title: Organ donation after circulatory death: vital partnerships.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The authors present the case of a woman in her mid-50s who sustained extensive brain injury in an accident but wasn't declared brain dead. The case highlights some of the clinical and ethical considerations of organ donation after circulatory death (also known as non-heart-beating donation and donation after cardiac death). It also illustrates the interdisciplinary teamwork necessary for organ donation in such cases, involving nurses and other clinicians in the ICU, palliative care, and the local organ procurement organization, among others.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  cardiac death, circulatory death, donation after cardiac death, end-of-life care, ethics, non-heart-beating donation, organ donation, organ donation after circulatory death, organ transplantation, palliative care.
authors.affiliation: Mercy Cancer Center, Toledo, OH, USA. pbeach@bex.net
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ringos Beach
authors.forename: Annette M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Hallett
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zaruca
mesh_terms: D001930:Brain Injuries; D014487:Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S. / Q000592:standards; D003643:Death; D005260:Female; D015600:Glasgow Coma Scale / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D008020:Life Support Care / Q000941:ethics / Q000592:standards; D016224:Living Wills; D008875:Middle Aged; D016377:Organ Transplantation / Q000941:ethics* / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016134:Organizational Policy; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000941:ethics / Q000592:standards; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000941:ethics* / Q000458:organization & administration; D057240:Patient Preference; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D013997:Time Factors; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement / Q000941:ethics* / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D028761:Withholding Treatment / Q000941:ethics / Q000592:standards