Organ donation and management of the potential organ donor

Solid organs for transplantation are a scarce and valuable resource. For many patients transplant offers the hope of disease cure but unfortunately demand far exceeds supply and many will die before a suitable organ becomes available. It is important that potential donors are both identified and appropriately managed to ensure that their gift of donation benefits the maximum number of recipients.Both donation after brain death and cardiac death present significant challenges. The pathophysiological changes that accompany brainstem death can significantly reduce the quality of organs retrieved and must be carefully controlled. Donation after cardiac death requires careful coordination to ensure that organs are retrieved in a timely fashion.