Uncontrolled Donation After Circulatory Death Research Articles

Abstract 17295: In Situ Recovery of Multiple Organs Using Venoarterial ECMO in a Murine Model of Uncontrolled DCD

Introduction: The utilization of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for Donation after Circulatory Death (DCD) can substantially increase the donor pool, organ yield per donor, and organ shelf life. Clinical attempts to recover organs for transplantation after uncontrolled DCD are very complex and hard to reproduce. As a preliminary strategy for completing this endeavor, experimental protocols employing feasible animal models are strongly recommended. Hypothesis: The objective of the investigation was to develop a mouse model of ECMO-based cadaver management protocol for uncontrolled DCD donation after "out-of-hospital" death. Methods: Following 10 min after confirmed death, murine cadavers (C57BL/6 background) were administered with heparin-streptokinase and cannulated for veno-arterial ECMO. Cadaver bodies were connected to a murine ECMO machine 1 h post-mortem and subjected to extracorporeal circulation for subsequent 2 hrs. Blood gas parameters, cardiac activity, and general organ state were assessed using BGA analysis, ECG, and histology, accordingly. We have designed and incorporated into an ECMO circuit a previously unreported, miniaturized murine hemodialysis for the treatment of severe hyperkalemia and metabolic acidosis that arose following death. Results: Control BGA parameters recorded 1 h after death were incompatible with normal physiology: extremely low blood pH, profound negative base excess, and extraordinarily high lactate and K + levels. Two hours after ECMO support, blood pH values of a cadaver body restored from <6.5 to 7.3 ± 0.05, pCO 2 was lowered from >130 to 41.7 ± 10.5 mmHg, sO2, base excess, and HCO 3 were all elevated from below detection thresholds to 99.5 ± 0.6%, -4 ± 6.2 and 22.0 ± 6.0 mmol/L, respectively (Student T-test, p < 0.05). The implementation of hemodialysis resulted in a significant decrease in both hyperlactatemia and hyperkalemia. Conclusions: Our model presents novel opportunities for the management of cadaver organs in order to promote uncontrolled DCD donation, thereby contributing to the resolution of the organ shortage problem. Our approach enables the implementation of a variety of modern blood purification techniques in cadaveric organ recovery using ECLS.

Multiorgan recovery in a cadaver body using mild hypothermic ECMO treatment in a murine model

BackgroundTransplant candidates on the waiting list are increasingly challenged by the lack of organs. Most of the organs can only be kept viable within very limited timeframes (e.g., mere 4–6 h for heart and lungs exposed to refrigeration temperatures ex vivo). Donation after circulatory death (DCD) using extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) can significantly enlarge the donor pool, organ yield per donor, and shelf life. Nevertheless, clinical attempts to recover organs for transplantation after uncontrolled DCD are extremely complex and hardly reproducible. Therefore, as a preliminary strategy to fulfill this task, experimental protocols using feasible animal models are highly warranted. The primary aim of the study was to develop a model of ECMO-based cadaver organ recovery in mice. Our model mimics uncontrolled organ donation after an “out-of-hospital” sudden unexpected death with subsequent “in-hospital” cadaver management post-mortem. The secondary aim was to assess blood gas parameters, cardiac activity as well as overall organ state. The study protocol included post-mortem heparin–streptokinase administration 10 min after confirmed death induced by cervical dislocation under full anesthesia. After cannulation, veno-arterial ECMO (V–A ECMO) was started 1 h after death and continued for 2 h under mild hypothermic conditions followed by organ harvest. Pressure- and flow-controlled oxygenated blood-based reperfusion of a cadaver body was accompanied by blood gas analysis (BGA), electrocardiography, and histological evaluation of ischemia–reperfusion injury. For the first time, we designed and implemented, a not yet reported, miniaturized murine hemodialysis circuit for the treatment of severe hyperkalemia and metabolic acidosis post-mortem.ResultsBGA parameters confirmed profound ischemia typical for cadavers and incompatible with normal physiology, including extremely low blood pH, profound negative base excess, and enormously high levels of lactate. Two hours after ECMO implantation, blood pH values of a cadaver body restored from < 6.5 to 7.3 ± 0.05, pCO2 was lowered from > 130 to 41.7 ± 10.5 mmHg, sO2, base excess, and HCO3 were all elevated from below detection thresholds to 99.5 ± 0.6%, − 4 ± 6.2 and 22.0 ± 6.0 mmol/L, respectively (Student T test, p < 0.05). A substantial decrease in hyperlactatemia (from > 20 to 10.5 ± 1.7 mmol/L) and hyperkalemia (from > 9 to 6.9 ± 1.0 mmol/L) was observed when hemodialysis was implemented. On balance, the first signs of regained heart activity appeared on average 10 min after ECMO initiation without cardioplegia or any inotropic and vasopressor support. This was followed by restoration of myocardial contractility with a heart rate of up to 200 beats per minute (bpm) as detected by an electrocardiogram (ECG). Histological examinations revealed no evidence of heart injury 3 h post-mortem, whereas shock-specific morphological changes relevant to acute death and consequent cardiac/circulatory arrest were observed in the lungs, liver, and kidney of both control and ECMO-treated cadaver mice.ConclusionsThus, our model represents a promising approach to facilitate studying perspectives of cadaveric multiorgan recovery for transplantation. Moreover, it opens new possibilities for cadaver organ treatment to extend and potentiate donation and, hence, contribute to solving the organ shortage dilemma.

Successful transplantation of LUCAS device assisted uncontrolled DCD kidneys with prolonged relative warm ischemia time: An underutilized option in North America.

Approximately 25% of deceased donors in the United States are procured in a donation after circulatory death (DCD) setting. Successful transplant outcomes from uncontrolled DCD (uDCD) practices have been reported in multiple European programs. They utilize established protocols for uDCD procurement with normo-thermic or hypothermic regional perfusion to reduce ischemic damage. Further, manual or mechanical chest compressions using extrinsic devices, such as the LUCAS device, are implemented to maintain circulation before organ retrieval. Currently, uDCDs are not a major part of DCD organ utilization in the United States. We report our experience with utilization of kidneys from uDCD with the use of the LUCAS device without normothermic or hypothermic regional perfusion. We transplanted four kidneys from three uDCD donors without utilization of in situ regional perfusion and with prolonged relative warm ischemia time (rWIT) (>100min). All recipients had functional renal allografts and improved renal function after the transplant. To our knowledge, this is the 1st successful series reported in the United States of the utilization of kidneys from uDCDs without the utilization of in situ perfusion to maintain organ preservation with prolonged rWIT.

MP31-08 KIDNEY TRANSPLANTATION FROM DONATION AFTER BRAIN DEATH VERSUS DONATION AFTER CIRCULATORY DEATH USING ABDOMINAL NORMOTHERMIC OXYGENATED CIRCULATION IS THERE A DIFFERENCE IN SURGICAL COMPLICATIONS?

You have accessJournal of UrologyCME1 Apr 2023MP31-08 KIDNEY TRANSPLANTATION FROM DONATION AFTER BRAIN DEATH VERSUS DONATION AFTER CIRCULATORY DEATH USING ABDOMINAL NORMOTHERMIC OXYGENATED CIRCULATION IS THERE A DIFFERENCE IN SURGICAL COMPLICATIONS? Alberto Costa Silva, Teresa Pina-Vaz, Margarida Manso, Tiago Antunes-Lopes, Afonso Morgado, Carlos Martins-Silva, and João Alturas-Silva Alberto Costa SilvaAlberto Costa Silva More articles by this author , Teresa Pina-VazTeresa Pina-Vaz More articles by this author , Margarida MansoMargarida Manso More articles by this author , Tiago Antunes-LopesTiago Antunes-Lopes More articles by this author , Afonso MorgadoAfonso Morgado More articles by this author , Carlos Martins-SilvaCarlos Martins-Silva More articles by this author , and João Alturas-SilvaJoão Alturas-Silva More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1097/JU.0000000000003264.08AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookLinked InTwitterEmail Abstract INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Donation after circulatory death (DCD) is being considered a reliable source of kidneys given the scarcity of donation after brain death with standard- (DBD/SCD) and expanded-criteria (DBD/ECD). Our center has started a transplantation program for uncontrolled DCD donors after unsuccessful resuscitation (Maastricht II donors) using extracorporeal normothermic membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Our objective was to compare the surgical complications of kidney transplants from DCD/ECMO versus donation after DBD with SCD and ECD. METHODS: From January 2016 to October 2021, a prospective study was performed and three groups were considered – DCD/ECMO, DBD/SCD and DBD/ECD. Demographic data from donors and recipients were collected. Graft function evolution was assessed using creatine and glomerular filtration rate. Delayed graft function (DGF) was defined as the need for dialysis in the first week after transplantation. Surgical complications were classified as arterial, venous, ureteral, lymphatic, suture dehiscence, and/or need for early graft removal (defined as removal in the first 3 months after transplantation). The cause of early graft removal was noted and categorized as either a surgical or non-surgical complication. RESULTS: A total of 100 kidneys were implanted from DCD/ECMO, 108 from DBD/SCD and 115 from DBD/ECD.Despite a higher rate of DGF in DCD/ECMO groups vs DBD/SCD and DBD/EDC (65,9% vs 28,1% vs 30,8%; p<0,001), there were no differences in renal function between groups 12 months after transplantation. There were no statistically significant differences in surgical complications. Early graft removal was lower in DBD-SCD group. DCD/ECMO group had a significantly more early graft removals of non-surgical cause due to tubular necrosis, humoral rejection or infection, while DBD/ECD had a significantly more early graft removals of surgical cause due to arterial/venous thrombosis and hemorrhage. CONCLUSIONS: Kidney transplantation from DCD/ECMO can be a viable option. Despite higher rates of DGF in DCD/ECMO, those whose grafts survive have a similar renal function in the medium-to-long term. Early graft removal was mainly associated with a non-surgical cause, probably related to ischemia lesion caused by prolonged warm ischemia time and/or ischemia-reperfusion injury induced by the ECMO. Source of Funding: None © 2023 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 209Issue Supplement 4April 2023Page: e432 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2023 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.MetricsAuthor Information Alberto Costa Silva More articles by this author Teresa Pina-Vaz More articles by this author Margarida Manso More articles by this author Tiago Antunes-Lopes More articles by this author Afonso Morgado More articles by this author Carlos Martins-Silva More articles by this author João Alturas-Silva More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...

Donation after circulatory death – activity review in the Asian region

Transplantation remains the optimum treatment for many patients. The availability of donor organs has failed to keep pace with demand, resulting in an ever-increasing waiting list of potential recipients. Using organs from donation after circulatory death (DCD) donors is one of the strategies available to increases the number of donor organs. On one hand in many countries DCD donation has gained popularity and the outcomes are comparable to organ transplantations following brain death donation, but on the other hand still a lot of problems exist for both controlled and uncontrolled DCD regarding ethical and legal issues of DCD program in several regions. There are guidelines though available for the whole process of DCD donation and transplantation from national transplant societies and anaesthesiology societies.The aim of this paper was to review the DCD activity and the possibilities to improve the number of organ transplantation in the Asian region based on literature search.A novel donation concept, namely organ donation after brain death followed by circulatory death (DBCD) has been initiated in many Asian countries to help increase the available organs for transplantation since around 2011. The reason why there are so many DBCD donors is because brain death law has not been approved on a national level in most of the Asian countries, and culturally many relatives of deceased donors can only accept donor death when heart beating is irreversibly arrested.Based on this review there is a need to implement DCD transplant programs and to establish reliable protocols for this type of donation across all the Asian countries to increase the number of transplantations.

DCD kidney transplantation in Italy: Past, present, and future

The disproportion between the number of patients on the kidney transplant waiting list and the actual donors pool represents a primary issue for the international Transplant community. The development of donation after circulatory death (DCD) programs has been associated with a remarkable increase in organs procurement and transplants activities across the globe. However, effective DCD donation and transplantation require the resolution of several legal, ethical, deontological, logistical, and technical issues. In Italy, the major obstacle to this very specific type of dation was represented by the 20-minute no-touch period for the declaration of death by cardio-circulatory criteria established by the Italian legislation. Following the encouraging results obtained with the use of in situ Normothermic Regional Perfusion in the setting of a single-center exploratory trial performed between 2008 and 2013 (Alba project), the Comitato Nazionale per la Bioetica and the Centro Nazionale Trapianti eventually managed to start a national-scale controlled and uncontrolled DCD program. We herein describe the Italian DCD KT program with a special focus on the most crucial and peculiar aspects of the national organ donation and allocation process.

Outcomes of a High-Volume Organ Procurement Organization in the Era of Increasing Donation After Circulatory Death.

Introduction: Donation after circulatory death (DCD) is rapidly increasing in the United States. Detailed data outlining the process from referral to organ transplantation is lacking. Project Aims: We sought to quantify differences at each stage along the referral to donation pathway by donor type. Additionally, we examined factors associated with successful DCD organ utilization. Design: This program evaluation analyzed data from a single organ procurement organization in 2018 to assess demographic and clinical predictors of progression through the donation process, including the role of first-person authorization in DCD. Descriptive statistics were examined by donation stage for demographic characteristics using chi-square; univariate and multivariate logistic regression was used to model predictors of utilization and authorization by organ type, respectively. Results: There were 2466 organ donation referrals during 2018, including 575 donations after brainstem death (DBD), 1890 controlled DCD referrals, and 1 uncontrolled DCD referral. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models highlighted differences in authorization rates by donor type (DCD vs DBD) and by age, race, and ethnicity. Next-of-kin authorization was declined in 23% of first-person authorized potential DCD, highlighting issues related to the role of donor registration in DCD. Pre-mortem heparin administration was predictive of DCD organ utilization; donor age and warm ischemia time of less than 30 min was statistically significantly associated with DCD extra-renal organ utilization. Conclusion: These results provided insight into strategies for increasing authorization and transplantation of organs from DCD donors and identified areas of improvement for process standardization and policy development.

Donation after Circulatory Death in Lung Transplantation.

The shortage of donor lungs has become a serious obstacle to implementing lung transplantation (LTx). Donation after circulatory death (DCD) donors are among the several donor pools utilized to overcome the problem posed by the shortage of donation after brain death (DBD) donors. The active use of DCD donors is expected to significantly reduce mortality on the waiting list for LTx, as LTx from DCD donors has comparable outcomes to LTx from DBD donors. Further studies on efforts to shorten the warm ischemic time and use uncontrolled DCD are required.

Rapid Access in Donation After Circulatory Death (DCD): The Single-Center Experience With a Classic Pathway in Uncontrolled DCD Algorithm

In Poland, 95% of organs for transplantation come from donation after brain death (DBD). In 2010, Poland officially joined the European countries in which donation after circulatory death is accepted by law. Currently, the Pomeranian Medical University Transplant Center is the only active location for uncontrolled donation after circulatory death (uDCD) in Poland. To estimate the results of uDCD kidney transplantation with a classical approach to organ recovery, we analyzed data from an early phase of uDCD program. Prospective observation of uDCD kidney allografts (group 1; n=8) compared with DBD kidney allografts (group 2; n=30). The organ recovery protocol was set up on rapid abdominal access without regional perfusion before procurement. The organs recovered from uDCD during a 24-month period increased the volume of kidneys transplanted at the center by 9.2%. Delayed graft function was diagnosed in 100% vs 46% of allografts (P=.03), respectively. Nevertheless, early posttransplant follow-up did not reveal any graft loss or recipient death cases in the DCD group. After 12 months of follow-up, the mean glomerular filtration rate was 44.5 vs 57.9 mL/min (P < .02), respectively. Crucial factors for acceptable results of uDCD are strict pretransplant assessment of recovered organs and efficient coordination of the transplant team. Conservative recovery protocol in uDCD under strict prerequisites is feasible to consider in the organ procurement pathway. Preliminary results provide space for an increase in the organ donor pool.

Kidney transplantation from expanded criteria donors: an increased risk of urinary complications - the UriNary Complications Of Renal Transplant (UNyCORT) study.

To assess the impact of expanded criteria donors (ECD) on urinary complications in kidney transplantation. The UriNary Complications Of Renal Transplant (UNyCORT) is a cohort study based on the French prospective Données Informatisées et VAlidées en Transplantation/Computerized and VAlidated Data in Transplantation (DIVAT) cohort. Data were extracted between 1 January 2002 and 1 January 2018 with 1-year minimum follow-up, in relation to 44 pre- and postoperative variables. ECD status was included according to United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) definition. The primary outcome of the UNyCORT study was the association between the donor's ECD/standard criteria donors (SCD) status and urinary complications at 1 year in uni- and multivariate analysis. Sub-group analysis, stratified analysis on ECD/SCD donor's status and transplant failure analysis were then conducted. Between 1 January 2002 and 1 January 2018, 10 279 kidney transplants in adult recipients were recorded within the DIVAT network. A total of 8559 (83.4%) donors were deceased donors and 1699 (16.6%) were living donors (LD). Among donation after circulatory death (DCD) donors, 224 (2.85%) were uncontrolled DCD and 93 (1.09%) were controlled DCD donors. A total of 3617 (43.9%) deceased donors were ECD. The overall urological complication rate was 16.26%. The donor's ECD status was significantly associated with an increased risk of urological complications at 1 year in multivariate analysis (odds ratio: 1.50, 95% CI 1.31-1.71; P < 0.001) and especially with stenosis and ureteric fistulae at 1 year. There is no association with LD, uncontrolled and controlled DCD. The placement of an endo-ureteric stent was beneficial in preventing urinary complications in all donors and particularly in ECD donors. The donor's ECD status is associated with a higher likelihood of stenosis and ureteric fistulae at 1 year. Recipients of grafts from ECD donors should probably be considered for closer urological monitoring and systematic preventive measures.

Current status and further potential of lung donation after circulatory death.

Chronic organ shortage remains the most limiting factor in lung transplantation. To overcome this shortage, a minority of centers have started with efforts to reintroduce donation after circulatory death (DCD). This review aims to evaluate the experimental background, the current international clinical experience, and the further potential and challenges of the different DCD categories. Successful strategies have been implemented to reduce the problems of warm ischemic time, thrombosis after circulatory arrest, and difficulties in organ assessment, which come with DCD donation. From the currently reported results, controlled-DCD lungs are an effective and safe method with good mid-term and even long-term survival outcomes comparable to donation after brain death (DBD). Primary graft dysfunction and onset of chronic allograft dysfunction seem also comparable. Thus, controlled-DCD lungs should be ceased to be treated as marginal and instead be promoted as an equivalent alternative to DBD. A wide implementation of controlled-DCD-lung donation would significantly decrease the mortality on the waiting list. Therefore, further efforts in establishment of legislation and logistics are crucial. With regard to uncontrolled DCD, more data are needed analyzing long-term outcomes. To help with the detailed assessment and improvement of uncontrolled or otherwise questionable grafts after retrieval, ex-vivo lung perfusion is promising.

Kidney transplantation from donation after circulatory death using abdominal normothermic oxygenated circulation: are the outcomes equivalent?

To increase the pool of kidneys available for transplantation, a renewed interest in donation after circulatory death (DCD) has emerged. This study aims to determine the outcomes of kidney transplantation from DCD after abdominal normothermic oxygenated circulation (ANOR) support. From January 2016 to December 2018, 58kidneys were implanted from uncontrolled DCD afterANOR support. We performed an observational prospective study, assessing graft function and cumulative incidence of surgical complications. A descriptive analysis was conducted. Potential determinants of the outcomes were evaluated, including donor and receptor gender and age, and warm and cold ischemia times. Regression coefficients (β) and odds ratio (OR) were calculated with 95% confidence intervals. A p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Statistical analysis was accomplished using Stata 11.0 software. The median follow-up time was 31.2months. Delayed graft function (DGF) was evident in 80%, with a mean Cr one month after transplantation of 1.81mg/dL and 1.33mg/dL after one year. Primary non-function (PNF) occurred in 5.2% of cases. Male donors were associated with a lower DGF (OR = 0.21, p < 0.05), and a higher donor age was a predictor of poorer graft function at one year (β = -0.88, p < 0.05). Surgical complications occurred in 31% patients, predominantly vascular. Warm ischemia time superior to 60min correlated with a higher risk of surgical complications (OR = 11.33, p < 0.05). Kidney transplantation from DCD is a valuable option, allowing an improvement in the balance between patients waiting for a transplant and the available kidneys.

Sequential Use of Normothermic Regional and Ex Situ Machine Perfusion in Donation After Circulatory Death Liver Transplant.

In Italy, 20minutes of a continuous flat line on an electrocardiogram are required for declaration of death. In the setting of donation after circulatory death (DCD), prolonged warm ischemia time prompted the introduction of abdominal normothermic regional perfusion (NRP) followed by postprocurement ex situ machine perfusion (MP). This is a retrospective review of DCD liver transplantations (LTs) performed at 2 centers using sequential NRP and ex situ MP. From January 2018 to April 2019, 34 DCD donors were evaluated. Three (8.8%) were discarded before NRP, and 11 (32.4%) were discarded based on NRP parameters (n=1, 3.0%), liver macroscopic appearance at procurement and/or biopsy results (n=9, 26.5%), or severe macroangiopathy at back-table evaluation (n=1, 3.0%). A total of 20 grafts (58.8%; 11 uncontrolled DCDs, 9 controlled DCDs) were considered eligible for LT, procured and perfused ex situ (9 normothermic and 11 dual hypothermic MPs). In total, 18 (52.9%; 11 uncontrolled) livers were eventually transplanted. Median (interquartile range) no-flow time was 32.5 (30-39) minutes, whereas median functional warm ischemia time was 52.5 (47-74) minutes (controlled DCD), and median low-flow time was 112 minutes (105-129 minutes; uncontrolled DCD). There was no primary nonfunction, while postreperfusion syndrome occurred in 8 (44%) recipients. Early allograft dysfunction happened in 5 (28%) patients, while acute kidney injury occurred in 5 (28%). After a median follow-up of 15.1 (9.5-22.3) months, 1 case of ischemic-type biliary lesions and 1 patient death were reported. DCD LT is feasible even with the 20-minute no-touch rule. Strict NRP and ex situ MP selection criteria are needed to optimize postoperative results.

LONG-TERM OUTCOMES OF RENAL TRANSPLANTATION FROM UNCONTROLLED AND CONTROLLED DONATIONS AFTER CIRCULATORY ARREST AT A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL IN INDIA

Introduction: Donation after circulatory death (DCD) has never been attempted in India because of legal constraints and lack of guidelines for the withdrawal of life support in end-of-life situations. Renal transplantation from DCD donors was started in 2011 at our centre. The present report describes the outcomes of these transplants from Maastricht category IV and V donors at a tertiary care hospital in India. Methods: Between 2011 and 2019, 394 deceased donor transplants were performed at our centre. During this period, 14 donors had kidneys retrieved after circulatory arrest. These patients were declared dead after waiting for 5 min with no electrocardiographic signal on monitor following failed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), which was restarted in eight patients till organ retrieval. All donors received heparin and underwent rapid cannulation of aorta, infusion of preservative cold solution, and immediate surface cooling of organs during retrieval surgery. 25/28(89.2%) kidneys were utilized. Two kidneys were explanted due to refractory hypotension in a patient undergoing dual kidney transplant. Mean follow up duration was 40.2 + 20 months (Range 5.3 - 74 months) Results: Mean donor age was 32.8 ± 13.6 years, M:F 9:5 and mean age of recipients was 42.5 ± 11.3 years, M:F 14:10. 21/25 patients had delayed graft function and required dialysis in the postoperative period. Mean serum creatinine of 1.49 ± 0.38 mg/dl was achieved at the time of discharge at a mean duration of 32.2 ± 19.9 days. Kidneys from donors where CPR was continued after the declaration of death had earlier recovery of renal function (time to reach baseline creatinine 21.2 ± 7.2 vs. 34.3 ± 23.7 days). One kidney from the first uncontrolled DCD donor never functioned. For the remaining cohort of 23 patients, the mean creatinine at the last follow up was 1.26 ± 0.57 mg/dl. Patient survival was 100% and graft survival 95.8% at 1 year and 91.6% at the last follow up. Conclusion: Kidneys from DCD donors can provide good outcomes in the long term and serve as a useful adjunct in deceased donor program. Continuing CPR after the declaration of death hastens recovery of kidney function.

Donation after circulatory death liver transplantation: consensus statements from the Spanish Liver Transplantation Society.

SummaryLivers from donation after circulatory death (DCD) donors are an increasingly more common source of organs for transplantation. While there are few high‐level studies in the field of DCD liver transplantation, clinical practice has undergone progressive changes during the past decade, in particular due to mounting use of postmortem normothermic regional perfusion (NRP). In Spain, uncontrolled DCD has been performed since the late 1980s/early 1990s, while controlled DCD was implemented nationally in 2012. Since 2012, the rise in DCD liver transplant activity in Spain has been considerable, and the great majority of DCD livers transplanted in Spain today are recovered with NRP. A panel of the Spanish Liver Transplantation Society was convened in 2018 to evaluate current evidence and accumulated experience in DCD liver transplantation, in particular addressing issues related to DCD liver evaluation, acceptance criteria, and recovery as well as recipient selection and postoperative management. This panel has created a series of consensus statements for the standard of practice in Spain and has published these statements with the hope they might help guide other groups interested in implementing new forms of DCD liver transplantation and/or introducing NRP into their clinical practices.

Donation after circulatory death: possible strategies for in-situ organ preservation.

Donation after circulatory death (DCD) is an accepted strategy to expand the potential donor pool. The complexity of organ procurement from DCD donors requires the development of new strategies for organ preservation. Standard DCD organ recovery involves a super rapid technique, with cold thoracic and abdominal perfusion. However, the conventional methods of preservation based on static and hypothermic storage may not be the most appropriate for DCD grafts, especially in the presence of long warm ischemia times. New strategies designed to improve the preservation of in-situ DCD grafts include the use of normothermic regional perfusion (NRP) for abdominal organs and concomitant cold lung flushing. The use of in-situ NRP is a significant advance in abdominal organ retrieval and it has the potential to increase organ recovery rates due to its applicability in both controlled and uncontrolled DCD donors. We describe an innovative preservation strategy based on the combination of donor NRP for abdominal organ preservation and a normothermic open-lung approach with protective mechanical ventilation for lung preservation.

Lessons from a pilot for uncontrolled donation after circulatory death in the ED in the UK

Worldwide there is a shortage of available organs for patients requiring transplants. However, some countries such as France, Italy and Spain have had greater success by allowing donations from patients...

Donation after circulatory death today: an updated overview of the European landscape.

Donation after circulatory death (DCD) has become an accepted practice in many countries and remains a focus of intense interest in the transplant community. The present study is aimed at providing a description of the current situation of DCD in European countries. Specific questionnaires were developed to compile information on DCD practices, activities and post-transplant outcomes. Thirty-five countries completed the survey. DCD is practiced in 18 countries: eight have both controlled DCD (cDCD) and uncontrolled DCD (uDCD) programs, 4 only cDCD and 6 only uDCD. All these countries have legally binding and/or nonbinding texts to regulate the practice of DCD. The no-touch period ranges from 5 to 30min. There are variations in ante and post mortem interventions used for the practice of cDCD. During 2008-2016, the highest DCD activity was described in the United Kingdom, Spain, Russia, the Netherlands, Belgium and France. Data on post-transplant outcomes of patients who receive DCD donor kidneys show better results with grafts obtained from cDCD versus uDCD donors. In conclusion, DCD is becoming increasingly accepted and performed in Europe, importantly contributing to the number of organs available and providing acceptable post-transplantation outcomes.

Organ donation after circulatory death: current status and future potential.

The continuing shortage of deceased donor organs for transplantation, and the limited number of potential donors after brain death, has led to a resurgence of interest in donation after circulatory death (DCD). The processes of warm and cold ischemia threaten the viability of DCD organs, but these can be minimized by well-organized DCD pathways and new techniques of in situ organ preservation and ex situ resuscitation and repair post-explantation. Transplantation survival after DCD is comparable to donation after brain death despite higher rates of primary non-function and delayed graft function. Countries with successfully implemented DCD programs have achieved this primarily through the establishment of national ethical, professional and legal frameworks to address both public and professional concerns with all aspects of the DCD pathway. It is unlikely that expanding standard DCD programs will, in isolation, be sufficient to address the worldwide shortage of donor organs for transplantation. It is therefore likely that reliance on extended criteria donors will increase, with the attendant imperative to minimize ischemic injury to candidate organs. Normothermic regional perfusion and ex situ perfusion techniques allow enhanced preservation, assessment, resuscitation and/or repair of damaged organs as a way of improving overall organ quality and preventing the unnecessary discarding of DCD organs. This review will outline exemplar controlled and uncontrolled DCD pathways, highlighting practical and logistical considerations that minimize warm and cold ischemia times while addressing potential ethical concerns. Future perspectives will also be discussed.

Uncontrolled donation after circulatory death: A cohort study of data from a long-standing deceased-donor kidney transplantation program.

Despite good long-term outcomes of kidney transplants from controlled donation after circulatory death (DCD) donors, there are few uncontrolled DCD (uDCD) programs. This longitudinal study compares outcomes for all uDCD (N=774) and all donation after brain death (DBD) (N=613) kidney transplants performed from 1996 to 2015 at our center. DBD transplants were divided into those from standard-criteria (SCD) (N=366) and expanded-criteria (N=247) brain-dead donors (ECD). One-, 5-, and 10-year graft survival rates were 91.7%, 85.7%, and 80.6% for SCD; 86.0%, 75.8%, and 61.4% for ECD; and 85.1%, 78.1%, and 72.2% for uDCD, respectively. Graft survival was worse in recipients of uDCD kidneys than of SCD (P=.004) but better than in transplants from ECD (P=.021). The main cause of graft loss in the uDCD transplants was primary nonfunction. Through logistic regression, donor death due to pulmonary embolism (OR 4.31, 95% CI 1.65-11.23), extrahospital CPR time ≥75minutes (OR1.94, 95%CI 1.18-3.22), and in-hospital CPR time ≥50minutes (OR 1.79, 95% CI 1.09-2.93) emerged as predictive factors of primary nonunction. According to the outcomes of our long-standing kidney transplantation program, uDCD could help expand the kidney donor pool.