title: Overview of the Belgian donor and transplant statistics 2006: results of consecutive yearly data follow-up by the Belgian Section of Transplant Coordinators.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Belgian Section of Transplant Coordinators, created in 1997 under the auspices of the Belgian Transplant Society, is in charge of the collection of the national data about donor/procurement activities.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data are collected in all Belgian transplant centers. An annual report is finalized by combining these data with data from the Eurotransplant database.
  
  
  RESULTS
  An increase of both potential donors (n = 501, +14.4%) and effective donors (n = 273, +16.7%) was observed in 2006 versus 2005. Among effective donors, 28 were non-heart-beating donors (10.25%). Overall donor ratio was 26.26 donors per million inhabitants. Within potential donors, absence of organ harvesting was due to medical contraindications (28%), family refusal (13%), or legal refusal (2%). Donor mean age was 46.4 years and mean organs/donor was 3.21 +/- 1.7. An overall reduction of Belgian waiting lists was observed in 2006 as compared with 2005 (-5.7% for kidney, -25.7% for liver, -9.4% for heart, -6.7% for lung, and -11.7% for pancreas), while waiting list mortality was 18% for liver, 11% for heart, and 7% for lung. As compared with 2005, transplant activities increased for kidney (n = 485, +24.3%), heart +/- lungs (n = 73, +7.3%), and lungs (n = 83, +39.4%) but decreased for liver (n = 236, -2.1%). Living donation represented 8.45% for kidney (+28.1% vs 2005) and 8% for liver transplantation (-29.6%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Globally, a marked increase of procurement and transplant activities was observed in 2006, allowing to limit waiting list and waiting list mortality. Further increase of living donor activity and non-heart-beating donation remains necessary to extend the donor pool.
authors.affiliation: Abdominal Surgery Transplant Department, University Hospital UZ Gasthuisberg, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium. frank.vangelder@uzleuven.be
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Van Gelder
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Delbouille
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vandervennet
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Van Beeumen
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Van Deynse
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Angenon
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Amerijkx
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Walraevens
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Donckier
mesh_terms: D001530:Belgium; D006801:Humans; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012955:Societies, Medical; D014019:Tissue Donors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014180:Transplantation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014850:Waiting Lists