Main factors affecting the loss of multi organ potential donors for transplantation

In the field of organ donation and procurement, a possible donor is a patient with severe neurological damage and appropriate medical criteria for donation, and a potential donor is a patient suspected of being brain dead.

The aim of this study is to identify specific factors that cause the loss of possible multiorgan donors in an intensive care unit (ICU).

A review of cross-sectional charts of possible liver and kidney donors was done with patients admitted to the ICU with full respiratory support and Glasgow score < 8. A multiple logistical regression model was applied to identify the loss of potential donors previously considered only as possible donors.

A total of 44 charts were reviewed, 26 were possible, and 18 were potential donors. The mean average was 46.7 and 52.8 years for possible and potential donors, respectively (p = 0.272). The potential donors experienced frequent intracranial hemorrhage (19.2 vs. 55.6) or renal injury (3.9 vs. 27.8), and fewer invasive procedures are performed (34.6 vs. 5.6) (p <0.05). Invasive procedure resulted significant (p = 0.013) when a multivariate analysis was done.

Patients submitted to invasive procedures have 20 times more probabilities of being lost as kidney donors even when originally considered as possible donors. Medical or surgery procedures are the leading cause for the loss of potential donors, so an opportune detection is essential.