Antibiotic Utilization in Deceased Organ Donors

Area of Science:

• Organ transplantation
• Infectious disease management
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Antibiotic administration in deceased organ donors is a poorly understood area.
• Optimizing donor management is crucial for successful organ transplantation outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize antibiotic utilization patterns in deceased organ donors.
• To identify opportunities for antibiotic stewardship interventions in this cohort.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort study.
• Analysis of antibiotic prescribing data in 440 deceased organ donors.
• Evaluation of antibiotic spectrum and redundancy.

Main Results:

• 97% of donors received at least one antibiotic course.
• 71% received broad-spectrum antibiotics.
• 14% received potentially redundant antibiotic therapy during terminal hospitalization.

Conclusions:

• Widespread antibiotic use, including broad-spectrum and redundant agents, is prevalent in deceased organ donors.
• There is a significant need for targeted antibiotic stewardship initiatives in deceased organ donor management.
• Stewardship may improve antibiotic appropriateness and potentially donor organ utilization.