Model organ description protocols for completion by transplant surgeons using organs procured from medical examiner cases.

A significant number of donor organs emanate from the medical examiner's or coroner's offices, because victims of head injuries from vehicular accidents, falls, assaults, gunshot injuries, and unattended cerebrovascular accidents fall under the jurisdiction of the medical examiner or coroner. Unfortunately, many organ procurement organizations may not fully understand the legal responsibilities of the medical examiner. Most of the medical examiner or coroner cases could be used without compromising the medical-legal responsibilities of the medical examiner or coroner if a reliable description of the respective organ could be made after surgical removal by either having a pathologist present or by having the surgeon prepare a description of the respective organ. The objective of this paper is to present a series of protocols that have been designed to describe the heart, lungs, liver, kidney, and spleen for use by organ transplant surgeons. These protocols have proven to be highly successful in making more organs available for transplantation.