Measurement of extravascular lung water following human brain death: implications for lung donor assessment and transplantation.

Objectives: The measurement of extravascular lung water could aid the assessment and guide the management of potential lung donors following brain death. We therefore sought to validate a single indicator thermodilution extravascular lung water index (EVLWI-T) measurement using gravimetry and to assess the impact and clinical correlates of elevated EVLWI-T in potential lung donors and transplant recipients.

Methods: In a prospective study, we measured serial EVLWI-T and haemodynamic and oxygenation data in 60 potential lung donors.

Early donor management increases the retrieval rate of lungs for transplantation.

Background: Lung transplantation activity is frustrated by donor lung availability. We sought to examine the effect of active donor management and hormone administration on pulmonary function and yield in cadaveric heart-beating potential lung donors.

Methods: We studied 182 potential lung donors (arterial oxygen tension [PaO2]/fractional inspired oxygen [FIO2] ratio > or = 230).