[More potential organ donors than actual donations in 52 intensive-care units in the Netherlands, 2001-2004].
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.
Jansen
N E
NE
Nederlandse Transplantatie Stichting, Postbus 2304, 2301 CH Leiden. n.jansen@transplantiestichting.nl
van Leiden
H A
HA
Sieber-Rasch
M H
MH
Hoitsma
A J
AJ
Haase-Kromwijk
B J J M
BJ
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*