The reward is worth the wait: a prospective analysis of 100 consecutive organ donors

Aggressive donor management protocols have evolved to maximize the number of procured organs. Our study assessed donor management time and the number and types of organs procured with the hypothesis that shorter management time yields increased organ procurement and transplant rates. We prospectively analyzed 100 donors managed by a regional organ procurement organization (OPO) during 2007 to 2008. Data included patient demographics, number and types of organs procured and transplanted, patient management time by the OPO, and achievement of donor preprocurement goals. One hundred consecutive organ donors were managed with a mean age 41 ± 18 years and mean management time 23 ± 9 hours; 376 organs were procured and 327 successfully transplanted. Donors managed greater than 20 hours yielded significantly more heart (5 vs 26, P < 0.01) and lung (6 vs 40, P < 0.01) procurements, more organs procured per donor (3.2 ± 1.4 vs 4.2 ± 1.6, P < 0.01), and more organs transplanted per donor (2.6 ± 1.5 vs 3.7 ± 1.8, P < 0.01) than those managed 20 hours or less. No difference in the attainment of donor management goals was observed between these populations. Contrary to our initial hypothesis, donor management times greater than 20 hours yielded increased organ procurement and transplant rates, particularly for hearts and lungs, despite no differences in the achievement of donor preprocurement management goals.