Influence of Sudden Cardiac Arrest in Deceased Kidney Donors on Organ Function After Transplantation

Due to the increasing number of organ recipients, expanded criteria donors (ECD) are qualified for transplantation, including donors after sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of SCA on kidney function immediately after transplantation.

The analysis includes 186 kidney recipients, mean age 49 years (19-74), who were transplanted between January 2014 to July 2015. In 44 cases, kidneys were retrieved from donors after SCA (23.6%). Delayed graft function (DGF) was recognized if the patient needed at least one hemodialysis after the kidney transplant. Acute rejection (AR) was confirmed by biopsy.

Sixty-five (34.9%) patients presented with DGF, 14 of them received kidneys from donors after SCA (31.8% of the SCA group), and 51 of them are from donors without SCA (35.9% of the non-SCA group). Eleven AR episodes were observed in the first month, including 4 cases in the SCA group. The study revealed no influence of donors' SCA on the frequency of DGF and AR or high creatine level after transplantation. The differences between both groups were not significant (P > .05).

SCA episodes in donors during ICU treatment before organ retrieval had no influence on immediate kidney function after kidney transplant. There is no correlation between SCA and episodes of DGF or AR. SCA donors should be considered as standard criteria donors.