title: Transplantation of organs from deceased donors with meningitis and encephalitis: a UK registry analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Deceased organ donors, where the cause of death is meningitis or encephalitis, are a potential concern because of the risks of transmission of a potentially fatal infection to recipients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using the UK Transplant Registry, a retrospective cohort analysis of deceased organ donors in the UK was undertaken to better understand the extent to which organs from deceased donors with meningitis and/or encephalitis (M/E) (of both known and unknown cause) have been used for transplantation, and to determine the associated recipient outcomes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Between 2003 and 2015, 258 deceased donors with M/E were identified and the causative agent was known in 188 (72.9%). These donors provided 899 solid organs for transplantation (455 kidneys and 444 other organs). The only recorded case of disease transmission was from a donor with encephalitis of unknown cause at time of transplantation who transmitted a fatal nematode infection to 2 kidney transplant recipients. A further 3 patients (2 liver and 1 heart recipient) died within 30 days of transplantation from a neurological cause (cerebrovascular accident) with no suggestion of disease transmission. Overall, patient and graft survival in recipients of organs from donors with M/E were similar to those for all other types of deceased organ donor.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Donors dying with M/E represent a valuable source of organs for transplantation. The risk of disease transmission is low but, where the causative agent is unknown, caution is required.
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre and the NIHR Blood and Transplant Research Unit (BTRU), University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.|NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: Patrick B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Trotter
authors.affiliation: NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Robb
authors.affiliation: NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hulme
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre and the NIHR Blood and Transplant Research Unit (BTRU), University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.|NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: Dominic M
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3360-0726
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Summers
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre and the NIHR Blood and Transplant Research Unit (BTRU), University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
authors.forename: Christopher J E
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Watson
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre and the NIHR Blood and Transplant Research Unit (BTRU), University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
authors.forename: J Andrew
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Bradley
authors.affiliation: NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Neuberger
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D064591:Allografts / Q000382:microbiology*; D018562:Disease Transmission, Infectious / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004660:Encephalitis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008581:Meningitis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000401:mortality; D008875:Middle Aged; D016377:Organ Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014019:Tissue Donors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D006113:United Kingdom; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: disease; donor; encephalitis; meningitis; transmission; transplantation