The purpose of this study was to evaluate organ donation in Chile following the creation of the "Corporación Nacional de Fomento de Trasplantes." The corporation was created in 1991 as a private, nonprofit organization whose main purpose was to increase the number of actual donors and multiorgan procurement. The organization is independent of the national government and acts as a link between the needs of patients and society and those of the National Ministry of Health. Following the creation of the corporation, the number of actual donors increased from 32 to 98. The number of potential donors increased 3-fold. Family refusal for organ donation was between 28% and 53.4%. Pediatric and marginal donors increased from 2% to 15%. Ninety-five percent of the donors came from Santiago, where 33% of the population lives and most of the efforts were concentrated. The corporation is working to increase organ donation throughout the rest of the country by organizing public campaigns; promoting knowledge about transplantation among medical and nursing personnel at hospitals, schools, universities, and social gatherings; evaluating technical and financial results; and helping with the processes of organ procurement.
This article reviews the pathophysiology of viral encephalitis, which is specifically infectious to transplant recipients, and discusses the potential infectivity of donors who had this virus. In addition, the case report demonstrates one center's experience in placing organs from a donor who was presumed--but not confirmed--to have viral encephalitis. When a patient with viral encephalitis is considered for organ donation, it is recommended that a brain biopsy be obtained prior to organ placement to identify the suspected virus or confirm the absence of any viral entity.
The greatest impediment to organ donation is refusal of family consent. This study examined the impact of 3 modifiable elements of the donation request on family consent rates: (1) decoupling (i.e., the family understands and accepts brain death before discussion of organ donation is begun); (2) the procurement coordinator participates in the request for consent; and (3) donation is requested in a quiet, private place. Data on the request process were collected prospectively for 707 medically suitable potential donors who had been referred to 3 organ procurement organizations. The average rate of consent for donation was 62.2%. Higher consent rates were independently associated with the 3 characteristics studied. These components were summarized in the Request Process Scale. Multivariate regression analyses indicated that consent rates can be as high as 74% when all 3 process elements are present. Hospitals and organ procurement organizations should incorporate these elements into their standard of practice when requesting organ donation.
The pharmacokinetic profiles of Sandimmune and Neoral vary considerably among transplant recipients. Cyclosporine exposure is far more consistent with Neoral than it is with Sandimmune. Because intrapatient variability of drug exposure has been demonstrated to be a risk factor for chronic rejection, this difference becomes important. Neoral also has a linear dose response and a stronger correlation between trough level and drug exposure. Dose linearity greatly facilitates accurate dose titration. Results of controlled studies in which kidney, liver, and heart transplant recipients were converted from Sandimmune to Neoral have shown that conversion on a 1:1 mg basis results in more predictable bioavailability and often in reductions in cyclosporine dose. Carefully monitored conversion has not been associated with increased side effects, and any side effects that do emerge can usually be managed by taking Neoral with food, changing the dose from every 12 hours to every 8 hours, or through dose reduction.
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