Organ Donation Work Flows: What Ownership Brings.

A detailed study of a hospital workplace led to process improvement and efficiency for organ, eye, and tissue donation. Work-flow diagrams were developed as an onsite reference for both the brain-dead donor and donation after circulatory death. The work flows have been circulated for use in other local hospitals and are key to the efficiency of the organ donation process.

Overcoming Hospital Resistance to Create a Successful Donation After Circulatory Death Program.

In the setting of an ever-increasing transplantation need, and a relatively static number of brain dead donors, donation after circulatory death (DCD) has heightened importance as a process to increase the number of organs available for transplantation. This article describes the barriers to the DCD process at a community hospital, what occurred to change the situation, and how data were used to overcome administrative and cultural barriers to create a successful DCD program. The program has become a role model in the local community.

Treatment of refractory status epilepticus with propofol: clinical and pharmacokinetic findings.

Purpose: We compared propofol with high-dose barbiturates in the treatment of refractory status epilepticus (RSE) and propose a protocol for the administration of propofol in RSE in adults, correlating propofol's effect with plasma levels.

Methods: Sixteen patients with RSE were included; 8 were treated primarily with high-dose barbiturates and 8 were treated primarily with propofol.

Results: Both groups of patients had multiple medical problems and a subsequent high mortality.