OPTN/SRTR 2011 Annual Data Report: deceased organ donation

Abstract

In 2011, the number of eligible deaths (death of a patient aged 70 years or younger who is legally declared brain dead and does not exhibit any excluding factors) was 9023, a slight decrease from 2010; 72.9 eligible donors per 100 eligible deaths were converted to organ donors. The unadjusted donation rate varied by donation service area (DSA), as did the number of transplant programs. The observed/expected organ yield ratio for all organs varied by DSA from 0.89 to 1.13. The total number of organs recovered divided by the number of donors was 3.54, slightly lower than in 2010; this value varied by DSA from 2.91 to 4.19. The number of organs transplanted per donor was 3.07, varying by DSA from 2.28 to 3.37. The discard rate for all organs combined was 0.13 per recovered organ, a value that varied substantially by DSA and by organ type. Reasons for not procuring or for discarding organs varied by organ type. Numbers of intestines, hearts, and lungs procured for transplant but not used are smaller than numbers of kidneys, pancreata, and livers because intestines, hearts, and lungs are recovered only after a transplant center has accepted the organ for transplant.