On the allocation of cardiac allografts from blood group-O donors.

An organ allocation policy, in which hearts from blood group-O donors are used to transplant recipients with other blood groups (ABO-compatible, non-identical transplantations), may affect blood group-O patients on the waiting list. We investigated how blood group affiliation influences potential recipients on the waiting list. In the case of patients with blood group O, fewer patients were transplanted, waiting list mortality was higher and waiting time to transplantation was longer. Patients with blood group O awaiting cardiac transplantation are affected considerably by an organ allocation policy in which ABO-compatible, non-identical transplantations are performed.