"Organ Donation Breakthrough Collaborative" structure

tankity · Aug 1, 2005

Hey roadrunner,

I'm an organ procurement coordinator in NY, (and a nurse ) and we've seen a big difference in the colaborative hospitals. The numbers are up, yes. Hospitals who have only had a donor every few years are now donating anually. However, the biggest difference from my perspective is in the process. Things go much more smoothly in a hospital where everyone is on board with what we're doing. The difference is especially notable in DCD donors, (donation after Cardiac Death). These donors usually do not progress to brain death, so unless the hospital has a DCD policy in place, most are hesitant to do this type of donation. After the colaberative, many hospitals wrote DCD policies or guidelines- which increased the number of donations dramatically.

FYI:

{In a DCD, the family is approached about donation after they have decided on their own to withdraw life support. The pt is extubated in the OR, rather than in the room, so that surgery can begin immediately. Many families choose to come to the OR for the extubation and stay until their family member expires. Once they say their good-byes, the pt is pronounced by his/her attending and then moved to an adjacent OR, where the transplant teams are waiting. The transplant MDs are not allowed to be in the same room as the patient, or to be in contact with the attending until the pt is pronounced, to avoid conflict of interest. }

Tankity