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Non-heartbeating organ donation: a review
Christine A Zawistowski1, Michael A DeVita
1University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Department of Critical Care Medicine, PA 15213, USA. zawica@ccm.upmc.edu
Journal of Intensive Care Medicine
|March 24, 2004
Summary
Non-heartbeating organ donation (NHBOD) is increasing organ availability. Organs from NHB donors show outcomes comparable to heartbeating donors, supporting NHBOD as a viable strategy.
Area of Science:
- Medicine
- Transplantation Surgery
- Organ Donation
Background:
- Organ transplantation is a major medical advancement.
- Historically, organs were sourced from non-heartbeating (NHB) cadavers.
- The use of NHB donors declined with the advent of brain-dead and living donors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the role of non-heartbeating organ donation (NHBOD) in increasing organ supply.
- To assess the outcomes of organs procured from NHB donors.
- To review current guidelines and practices for NHBOD.
Main Methods:
- Review of historical and current practices in organ procurement.
- Analysis of outcomes data for organs from NHB versus heartbeating donors.
- Examination of national guidelines and organizational support for NHBOD.
Main Results:
- NHBOD is being increasingly employed as a strategy to address organ shortages.
- Organs from NHB donors demonstrate outcomes comparable to those from heartbeating donors.
- National organizations now support NHBOD with proposed guidelines.
Conclusions:
- NHBOD is a proven strategy to increase the availability of organs for transplantation.
- The outcomes associated with NHBOD are comparable to traditional methods.
- NHBOD, with established guidelines, is a critical component of modern organ procurement.