Trauma and Tissue and Organ Donation for Transplant

Abstract

Presently, trauma represents one of the major causes of death. Some victims with severe trauma may evolve to brain death, thus becoming potential organ donors. Purposes: To characterize different types of trauma which result in brain death; to characterize potential organ donors victims of trauma, according to their age, gender and race; to quantify the amount of potential organ donors victims of trauma who became actual donors, specifying the reasons for the non-donation, and to identify which organs and tissues have been used from trauma victim donors. Methods: A quantitative, descriptive and retrospective study using data collected from the record sheets of patients from the Organ Procurement Organization (OPO) of the Hospital das Clínicas of the Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo. Results: Data from 198 potential donors where assessed from January, 2004 through December, 2005. Data showed that from potential donors victims of trauma, 78.79% were male, 67.17% were Caucasian, and the predominant age varied between 0 to 25 years (47.48%). Among different types of trauma, car accidents represented 44.45%. From all potential donors, 72.73% did not accomplish the donation, and the main reason to the non-donation was family refusal (45.83%), and cardiac arrest (41.67%). Kidneys represented the majority of used organs (98.14%). Conclusion: Our results showed that family refusal and cardiac arrest are undoubtedly the major reasons to the non-donation. It is clear that this theme deserves further attention both from the society, government and health care professionals.