[Management of brain death organ donor]

The demand for donor organs continues to exceed the number of organs available for transplantation. The assistance to the family members of a potential donor in forefront of transplantation is as much important as to maintain donor organ function. Caring for a brain dead potential organ donor is therefore major challenge for nurses and physicians.The pathophysiological changes following brain death entail a high incidence of complications including hemodynamic instability, endocrine and metabolic disturbances, that jeopardize potentially transplantable organs. The knowledge of the complex physiologic changes is crucial to the development of effective donor management strategies.The management of potential organ donors is similar to the management of patients with severe sepsis. The main goal of that treatment is to achieve hemodynamic stability as well as the normalization of endocrine and metabolic disturbances. Donor optimization leads to increased organ procurement and contributes to improved organ function in the recipient.