Transplantation proceedings
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Health care professionals (HCPs) represent a key element in the cadaveric organ donation process. This cross-sectional survey assessed HCPs' knowledge, attitudes, and behavior related to cadaveric organ donation and transplantation. One thousand one hundred eighty-four HCPs were randomly selected from various units of five health care institutions located in three major Turkish cities. ⋯ Physicians have significantly better knowledge about legal aspects of organ donation and transplantation. Overall, the survey revealed that lack of knowledge has a negative impact on people's attitudes toward organ donation even among health care professionals. Improvements must be made to develop a nationwide Donor Hospital Education Program that will provide training concerning transplantation and organ donation.
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Comparative Study
Causes of postreperfusion syndrome in living or cadaveric donor liver transplantations.
The postreperfusion syndrome (PRS) occurrence was evaluated in patients undergoing liver transplantation in our institution to determine the relationship between PRS and associated variables. ⋯ In conclusion, it is important that PRS does not seem to occur in a predictable manner in this study except for the increased calcium requirements during the operations in PRS experienced patients. The clinical parameters as graft ischemia time, the type of the operation, demographic variables of the recipient, hemodynamic or metabolic variables and transfusion needs during the operations seemed to have no contribution to PRS occurrence.
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In cadaveric or segmental liver transplantation, accurate assessment of graft volume is desirable but not always easy to achieve based on donor morphometric data. We sought to establish a simple, reliable formula for accurate prediction of liver volume. ⋯ A simple formula to calculate liver weight in donors with BSA >1.0 is: LW = 772 x BSA, and for donors with BSA
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Case Reports
Extreme marginal donor: severe hypothermia as a rare preservation condition for explantable organs--a case report.
The progressive increase in patients with end stage liver disease has lengthend the waiting- list for liver transplantation. Unfortunately this has not been followed by a suitable increase in the number of donors. The expanding "donor pool" has required use of "marginal" donors (ICU stay > 10 days, sepsi; steatosis > 30-40%, hypernatremia > 155 mmol/L, inotropic drugs). We report the case of a skier who remained for more than 1 hour in cardio-respiratory arrest under the snow; the 49-year-old women was extracted from the snow after 1 hour and 12 minutes and found to be asystolic, fixed pupils and deep hypothermia (27.2 degrees C). After cardiopulmonary resuscitation, partial cardio-respiratory activity was re-established. In the ICU severe hypothermia (26.7 degrees C) was treated with extracorporeal circulation until a re-establishment of satisfactory cardio-circulatory conditions was obtained. Unfortunately cerebral anoxic cerebral death was established and multiorgan procurement performed 3 days later. After liver transplantation into a 59 year-old patient with PNC-C was performed. The course was uneventful and the patient was discharged on the 19th postoperative day. ⋯ Organ procurement from donors involved in accidental traumatic events with cardio-respiratory arrest and hypothermia, is similar to the non-heart-beating donor (NHBD) condition. Correct cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the use of extracorporeal circulation for gradual restoration of body temperature are necessary for optimal organ perfusion. In the present case the anoxic insult induced by the cessation of the cardio-respiratory function, was probably mitigated (if not even annulled) by the hypothermia.
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Anthracycline cardiotoxicity can induce dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Nine patients (four men) experienced postchemotherapy DCM: age at time of tumour diagnosis ranged from 1-45 years (mean 13.5 +/- 19 years); interval time between tumour and HT was 3-23 years (mean 10.8 +/- 6.6) and age at HT ranged from 10-65 years (30.8 +/- 20.1). Interval between end of chemotherapy and beginning of cardiac symptoms was 5.71 +/- 4.6 years. ⋯ At follow-up (mean, 80.4 +/- 69.3 months) two patients died: a 32-year-old woman (acute myelocytic leukemia) 1 year after HT for sepsis and a 68-year-old woman who had breast adenocarcinoma recurrence 81 months after HT. The remaining patients are alive, in good condition with no difference in survival from other transplanted patients (P =.757). Patients with end-stage postchemotherapy DCM without evidence of tumour recurrence can safely undergo HT.