The effect of brain death protocol duration on potential donor losses due to cardiac arrest.

Background: The severe inflammatory reaction that occurs after brain death (BD) tends to amplify over time, contributing to cardiovascular deterioration and occurrence of cardiac arrest (CA). Our purpose is to evaluate the effect of BD protocol duration (BDPD) on potential donor losses due to CA.

Methods: This retrospective analysis included potential donors reported during the period from May 2012 to April 2014.

Positive impact of a clinical goal-directed protocol on reducing cardiac arrests during potential brain-dead donor maintenance.

Background: The disproportion between the large organ demand and the low number of transplantations performed represents a serious public health problem worldwide. Reducing the loss of transplantable organs from deceased potential donors as a function of cardiac arrest (CA) may contribute to an increase in organ donations. Our purpose was to test the hypothesis that a goal-directed protocol to guide the management of deceased donors may reduce the losses of potential brain-dead donors (PBDDs) due to CA.