title: [More potential organ donors than actual donations in 52 intensive-care units in the Netherlands, 2001-2004].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the number of potential organ donors and the main reasons why organ donation is not performed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective.
  
  
  METHODS
  The number of potential heart-beating (HB) and non-heart-beating (NHB) donors was assessed by reviewing the medical records of 588o patients who died between 2001 and 2004 in 52 intensive-care units (ICUs) in 30 hospitals. The number of actual donations was also assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The potential of HB donors was 2.5 to possibly 6.6% of all ICU deaths and HB donation was performed in 1.9% of all ICU deaths. The potential of NHB donors of category III was at least 4.2% of all ICU deaths and NHB donation was performed in 1.0% of all ICU deaths. The main difficulty in the donation process was objection from family members, which was reported in 45% of all potential HB and NHB donors and in 59% of all donation requests to relatives. Of the potential HB and NHB donors 7.3% were not identified as potential donors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results confirm that organ-donor potential is greater than the number of actual donations. Objection from family members is the main limiting factor.
authors: Nederlandse Transplantatie Stichting, Postbus 2304, 2301 CH Leiden. n.jansen@transplantiestichting.nl
authors: N E
authors: NE
authors: Jansen
authors: H A
authors: HA
authors: van Leiden
authors: M H
authors: MH
authors: Sieber-Rasch
authors: A J
authors: AJ
authors: Hoitsma
authors: B J J M
authors: BJ
authors: Haase-Kromwijk
mesh_terms: D005190:Family; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009426:Netherlands; D016377:Organ Transplantation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*