantation vastly exceeded the availability of deceased donor organs. A new law, the revised Human Organ Transplant Act (HOTA), was implemented in Singapore in July 2004, which allowed for recovering four organs, including liver, for transplant unless the deceased give objection prior to their demise. We set to study the impact of the revised legislation by comparing the number of potential suitable donors, liver recovery surgery, and liver transplants two years before and one year after the implementation. There was no change in the number of suitable donors, but there was an increase in the number of liver recovery surgeries and liver transplantation, and a lower refusal rate among suitable donors. Although the revised legislation helped improve the availability of deceased donor organs moderately, other nonlegislative, supplementary measures are needed to further improve the low organ donation rate.

Improving Utilization of Deceased Donor Kidneys by Matching Recipient and Graft Survival

Younger renal transplant recipients often outlive their allografts, whereas older recipients often die before their allograft fails. Thus, our aim was to assess the utility of matching recipient and graft survival to improve allocation of deceased donor kidneys. We reviewed the records of 49,206 patients (United Network for Organ Sharing, 1995-2002). Donor grafts were stratified by Deceased Donor Score (DDS). We observed a disparity between recipient survival and renal graft survival which contributed to an annual gap between supply and demand of renal transplants. Utilization of DDS and distribution of marginal kidneys to older recipients would improve allocation.

The expanded criteria donor policy: an evaluation of program objectives and indirect ramifications

The expanded criteria donor (ECD) policy was formalized in 2002, which defined higher-risk deceased donor kidneys recovered for transplantation. There has not been a comprehensive examination of the impact of policy on the allocation of ECD kidneys, waiting times for transplant, center listing patterns or human leukocyte antigen (HLA) matching. We examined transplant candidates from 1998 to 2004 utilizing a national database. We constructed models to assess alterations in recipient characteristics of ECD kidneys and trends in waiting time and cold ischemia time (CIT) associated with policy. We also evaluated the impact of the proportion of center candidate listings for ECD kidneys on waiting times. Elderly recipients were more likely to receive ECDs following policy (odds ratio = 1.36, p < 0.01). There was no association of decreased CIT or pretransplant dialysis time while increasing HLA mismatching with policy inception. Over one quarter of centers listed < 20% of candidates for ECDs, while an additional quarter of centers listed > 90%. Only centers with selective listing for ECDs offered reduced waiting times to ECD recipients. The ECD policy demonstrates potential to achieve certain ascribed goals; however, the full impact of the program, reaching all transplant candidates, may only be achieved once ECD listing patterns are recommended and adopted accordingly.

Attitudes toward financial incentives, donor authorization, and presumed consent among next-of-kin who consented vs. refused organ donation

BACKGROUND

Financial incentives, donor authorization, and presumed consent are strategies designed to increase organ donation rates. Surveys designed to assess attitudes toward these initiatives have been conducted with the general public, transplant patients, and transplant professionals.

METHODS

To assess attitudes toward financial incentives, donor authorization, and presumed consent and to identify multivariate predictors of such attitudes, we conducted telephone interviews with 561 family members who had recently been asked for consent to donate the organs of a deceased family member (348 donors, 213 nondonors).

RESULTS

Financial incentives would have made a difference in the donation decision for 54% of nondonors (vs. 46% of donors, P=0.02), and a higher percentage of nondonors would themselves become donors if financial incentives were available (P=0.03). Donors had significantly more favorable attitudes toward donor authorization (P<0.0001) and presumed consent (P<0.0001) policies. Overall, 54% of participants thought that family permission for donation was unnecessary when the deceased documented their donation intention, and 24% favored a presumed consent law with an opting out provision.

CONCLUSIONS

Of the three initiatives, donor authorization is likely supported by more donor and nondonor families than either financial incentives or presumed consent. Public education efforts should aim to better inform the public regarding existing and proposed donor authorization legislation and its benefits for registered organ donors and their families.