• N E Jansen, H A van Leiden, M H Sieber-Rasch, A J Hoitsma, and B J J M Haase-Kromwijk.
• Nederlandse Transplantatie Stichting, Postbus 2304, 2301 CH Leiden. n.jansen@transplantiestichting.nl
• Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd. 2007 Mar 24;151(12):696-701.

ObjectiveTo assess the number of potential organ donors and the main reasons why organ donation is not performed.DesignRetrospective.MethodThe number of potential heart-beating (HB) and non-heart-beating (NHB) donors was assessed by reviewing the medical records of 588o patients who died between 2001 and 2004 in 52 intensive-care units (ICUs) in 30 hospitals. The number of actual donations was also assessed.ResultsThe potential of HB donors was 2.5 to possibly 6.6% of all ICU deaths and HB donation was performed in 1.9% of all ICU deaths. The potential of NHB donors of category III was at least 4.2% of all ICU deaths and NHB donation was performed in 1.0% of all ICU deaths. The main difficulty in the donation process was objection from family members, which was reported in 45% of all potential HB and NHB donors and in 59% of all donation requests to relatives. Of the potential HB and NHB donors 7.3% were not identified as potential donors.ConclusionThese results confirm that organ-donor potential is greater than the number of actual donations. Objection from family members is the main limiting factor.

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