Death is only the Beginning: Cadaver Use at Indiana University

Abstract

Cadaver shortages have plagued some areas of the country, yet other places have no problems fulfilling their cadaveric need. The state of Indiana has had few issues maintaining a supply of donated remains and has begun providing cadavers to other states in 2009. One possible reason for this abundance is that there is only one medical school the state is attempting to accommodate. However, it is one of the largest medical schools in the nation and thus requires many cadavers. Other possibilities include high levels of knowledge of the anatomical donation program or less restrictive criteria for donation, though none of these have been studied. This demographic study examines the origin and use of cadavers at the Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM). De‐identified donor data from IUSM was examined including age at death, sex, cause of death, last location of residence, year of death, ethnicity, and final use of donation. Descriptive statistics were run to assess trends among demographic data and final use. Analysis revealed that most donors are Caucasian, die of chronic medical conditions, and tend to come from large cities. These data support the hypothesis that those with chronic diseases are more likely to donate their remains for research and education out of respect for and/or knowledge of health care. The study also discusses the uses of donated cadavers and the proportion of donations that are used for each purpose. Utilization of the donors typically begins within six months to one year of death and the largest numbers of cadavers are used for medical education. This information may be valuable for those deciding whether or not to donate. This study represents the first step in a larger project to compare these data with data from areas combating cadaver shortages to establish ways that these shortages may be resolved.Grant Funding Source: None