Hospital-Independent Organ Recovery from Deceased Donors: A Two-Year Experience

Early experience with deceased donor (DD) organ recovery outside of the hospital setting was found to be safe, efficient and cost effective. A 2-year experience under current practice protocols implemented to further process improvements is now reviewed. From December 1, 2001 to December 31, 2003, 123 criteria eligible DDs were transferred from local and regional hospitals to the Mid-America Transplant Services (MTS) facility for organ and tissue recovery. In this retrospective analysis, outcome comparisons were made with 79 conventional hospital-based recoveries. Compared to hospital recoveries, MTS facility recoveries were associated with significantly reduced critical care unit time (819 vs. 502 min), time to cross-clamp following brain death (966 vs. 731 min), operating room delay (54 vs. 9 min) and a trend toward reduced organ cold ischemia times which reached significance for heart and lungs when compared to regional hospital recoveries (147 vs. 221 and 192 vs. 327 min). MTS facility recovery afforded substantial cost savings over local and regional hospital recoveries (US 6,690 dollars and US 5,452 dollars per donor, respectively). The current practice of DD recovery at the MTS facility was applicable for most recoveries, improved process efficiency, and afforded substantial cost savings without donor compromise.     

How Spain Reached 40 Deceased Organ Donors per Million Population

With 40 donors and more than 100 transplant procedures per million population in 2015, Spain holds a privileged position worldwide in providing transplant services to its patient population. The Spanish success derives from a specific organizational approach to ensure the systematic identification of opportunities for organ donation and their transition to actual donation and to promote public support for the donation of organs after death. The Spanish results are to be highlighted in the context of the dramatic decline in the incidence of brain death and the changes in end‐of‐life care practices in the country since the beginning of the century. This prompted the system to conceive the 40 donors per million population plan, with three specific objectives: (i) promoting the identification and early referral of possible organ donors from outside of the intensive care unit to consider elective non‐therapeutic intensive care and incorporate the option of organ donation into end‐of‐life care; (ii) facilitating the use of organs from expanded criteria and non–standard risk donors; and (iii) developing the framework for the practice of donation after circulatory death. This article describes the actions undertaken and their impact on donation and transplantation activities.     

Recovery and Utilization of Deceased Donor Kidneys from Small Pediatric Donors

The optimal use of kidneys from small pediatric deceased donors remains undetermined. Using data from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients, 2886 small (< 21 kg) pediatric donors between 1993 and 2002 were identified. Donor factors predictive of kidney recovery and transplantation (1343 en bloc; 1600 single) were identified by logistic regression. Multivariable Cox regression was used to assess the risk of graft loss. The rate of kidney recovery from small pediatric donors was significantly higher with increasing age, weight and height. The odds of transplant of recovered small donor kidneys were significantly higher with increasing age, weight, height and en bloc recovery (adjusted odds ratio = 65.8 vs. single; p < 0.0001), and significantly lower with increasing creatinine. Compared to en bloc, solitary transplants had a 78% higher risk of graft loss (p < 0.0001). En bloc transplants had a similar graft survival to ideal donors (p = 0.45) while solitary transplants had an increased risk of graft loss (p < 0.0001). En bloc recovery of kidneys from small pediatric donors may result in the highest probability of transplantation. Although limited by the retrospective nature of the study, kidneys transplanted en bloc had a similar graft survival to ideal donors but may not maximize the number of successfully transplanted recipients.     

Import Kidney Transplants from Nonmandatory Share Deceased Donors: Characteristics,Distribution and Outcomes

Outcomes of locally rejected kidneys transplanted at other centers (import KTX) are unknown. SRTR data from 2000 to 2009 of deceased‐donor KTXs excluding 0‐mismatch, paybacks, and other mandatory shares were compared by location of KTX at local (n = 48 165), regional (n = 4428) or national (n = 4104) centers using multivariable regression models. Compared to nonmandatory share local transplants, import KTX were associated with significantly higher overall risks of patient death (regional aHR 1.15, p < 0.01; national aHR 1.14, p < 0.01), and graft failure (regional aHR 1.17, p < 0.01; national aHR1.21, p < 0.01). In paired analysis, the risk of delayed graft function (DGF) for import KTX was higher compared to locally transplanted mates (regional aOR 1.53, p < 0.01, national aOR 2.14, p < 0.01); however, despite longer ischemia times, overall graft survival was similar. Mean cold ischemia times (CIT) pre‐ and post‐DonorNet^® were similar for local and regional transplants, but significantly higher for national transplants (28.9 ± 9.9 vs. 29.9 ± 9.7 h, respectively, p = 0.01). Import KTX is associated with increased risks of graft failure, patient death and DGF. In the era of DonorNet^® cold ischemia times of kidneys imported to regional centers are not improved compared to pre‐DonorNet^®; and, those of national centers are significantly prolonged.     

脑死亡者供肝切取方法与临床肝移植疗效的关系(Pittsburgh经验)

目的：介绍美国匹兹堡大学移植研究所在脑死亡者肝脏的方法及影响供肝质量的因素。方法：回顾性分析３２例同种异体肝脏获取的手术方法,同时观察原位肝移植后的临床结果。结果：男∶女＝２３∶９,平均年龄为３８．２岁±１２．７岁。脑死亡原因：创伤２１例（６５．６３％）,脑血管意外９例（２８．１３％）。１４例（４３．７５％）有肝动脉解剖异常,其中仅右肝动脉变异者７例（２１．８８％）,仅左肝动脉变异者５例（１５．６３％）,左、右肝动脉均变异的２例（６．２５％）;　８例（５７．１４％）变异的肝动脉须在移植前加以重建。在评价移植肝早期功能时,供肝功能良好者２７例（８４．３８％）,差者３例（９．３８％）,２例（６．２５％）供肝无功能。术后近期死亡者一例,余３１例手术后均恢复良好,其中日后作再移植者４例。结论：在获取供肝过程中,充分注意肝素化、原位灌注加局部降温,以及标准化手术操作是保证供肝质量的要素;供体手术中应注意有无肝动脉解剖异常,并避免损伤;供体年龄、供体在ＩＣＵ逗留时间、不正常的供肝形态及围手术期／或术后发生如动脉血栓形成等情况都会明显影响移植肝脏的早期功能。     

Socioeconomic Status and Ethnicity of Deceased Donor Kidney Recipients Compared to Their Donors

Public perception and misperceptions of socioeconomic disparities affect the willingness to donate organs. To improve our understanding of the flow of deceased donor kidneys, we analyzed socioeconomic status (SES) and racial/ethnic gradients between donors and recipients. In a retrospective cohort study, traditional demographic and socioeconomic factors, as well as an SES index, were compared in 56,697 deceased kidney donor and recipient pairs transplanted between 2007 and 2012. Kidneys were more likely to be transplanted in recipients of the same racial/ethnic group as the donor (p < 0.001). Kidneys tended to go to recipients of lower SES index (50.5% of the time, p < 0.001), a relationship that remained after adjusting for other available markers of donor organ quality and SES (p < 0.001). Deceased donor kidneys do not appear to be transplanted from donors of lower SES to recipients of higher SES; this information may be useful in counseling potential donors and their families regarding the distribution of their organ gifts.     

Specific Unwillingness to Donate Eyes: The Impact of Disfigurement,Knowledge and Procurement on Corneal Donation

Although willingness, attitudes and beliefs surrounding solid‐organ donation have been extensively investigated, much less is known about corneal donation. Despite evidence that a substantial number of families who agree to multiorgan donation also specifically refuse corneal donation, it is unclear why this occurs and what can be done to increase rates of corneal donation. We conducted a survey of 371 Australian adults regarding their views on corneal donation. Although willingness to donate corneas generally reflected a person's willingness to donate all of one's organs, unwillingness to donate corneas appeared to be due to other factors. Specifically, decisions not to donate appear to be driven by a range of concerns surrounding disfigurement. The survey also provides eye banks with reassurance about the acceptability of whole globe procurement, and recognition that research into blindness is a highly valued part of corneal donation. Finally, the survey identifies that many individuals see benefit in having their family engaged in the decision‐making process, suggesting that decisions about donation are more complex than a simple appeal to the autonomy of the deceased.     

Outcomes and Utilization of Kidneys from Deceased Donors with Acute Kidney Injury

Utilization and long-term outcomes of kidneys from donors with elevated terminal serum creatinine (sCr) levels have not been reported. Using data from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients from 1995 to 2007, recipient outcomes of kidneys from adult donors were evaluated stratified by standard criteria (SCD; n = 82 262) and expanded criteria (ECD; n = 16 978) donor type and by sCr ≤1.5, 1.6–2.0 and >2.0 mg/dL. Discard rates for SCDs were ascertained. The relative risk of graft loss was similar for recipients of SCD kidneys with sCr of 1.6–2.0 and >2.0 mg/dL, compared to ≤1.5 mg/dL. For ECD recipients, the relative risk of graft failure significantly increased with increasing sCr. Of potential SCDs, the adjusted risk of discard was higher with sCr >2.0 mg/dL (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 7.04, 95% confidence interval [CI] 6.5–7.6) and 1.6–2.0 mg/dL (AOR 2.7; CI 2.5–2.9) relative to sCr ≤1.5 mg/dL. Among potential SCDs, elevated terminal creatinine is a strong independent risk factor for kidney discard; yet, when kidney transplantation is performed elevated donor terminal creatinine is not a risk factor for graft loss. Further research is needed to identify safe practices for the optimal utilization of SCD kidneys from donors with acute kidney injury.     

Kidneys from Deceased Donors: Maximizing the Value of a Scarce Resource

Donor age is a significant risk factor for graft loss after kidney transplantation. We investigated the question whether significant graft years were being lost through transplantation of younger donor kidneys into older recipients with potentially shorter lifespans than the organs they receive. We examined patient and graft survival for deceased donor kidney transplants performed in the United States between the years 1990 and 2002 by Kaplan-Meier plots. We categorized the distribution of deceased donor kidneys by donor and recipient age. Subsequently, we calculated the actual and projected graft survival of transplanted kidneys from younger donors with the patient survival of transplant recipients of varying ages. Over the study period, 16.4% (9250) transplants from donors aged 15-50 were transplanted to recipients over the age of 60. At the same time, 73.6% of donors above the age of 50 were allocated to recipients under the age of 60. The graft survival of grafts from younger donors significantly exceeded the patient survival of recipients over the age of 60. The overall projected improvement in graft survival, by excluding transplantation of younger kidneys to older recipients, was approximately 3 years per transplant. Avoiding the allocation of young donor kidneys to elderly recipients, could have significantly increased the overall graft life, by a total 27,500 graft years, between 1990 and 2002, with projected cost savings of about 1.5 billion dollars.     

Improved Outcomes of Renal Transplantation from Cardiac Death Donors: A 30-Year Single Center Experience

Outcomes of renal transplantation from donation after cardiac death (DCD) donors over 30 years were analyzed. Between 1975 and 2004, 256 renal transplantations from DCD donors were performed. The recipients were divided into four groups according to a time period as follows: 1975-1979 (Group 1; n = 18), 1980-1989 (Group 2; n = 81), 1990-1999 (Group 3; n = 84) and 2000-2004 (Group 4; n = 73). Of the 256 transplanted kidneys from DCD donors, 38 (15%) functioned immediately after transplantation. The incidence of delayed graft function (DGF) was 72%. Warm ischemic time and total ischemic time were 7.4 +/- 9.4 min and 11.9 +/- 5.6 h, respectively. The overall graft survival rates at 1, 5 and 10 years were 80%, 72% and 53%, respectively. Graft survival rates in each group have continually improved over time (5-year graft survival; 23% vs. 64% vs. 74% vs. 91%, respectively). However, there was no significant difference in graft survival rates between the groups of patients who survived with a functioning graft for more than 1 year. A multivariate Cox regression analysis showed acute rejection and donor age to be independently associated with graft outcome. DCD donors are a valuable source of kidneys for transplantation with promising long-term outcomes.     

When the Living and the Deceased Cannot Agree on Organ Donation: A Survey of US Organ Procurement Organizations (OPOs)

The legal concept of first person authorization (FPA) is based on the principle that a decision by a person with decision‐making capacity should be respected even after he or she dies. Although the transplant community largely supports this concept, its implementation has not been universal. We conducted a web‐based survey of all 58 Organ Procurement Organization (OPO) executive directors in the United States to assess OPOs' procurement policies and practices in the context of family objections. All 58 respondents (100%) responded to our survey. All OPOs except one have an online donor registration website. Most OPOs (89%) (51 of 57 respondents) estimated that the frequency of family objecting to organ donation in cases of registered donors was <10%. No OPOs reported the frequency to be higher than 25%. Only 50% (27 of 54) of the OPOs have a written policy on handling family objections. Approximately 80% of the OPOs reported honoring FPA. However, in the past 5 years, 20 OPOs (35%) have not yet participated in organ procurement from a registered deceased donor over family objection. Further research to identify the barriers and possible solutions to implementing FPA is warranted.     

Increasing the Use of Kidneys From Unconventional and High‐Risk Deceased Donors

In this paper, we have reviewed the literature and report on kidney donors that are currently used at relatively low rates. Kidneys from donors with acute kidney injury (AKI) seem to have outcomes equivalent to those from donors without AKI, provided one can rule out significant cortical necrosis. Kidneys from donors with preexisting diabetes or hypertension may have marginally lower aggregate survival but still provide patients with a significant benefit over remaining on the wait list. The Kidney Donor Profile Index derives only an aggregate association with survival with a very modest C statistic; therefore, the data indicated that this index should not be the sole reason to discard a kidney, except perhaps in patients with extremely low estimated posttransplant survival scores. It is important to note that the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients models of risk adjustment should allay concerns regarding regulatory issues for observed outcomes falling below expectations. The successful utilization of kidneys from donation after cardiac death over the past decade shows how expanding our thinking can translate into more patients benefiting from transplantation. Given the growing number of patients on the wait list, broadening our approach to kidney acceptance could have an important impact on the population with end‐stage renal disease. Many lives could be prolonged by carefully considering use of kidneys that are often discarded.     

The American Society of Transplantation Consensus Conference on the Use of Hepatitis C Viremic Donors in Solid Organ Transplantation

The availability of direct‐acting antiviral agents for the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has resulted in a profound shift in the approach to the management of this infection. These changes have affected the practice of solid organ transplantation by altering the framework by which patients with end‐stage organ disease are managed and receive organ transplants. The high level of safety and efficacy of these medications in patients with chronic HCV infection provides the opportunity to explore their use in the setting of transplanting organs from HCV‐viremic patients into non–HCV‐viremic recipients. Because these organs are frequently discarded and typically come from younger donors, this approach has the potential to save lives on the solid organ transplant waitlist. Therefore, an urgent need exists for prospective research protocols that study the risk versus benefit of using organs for hepatitis C–infected donors. In response to this rapidly changing practice and the need for scientific study and consensus, the American Society of Transplantation convened a meeting of experts to review current data and develop the framework for the study of using HCV viremic organs in solid organ transplantation.     

Deceased Donor Intervention Research: A Survey of Transplant Surgeons,Organ Procurement Professionals,and Institutional Review Board Members

Innovative deceased donor intervention strategies have the potential to increase the number and quality of transplantable organs. Yet there is confusion over regulatory and legal requirements, as well as ethical considerations. We surveyed transplant surgeons (n = 294), organ procurement organization (OPO) professionals (n = 83), and institutional review board (IRB) members (n = 317) and found wide variations in their perceptions about research classification, risk assessment for donors and organ transplant recipients, regulatory oversight requirements, and informed consent in the context of deceased donor intervention research. For instance, when presented with different research scenarios, IRB members were more likely than transplant surgeons and OPO professionals to feel that study review and oversight were necessary by the IRBs at the investigator, donor, and transplant center hospitals. Survey findings underscore the need to clarify ethical, legal, and regulatory requirements and their application to deceased donor intervention research to accelerate the pace of scientific discovery and facilitate more transplants.