title: The Donor Action Project: a valuable tool to measure quality and efficacy of the donation process in Emilia-Romagna.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The international project Donor Action (DA) started in Emilia-Romagna (ER) in July 1998, involving 24 main regional intensive care units (ICUs) of which 6 have neurosurgery units. Using a data-analysis computer system, we sought to measure the efficiency and quality of the donation process.
  
  
  METHODS
  Our study analyzed all data collected by the DA system from July 1998 to December 2008. In particular, we evaluated the following markers: patients with brain damage (BD)/total ICU deaths (Index I); brain death assessments/potential donors (PD, patients in the ICU for more than 6 hours; Index II); refusals/consent requests (Index III); effective donors/total encephalic deaths (PROC 1); and brain death assessments/total encephalic deaths (PROC 2). After collection, data were analyzed by the Regional Transplant Reference Center (CRT)-ER and sent to the National Transplant Centre (CNT) using Q-pido software for comparison with other Italian regions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the study period, despite a significant decrease in Index I, we observed a considerable increase in Index II, and, consequently, in donation efficacy. Additionally, we reported a slight increase in Index III. Finally, both PROC 1 and PROC 2 increased through the years, suggesting an improved efficacy of the donation/transplantation system.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on our experience, the DA project to increase the level of attention of ICU medical staff about organ donation and to increase interactions between transplantation coordinators and CRT-ER seemed to ameliorate both procurement and transplantation activities.
authors.affiliation: Emilia-Romagna Transplant Reference Centre, Bologna, Italy. lorenza.ridolfi@aosp.bo.it
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ridolfi
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Alvaro
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Campione
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zaza
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bonanno
mesh_terms: D001926:Brain Death; D002423:Cause of Death; D004221:Disulfiram; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D007558:Italy; D012041:Regional Medical Programs; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D004221:Disulfiram