title: Regional variation in organ donation in Saudi Arabia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is marked regional variation in organ donation among the different regions of Saudi Arabia. Our aim was to study the dominating factors for these variations to improve organ donation in low-donation areas.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was a retrospective review of the Saudi Center for Organ Transplantation data for cadaveric organ donation from 2006 to 2012, with the number of cases reported, documented, consented, and harvested in various regions (northern, southern, eastern, western, and central). The region, number, and size of contributing intensive care units (ICUs), overall donation rate, and transplanted rate (potential donor and those harvested, respectively) were also reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Between 2006 and 2012, a total of 512 cases were procured and analyzed from Saudi Arabia. From the central region, 393 were acquired, representing 76.7% of the total consented cases. These 393 cases came from 30 of 97 contributing ICUs (31%). The eastern region was ranked second, followed by the western region. The conversion rate for all regions followed a similar trend.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is marked variation with regard to organ donation in different regions throughout Saudi Arabia, from 1.9% in the southern region to 76.7% in the central region. This finding is related to the presence of a Mobile Action Donor Team in the central region. The number of potential donors and the contributing ICUs were strong predictors of the number of actual donors. We suggest that having a mobile donor team in each region will increase the number of donors by at least 3 times within the next 3 to 5 years.
authors.affiliation: King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Department of Liver and SB Transplantation & HBP Surgery, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Electronic address: haelsiesy@kfshrc.edu.sa.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Elsiesy
authors.affiliation: King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Department of Liver and SB Transplantation & HBP Surgery, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Al Sebayel
authors.affiliation: King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Department of Liver and SB Transplantation & HBP Surgery, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Shoukri
authors.affiliation: Jeddah University, Jedda, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hashim
authors.affiliation: King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Department of Liver and SB Transplantation & HBP Surgery, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Department of Medicine, El Minia Faculty of Medicine, Egypt El-Minia.
authors.forename: H H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Mohamed
authors.affiliation: King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Department of Liver and SB Transplantation & HBP Surgery, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; National Liver Institute, Menoufiya, Egypt.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mahmoud
authors.affiliation: King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Department of Liver and SB Transplantation & HBP Surgery, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Department of Gastroenterology, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Al Hamoudi
authors.affiliation: King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Department of Liver and SB Transplantation & HBP Surgery, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Al Bahili
authors.affiliation: King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Department of Liver and SB Transplantation & HBP Surgery, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Broering
authors.affiliation: King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Department of Liver and SB Transplantation & HBP Surgery, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Abaalkhail
mesh_terms: D002102:Cadaver; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D020380:Needs Assessment; D016377:Organ Transplantation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012529:Saudi Arabia; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019737:Transplants / Q000600:supply & distribution*