The decrease in organ donations from 1985 to 1990 caused by increasing medical contraindications and refusals by relatives.

Abstract

After the progressive improvement in the results of organ transplantation we now face the challenge of shortage in organ supply. The decreasing number of organ retrievals performed in 1990 at our hospital has raised questions concerning loss of potential organ donors and opposition to donation by the next of kin. We investigated these questions and the number of organs available per million inhabitants in the area covered by our university hospital. Our surgical intensive care unit provides about 85% of all organ donations for this area. To this end, all 375 deaths occurring in the surgical ICU during the period between January 1, 1985 and December 31, 1990 were analyzed. Of 138 brain-stem deaths, 43 presented medical contraindications preventing organ harvesting for transplantation. Consent for donation was sought from the families of the 95 remaining potential donors and was refused for 17 patients. Organ retrieval followed all of the 78 agreements to donate, so that no suitable donor was lost. Over the 6 years surveyed, a progressive decrease in organs procured was observed, due to an increase of medical contraindications to organ harvesting for transplantation (P less than 0.001) and a higher rate of refusals to donate organs (P less than 0.002). The rate of kidney retrieval was thereby reduced from 45 to less than 25 per million population per year between 1985 and 1990 for our hospital's catchment area. The reasons cited by the families for denying organ donation suggest that the publicity campaigns aimed at the medical community and the public concerning organ transplant programs should be modified, and that a careful selection of indications for transplantation seems mandatory.