Unexpected Cardiac Arrest During Organ Procurement From a Donor After Brain Death

Cardiac arrest is a rare but critical complication during the management of donors declared dead by neurological criteria (donation after brain death). We report the case of a 56)year)old male donor after brain death who developed sudden cardiac arrest shortly before planned organ procurement. Despite prolonged cardiopulmonary resuscitation and progression to asystole, organ retrieval was initiated with ongoing resuscitative measures and vasoactive support. The liver was successfully retrieved following hypothermic perfusion, demonstrated no significant histopathological injury, and was transplanted successfully. This case highlights the feasibility of organ recovery following cardiac arrest in donation after brain death donors and emphasizes the importance of preparedness, rapid multidisciplinary coordination, and robust protocols to optimize organ viability and expand the donor pool.