Profile of organ donors in Ceará, northeastern Brazil, from 1998 to 2012

Area of Science:

• Transplantation Medicine
• Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Solid organ transplantation relies heavily on cadaver donors, offering a vital alternative for patients with organ failure.
• Understanding the demographic and etiological profile of organ donors is crucial for optimizing donation rates and public health strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish a comprehensive profile of solid organ donors in Ceará, northeastern Brazil, between 1998 and 2012.
• To analyze donor demographics (sex, age, blood type) and causes of brain death.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of secondary data from the Ceará Transplantation Center's solid organ donor database.
• Data collected included sex, age, blood typing, and cause of brain death for donors from November 1998 to December 2012.
• Statistical analysis of donor characteristics and trends over the study period.

Main Results:

• A total of 976 donors were analyzed, with 69% being male. The predominant age group was 18-40 years (50.9%).
• The average donor age was 35 ± 16 years, with females being significantly older than males (38.4 vs. 33.5 years).
• Traumatic brain injury (TBI) (56.7%) and stroke (33.1%) were the leading causes of brain death. TBI was more common in men, often resulting from traffic accidents (51.4%, including motorcycle accidents) and urban violence (22.6%, often firearm-related). Stroke was more prevalent in women.
• Organ donation rates significantly increased during the study period, from 11.2 to 68.1 donors per million population.

Conclusions:

• Solid organ donation is increasing in Ceará, Brazil.
• The typical donor profile is a young male (18-40 years) experiencing brain death due to TBI, frequently linked to traffic accidents and urban violence.
• These findings highlight the need for targeted public health interventions and safety measures to reduce TBI-related deaths and promote organ donation.