OPTN/SRTR 2018 Annual Data Report: Deceased Organ Donation

• Published in: American journal of transplantation Vol. 20; no. s1; pp. 509 - 541
• Main Authors: Israni, A. K., Zaun, D., Hadley, N., Rosendale, J.D., Schaffhausen, C., McKinney, W., Snyder, J. J., Kasiske, B. L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Limited 01.01.2020
• Subjects: Annual reports; Blood & organ donations; Donation rate; eligible death; Graft Survival; Humans; Opioids; organ discard; Organ Transplantation - statistics & numerical data; organ yield; Tissue and Organ Procurement - statistics & numerical data; Tissue Donors - supply & distribution; Transplants & implants; United States; United States; organ discard; eligible death; Donation rate; organ yield
• ISSN: 1600-6135; 1600-6143
• DOI: 10.1111/ajt.15678

SRTR uses data collected by OPTN to calculate metrics such as donation rate, organ yield, and rate of organs recovered for transplant but not transplanted. In 2018, there were 10,721 deceased donors, and this number has been increasing since 2010. The number of deceased donor transplants increased to 29,676 in 2018 from 28,582 in 2017, and this number has been increasing since 2012. The recent increase may be due in part to the rising number of deaths of young people due to the opioid epidemic. In 2018, 4994 organs were discarded, slightly more than 4813 in 2017. In 2018, 3755 kidneys, 278 pancreata, 707 livers, 3 intestines, 23 hearts, and 317 lungs were discarded. These numbers suggest an opportunity to increase numbers of transplants by reducing discards.