Critical care specialists, the missing link in organ procurement for transplantation

Abstract

The procurement process for organ donation begins with the identification of potential organ donors in emergency or critical care units (CCU), followed by their clinical evaluation, diagnostic procedures, and therapeutic interventions, mostly conducted in CCUs. It concludes with the request for organ donation and, if accepted, the retrieval of organs. Despite most interventions occurring in detection units, there has been a neglect of the strategic role played by critical care specialists (CCS) in managing and caring for brain-dead or near-brain-death patients. Questions arise: Are they willing to undertake this responsibility? Do they fully comprehend the nature of organ procurement? Are they aware of the specific interventions required to maintain possible organ donors in optimal physiological condition? Our objective is to examine the role of CCS in organ procurement and propose ways to enhance it, ultimately aiming to increase and enhance organ donation rates.

Keywords: Organ procurement; Transplantation; Brain death; Cardiac death; Organ donation

Core Tip: Procurement organ donation is the key issue for organ transplantation. Most possible organ donors stay in critical care units, making their physicians a strategic partner to manage those patients, cross talk with organ local procurement coordinator and enhance all the process of organ donation.