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Published on: August 2, 2019
Donor heart selection: Evidence-based guidelines for providers
Hannah Copeland1, Ivan Knezevic2, David A Baran3
1Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery Lutheran Hospital, Fort Wayne, Indiana; Indiana University School of Medicine-Fort Wayne, Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Insights
New guidelines offer evidence-based recommendations for selecting donor hearts after brain death. An international expert panel developed these consensus guidelines following a comprehensive literature review.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Transplantation Medicine
- Medical Ethics
Background:
- Donor heart selection is critical for successful heart transplantation.
- Current selection protocols vary and lack standardized, evidence-based criteria.
- Brain death criteria necessitate specific considerations for organ procurement.
Framework:
- Presents evidence-based and expert-consensus recommendations for donor heart selection.
- Establishes a standardized framework for evaluating donor hearts post-brain death.
- Incorporates the latest scientific literature and clinical expertise.
Implementation:
- Designed for use by organ procurement organizations and transplant centers.
- Aims to guide clinicians in making informed decisions regarding donor heart utilization.
- Facilitates consistent application of selection criteria globally.
Implications:
- Potential to improve donor heart utilization rates and transplant success.
- Enhances the consistency and equity of organ allocation.
- Contributes to advancing the standards of care in cardiac transplantation.
Abstract:
The proposed donor heart selection guidelines provide evidence-based and expert-consensus recommendations for the selection of donor hearts following brain death. These recommendations were compiled by an international panel of experts based on an extensive literature review.
