title: Organ donation after cardiac death in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
abstract: Patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are often told that solid organ donation is not possible following death, although the reasons for exclusion are not evidence based. Because ALS patients typically remain sentient until death, organs may be procured under donation after cardiac death protocols. Anticipating this need, our institution created a process for organ donation in ventilator-dependent ALS patients that was subsequently implemented. To our knowledge, this is the first report of organ donation in a patient with rapidly progressive ventilator-dependent ALS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of California at San Francisco, USA.
authors.forename: Shahed
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Toossi
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lomen-Hoerth
authors.forename: S Andrew
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Josephson
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Gropper
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Patton
authors.forename: Wade S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003643:Death; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration