Physiotherapy in Patients on the Organ Donation Pathway: A Survey of Current Practice

The purpose of the survey was to identify the current practices of physiotherapists in the management of patients on the organ donation pathway.

The author conducted a cross-sectional telephone survey. Participants were 16 physiotherapists working in intensive care units (ICU) in Queensland, who were involved in the care of patients on the organ donation pathway.

In Queensland ICUs, only 57% of hospitals have formal guidelines for physiotherapy management of patients on the organ donation pathway. When comparing the frequency of interventions with organ donation status, 86% of physiotherapists reported increasing the frequency of interventions once a patient was considered for organ donation. Clinical reasoning was reported as the primary factor affecting intervention choice for 67% of physiotherapists, with no difference in frequency, or choice of intervention in patients for donation after circulatory death, compared with donation after brain death. In hospitals with a level I ICU (with infrequent exposure to organ donation), the use of protocols was supported by 100% of participants, whereas in hospitals with a level II and III ICU (and greater exposure), only 31% of participants supported the use of protocols.

There are wide variations and a lack of formal guidelines for physiotherapy management of patients on the organ donation pathway; however, clinical reasoning appears to be favored above protocolized management in hospitals with level II and level III ICUs.