Causes of Failure during the Management Process from Identification of Brain-Dead Potential Organ Donors to Actual Donation in Korea: a 5-Year Data Analysis (2012-2016)

• Published in: Journal of Korean medical science Vol. 33; no. 50; p. e326
• Main Authors: Kim, Mi-Im, Oh, Jaesook, Cho, Won Hyun, Kim, Dong-Sik, Jung, Cheol Woong, You, Young-Dong, Gwon, Jun-Gyo, Lee, Jae-Myeong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) The Korean Academy of Medical Sciences 10.12.2018; 대한의학회
• Subjects: Brain Death; Humans; Original; Republic of Korea; Retrospective Studies; Tissue and Organ Harvesting; Tissue and Organ Procurement - organization & administration; Tissue Donors - statistics & numerical data; 의학일반; Republic of Korea; Transplantation; Donor; Failure; Brain Dead; Organ
• ISSN: 1011-8934; 1598-6357
• DOI: 10.3346/jkms.2018.33.e326

This retrospective study analyzed the causes of failure in the management process from the identification of brain-dead potential organ donors to actual donation in Korea over the past 5 years. Data of 8,120 potential brain deaths reported to the Korea Organ Donation Agency were used, including information received at the time of reporting, donation suitability evaluation performed by the coordinator after the report, and data obtained from interviews of hospital medical staff and the donor's family. From January 2012 to December 2016, the total number of brain-dead potential organ donors in Korea was 8,120, of which 2,348 (28.9%) underwent organ procurement surgery with designated recipients. While the number of transplant donors has increased over time, the ratio of transplant donors to medically suitable brain-dead donors has decreased. The common causes of donation failure included donation refusal (27.6%), non-brain death (15.5%), and incompatible donation (11.6%); 104 potential donors (7.8%) were unable to donate their organs because they were not pronounced brain dead. The rate of successful organ donation may be increased by analyzing the major causes of failure in the brain-dead organ donation management process and engaging in various efforts to prevent such failures.