Abstract
BackgroundTo analyze the organ donation action in population-based neurointensive care of acute aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) and to seek factors that would improve the identification of potential organ donors (PODs) and increase the donor conversion rate (DCR) after aSAH.MethodsThe Kuopio Intracranial Aneurysm Database, prospective since 1995, includes all aSAH patients admitted to the Kuopio University Hospital (KUH) from its defined Eastern Finnish catchment population. We analyzed 769 consecutive acute aSAH patients from 2005 to 2015, including their data from the Finnish Transplantation Unit and the national clinical registries. We analyzed PODs vs. actual donors among the 145 (19%) aSAH patients who died within 14 days of admission. Finland had implemented the national presumed consent (opt-out) within the study period in the end of 2010.ResultsWe retrospectively identified 83 (57%) PODs while only 49 (34%) had become actual donors (total DCR 59%); the causes for non-donorship were 15/34 (44%) refusals of consent, 18/34 (53%) medical contraindications for donation, and 1/34 (3%) failure of recognition. In 2005–2010, there were 11 refusals by near relatives with DCR 52% (29/56) and only three in 2011–2015 with DCR 74% (20/27). Severe condition on admission (Hunt and Hess grade IV or V) independently associated with the eventual POD status.ConclusionsNearly 20% of all aSAH patients acutely admitted to neurointensive care from a defined catchment population died within 14 days, almost half from cardiopulmonary causes at a median age of 69 years. Of all aSAH patients, 11% were considered as potential organ donors (PODs). Donor conversion rate (DCR) was increased from 52 to 74% after the national presumed consent (opt-out). Implicitly, DCR among aSAH patients could be increased by admitting them to the intensive care regardless of dismal prognosis for the survival, along a dedicated organ donation program for the catchment population.
Highlights
The shortage of donated organs and the high mortality in the waiting lists for transplantation are a worldwide challenge, in all European countries [7, 19]
donor conversion rate (DCR) among aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) patients could be increased by admitting them to the intensive care regardless of dismal prognosis for the survival, along a dedicated organ donation program for the catchment population
We retrospectively identified 83 (57%) potential organ donors (PODs) (Table 2), using the POD criteria in Table 1 in BMaterials and Methods.^ Their median age was Finnish catchment population from 2005 to 2015
Summary
The shortage of donated organs and the high mortality in the waiting lists for transplantation are a worldwide challenge, in all European countries [7, 19]. In a Canadian population-based cohort (1994–2011), only 1930 (2.2%) of the 87,129 patients who died from acute brain catastrophe (TBI, SAH, ICH, others) became actual organ donors; SAH led two times more often to organ donation than TBI [17]. Improved donor conversion rates (DCRs) would alleviate the chronic shortage of legally transplantable organs [2]. Acute care physicians may not admit patients with dismal prognosis for the survival after acute brain catastrophes to intensive care as potential organ donors (PODs). To analyze the organ donation action in population-based neurointensive care of acute aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) and to seek factors that would improve the identification of potential organ donors (PODs) and increase the donor conversion rate (DCR) after aSAH
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