VERA SPATENKOVA, EVA POKORNA, PETR SUCHOMEL
Experimental and Clinical Transplantation - 2017;15(4):445-447
Objectives: Efficient intensive care donor management can help alleviate the shortage of organs for trans¬plant. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficiency of management of donors after brain death from our neurointensive care unit. Materials and Methods: We conducted a prospective observational 5-year follow-up on 29 transplanted organs from 14 brain-dead donors after acute stroke (7 subarachnoid and 4 intracerebral hemorrhages, 3 ischemic strokes). Mean age of donors was 56.2 ± 8.70 years, and mean number of days of artificial ventila¬tion was 5.0 ± 3.84. We transplanted 27 kidneys and 2 livers to 29 patients with mean age of 55.3 ± 9.76 years. No hearts or lungs were transplanted from these donors. Results: Of the 27 patients who underwent kidney transplant, 21 patients (78%) lived 5 years; of those, 17 patients (63%) had functional grafts. One patient (4%) had a primary afunctional graft, and 3 patients (11%) had graft rejection (at 3, 15, and 41 mo). Six patients (22%) died after kidney transplant, with 1 patient in this group having a functional graft, 1 patient having a primary afunctional graft, and 4 patients (15%) having graft rejection (at 1, 12, 44, and 56 mo). The 2 patients with liver transplants lived 5 years with functional grafts. Conclusions: The 5-year follow-up showed that organs from 14 brain-dead donors improved and saved 19 lives, with 17 patients receiving kidney transplants and 2 patients receiving liver transplants. Another 7 patients had only partially improved quality of life.
