Liver allografts from donors with peritoneal contamination: report of two cases

Organs from deceased donors with traumatic abdominal injury, peritoneal contamination and open abdomen are usually discarded due to risks of transmission of severe infections to the recipient. There are no specific recommendations regarding organ utilization from these donors, but they might be an unexplored source able to attenuate organ shortage. Herein, the first successful report of a case involving liver transplantation using a liver allograft procured from a deceased donor with an open abdomen is outlined. This donor was a young trauma patient in which peritoneal contamination had occurred following a gunshot wound. Also included in this the report is liver transplant from a donor, who also was a trauma victim with an enteric perforation. The decision-making process to accept liver allografts from donors with a greater risk of peritoneal infection involved the absence of uncontrolled sepsis or visible contamination of the cavity. Appropriate donor-recipient matching and adequate anti-infectious management might have contributed to a favorable outcome, which suggest that these donors can be used as alternatives to reduce organ shortage.