Imprecise definitions of starting points in retrospectively reviewing potential organ donors causes confusion: call for a reproducible method like 'imminent brain death'.

Low donor supply and the high demand for transplantable organs is an international problem. The efficiency of organ procurement is often expressed by donor conversion rates (DCRs). These rates differ among countries, but a uniform starting point for defining a potential heart-beating donor is lacking.

Appointing 'trained donation practitioners' results in a higher family consent rate in the Netherlands: a multicenter study.

The consent process for organ and tissue donation is complex, both for families and professionals. To help professionals in broaching this subject we performed a multicenter study. We compared family consent to donation in three hospitals between December 2007 and December 2009.

Higher refusal rates for organ donation among older potential donors in the Netherlands: impact of the donor register and relatives.

Background: The availability of donor organs is considerably reduced by relatives refusing donation after death. There is no previous large-scale evaluation of the influence of the Donor Register (DR) consultation and the potential donor's age on this refusal in The Netherlands.

Methods: This study examines 2101 potential organ donors identified in intensive care units between 2005 and 2008 and analyzes the association of DR consultation and subsequent refusal by relatives and the relationship with the potential donor's age.

Imminent brain death: point of departure for potential heart-beating organ donor recognition.

Purpose: There is, in European countries that conduct medical chart review of intensive care unit (ICU) deaths, no consensus on uniform criteria for defining a potential organ donor. Although the term is increasingly being used in recent literature, it is seldom defined in detail. We searched for criteria for determination of imminent brain death, which can be seen as a precursor for organ donation.

Organ donation performance in the Netherlands 2005-08; medical record review in 64 hospitals.

Background: The Netherlands has a low number of deceased organ donors per million population. As long as there is a shortage of suitable organs, the need to evaluate the donor potential is crucial. Only in this way can bottlenecks in the organ donation process be detected and measures subsequently taken to further improve donation procedures.

A plea for uniform European definitions for organ donor potential and family refusal rates.

Conversion of potential organ donors to actual donors is negatively influenced by family refusals. Refusal rates differ strongly among countries. Is it possible to compare refusal rates in order to be able to learn from countries with the best practices? We searched in the literature for reviews of donor potential and refusal rates for organ donation in intensive care units.

Risk factors for incident retinopathy in a diabetic and nondiabetic population: the Hoorn study.

Objective: To investigate the effect of glycosylated hemoglobin, age, sex, hypertension, body mass index, waist-hip ratio, serum lipid levels, and smoking on the incidence of retinopathy in persons with normal and abnormal glucose metabolism.

Methods: The incidence of retinopathy was determined in 233 individuals, aged 50 to 74 years, by ophthalmoscopy and fundus photography at baseline and after an average follow-up of 9.4 years.

Blood pressure, lipids, and obesity are associated with retinopathy: the hoorn study.

Objective: To study potential risk factors for retinopathy in diabetic and nondiabetic individuals.

Research Design And Methods: The Hoorn Study is a population-based study including 2,484 50- to 74-year-old Caucasians. A subsample of 626 individuals stratified by age, sex, and glucose tolerance underwent extensive measurements during 1989-1992, including ophthalmologic examination and two-field 45-degree fundus photography.