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Updated: Feb 12, 2026
Pre-clinical Model of Cardiac Donation after Circulatory Death
Published on: August 2, 2019
Results of Controlled Donation After Circulatory Death in a Third-Level Hospital
N Palomo-López1, L Martín-Villén2, Á J Roldán-Reina1
1Intensive Care Unit, University Hospital Virgen del Rocío, Sevilla, Spain.
Insights
Controlled donation after circulatory death (DCD) type III provides a valuable source of organs, with anoxic encephalopathy being the primary cause of death. Most donors successfully donated solid organs, highlighting the viability of this DCD protocol.
Area of Science:
- Transplantation immunology
- Organ donation and procurement
- Nephrology
Background:
- Controlled donation after circulatory death (DCD) type III is a critical pathway for organ procurement.
- Understanding the characteristics of DCD type III donors is essential for optimizing organ utilization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the demographic, clinical, and procurement characteristics of controlled DCD type III donors.
- To evaluate the outcomes of renal transplantation from DCD type III donors, including delayed graft function (DGF) and survival.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective observational study of controlled DCD type III donors from 2014 to 2016.
- Collection of clinical data, ICU stay, cause of death, and ischemia times.
- Analysis of renal transplant outcomes, including DGF and patient survival.
Main Results:
- 21 DCD type III donors were analyzed; 71% were male, with a median age of 55 years.
- Anoxic encephalopathy (57%) was the leading cause of death; 98% underwent rapid abdominal cannulation.
- Kidney donation was high (90%), with 54% of kidneys being suitable for transplant; 46% of recipients experienced DGF, but 100% survival at discharge was observed.
Conclusions:
- Controlled DCD type III is a significant source of viable organs, particularly kidneys.
- Anoxic encephalopathy is the predominant cause of death in this donor population.
- Despite challenges like DGF, renal transplants from DCD type III donors demonstrate excellent short-term survival.
Objective:
To investigate the characteristics and evolution of controlled donation after circulatory death (DCD) type III.
Materials And Methods:
Observational and retrospective study of controlled DCD type III of donors conducted from 2014 to 2016. Clinical data, intensive care unit (ICU) stay, cause of death, warm ischemia time, and total time were collected. Delayed graft function (DGF) and survival of renal transplant were also registered. Qualitative variables are described as frequencies and absolute values and quantitative variables as medians and interquartile ranges.
Results:
A total of 21 donors were collected; 71% (15) were males, median age was 55 years (interquartile range [IR] 48-72), and median ICU stay was 7 days (IR 4-12). The main cause of death was anoxic encephalopathy (57%, 12), followed by intracerebral hemorrhage (28%, 6). In 48%, withdrawal of life support occurred in the operating room, and 98% of donors were preserved by abdominal super-rapid cannulation technique. Average warm ischemia time was 20 minutes (IR 16-24), and total ischemia time was 26 minutes (IR 23-34). Of the donations, 57% were livers and 90% were kidneys. Out of 42 kidneys donated, 54% (23) of them were valid. Median renal transplant hospital stay was 18 days (IR 6-24), and 46% develop DGF. Survival at discharge was 100%.
Conclusion:
DCD type III ensures a source of organs. The main cause of death was anoxic encephalopathy. Most donors were able to donate some solid organ.
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