[Investigations on the cornea donation at the Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg].
OBJECTIVE
We analysed the number of the potential cornea donors of the Martin-Luther-University, Halle-Wittenberg over a four-years period, 1995 to 1998 in relationships to the number of the actual donors.


METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed the data of 2545 patients who died at the hospitals of the Martin-Luther-University, Halle-Wittenberg over a four-years period, from January 1995 to December 1998. The medical records of the patients were inspected and contraindications for cornea donation examined. The patients who were younger than 12 months were omitted in our analysis. The patients with at least one contraindication were excluded as potential cornea donors. Additionally we registered the actual cornea donors of the hospitals of the Martin-Luther-University, Halle-Wittenberg between 1995 to 1998.


RESULTS
The mean age of the died patients was 60 years. Because of contraindications 597 patients (23.5 %) were excluded from the cornea donation. An acute sepsis with 25.1 % as well as leukemias and lymphomas with 24.8 % matched about half of the exclusion criteria. In the period of investigation we counted 1948 potential cornea donors. In the hospitals of the Martin-Luther-University, Halle-Wittenberg only 57 (2.9 % of potential donors) actual cornea donors have been registered.


CONCLUSIONS
The possible leading causes for the large discrepancy between the number of the potential and actual donors are: (1) the imperfect identification of potential donors, (2) the donor family have not been asked and (3) the denial of consent by the potential donors family.
Wiederhold
C
C
Klinik und Poliklinik für Augenheilkunde der Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Magdeburger Str. 8, 06097 Halle, Germany.
Wilhelm
F
F
Duncker
G I
GI
Bredehorn
T
T
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D016039:Corneal Transplantation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*