The efficiency in the utilization of potential donors for organ transplantation in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Organ transplantation programs have been successful in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This success is limited by organ shortage. The aim of this study is to find out the percentage of actual donors out of all potential donors in intensive care units (ICU), and to look at problems related to the donation process, particularly from the logistical point of view.

The study was conducted prospectively for a one year period, June 2001 through to May 2002, in 4 main Riyadh hospitals. Mortality data was collected by a medical professional in each ICU and analyzed on a weekly basis. Final analysis was made at the end of the year.

Five hundred and forty-two deaths occurred in these ICUs. Fifty-four percent occurred in one hospital. The number of brain death cases in all hospitals was 114 cases. Thirty-eight cases were reported to the Saudi Center for Organ Transplantation (33%). Documentation was completed in only 23 cases (60%). In these, there was a significant delay in documentation (second test was carried out in 6-12 hours in 4 cases only).

We have found that the reporting of brain death cases was low (33%). Dealing with the reported cases is inefficient since only 4 cases were able to become the actual donor out of 38 cases. We found also that there is a gross difference in the number of brain death cases among different hospitals. To improve the efficiency of ICUs in dealing with brain death cases (reporting, documentation, maintenance and consent) will require solving several problems at the medical, administrative, and religious and mass media levels.