Experience With a New Process—Condition T—for Uncontrolled Donation After Circulatory Determination of Death in a University Emergency Department

Abstract

In the United States, organ donation after circulatory death (DCD) determination is increasing among those who are removed from life-sustaining therapy but is rare when death is unexpected. We created a program for uncontrolled DCD (uDCD). A comprehensive program was created to train personnel to identify and respond quickly to potential donors after unexpected death. The process termed Condition T was implemented in the emergency department (ED) of 2 academic medical centers. All ED deaths were screened for uDCD potential. Eligible donors included patients with preexisting donor designation who received cardiopulmonary resuscitation, failed to respond, and were pronounced dead. Over 350 nurses, physicians, perfusionists, organ procurement personnel, and administrators were trained. From February 2009 to June 2010, a total of 18 patients were potential Condition T candidates. Six Condition T responses were triggered. Three donors underwent cannulation, and 4 organs were recovered (3 kidney and 1 liver) from 2 donors. Time from Condition T trigger to perfusion with organ preservation solution ranged from 14 to 22.3 minutes. Perfusion duration was 197 and 221 minutes. No recovered organs were transplanted because biopsies showed prolonged warm ischemia. It is feasible to create a process to rapidly intervene in the ED for uDCD. However, no organ transplants resulted. The utility and sustainability of an uDCD program in this particular setting are questionable.