[Inhouse coordination to promote organ donation: a pilot project in three full-service hospitals]

There is still a lack of organ donors in Germany to provide organs for everyone on the waiting list. Against this background, the project "inhouse coordination" was initiated in 112 German hospitals in order to promote organ donation. We report the first results and experiences with this project at three full-service university hospitals.

From April 2010 to March 2011 data on all deceased patients with primary or secondary brain damage were collected retrospectively. The analysis of anonymised data was carried out by using the Software "Transplant-check" of the German Hospital Institute, as well as in-house databases.

In comparison to the year before, no increase in numbers of organ donation was achieved during the study period. A total of 544 patients were deceased with a primary or secondary brain damage as main or secondary diagnosis. In 40.3 % medical contraindications prevented organ donation. In 34.5 % treatment limitation was introduced. Brain death was diagnosed in 59 of 544 patients (10.8 %) and organ donation was possible in 5.5 %.

In our analysis, a potential donor gap was noted which could not be clarified. Above all, it remains unclear in how many deceased patients with a fatal brain damage, the final diagnosis of brain death would have been possible. Even if these analyses did not lead to reliable results or conclusive evidence of organ donor potential, structural qualities were achieved in all hospitals. Ensuring the identification of potential organ donors and the accompanying support of the process should be of priority for future collaborative efforts of hospitals, transplant centers and the organ procurement organisation.