Evaluation of organ donation process and affecting factors in COVID-19 pandemic

Authors : Gökhan KILINÇ, Fuat ÇÖKEN

Pages : 574-581

Doi:10.18621/eurj.1225842

View : 16 | Download : 12

Publication Date : 2023-05-04

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :Objectives: More than six million people worldwide are affected by end-stage organ failure and the COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically changed organ and tissue donation. Methods: The data of patients diagnosed with brain death between July 2018-March 2020 insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(pre-pandemic period); and April 2020-December 2021 insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(pandemic period); were analyzed retrospectively. Donor characteristics, laboratory levels, time from intensive care admission to determination of brain death, time to family approval, family approval rates and organ types were analyzed. Results: The mean age of 56 patients with pre-pandemic diagnosis of brain death was 61.82 ± 21.39 years, 37 insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(63%); patients were donors and 53 organs were obtained. Mean age of 39 patients diagnosed with brain death during the pandemic was 58.26 ± 18.02 years and 38 organs were obtained from 21 insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(52.5%); donors. Between the two periods, there was a decrease of 30.35% in the diagnosis of brain death, 43.24% in the number of donors and 26.41% in the number of organs supplied. The most common cause of brain death was intracranial hemorrhage during both periods. While the time elapsed between family interview and surgery was 9.33 ± 2.19 hours before the pandemic, it was 15.29 ± 4.28 hours during the pandemic period insert ignore into journalissuearticles values( p = 0.01);. There was a significant difference between C-reactive protein levels at the time of diagnosis of brain death insert ignore into journalissuearticles values( p < 0.05);. Staphylococcus haemolyticus was most frequently seen in blood culture. Conclusions: Brain death and organ donation have decreased significantly during the pandemic period compared to previous years, similar to research conducted in different countries and regions. Due to COVID-19, prolonged stays in the intensive care unit insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(ICU); may pose a risk of infection in ICU donors, and care should be taken in terms of donor loss.
Keywords : Organ transplantation, organ donation, transplant surgery, infectious diseases, COVID 19, family consent, brain death