Availability of cadaver kidneys for transplantation from brain-dead donors

The number of potential donors of cadaver kidneys in Finland was estimated on the basis of the death certificates in 1975. Only patients who had died via one of the two main causes of brain death--subarachnoid haemorrhage and head injury--were included. Exclusions were made on grounds of age at death, quality of hospital, concomitant disease and survival time in hospital. After these exclusions, 209 patients could be regarded as potential donors of cadaver kidneys, a figure which in relation to the total mean population is 45 million and year. The cadaveric kidney potential, 90 kidneys per million population and year, is considered to be more than twice the demand.