Hospital-Based Lung Donor Care Improves Survival

A new study by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania found that For the first time, differences in lung transplant outcomes from organs retrieved from two types of deceased organ donation care facilities operating in the United States were examined. JAMA Network Openprovides insights that can improve the organ donation and transplant process for patients across the country.

In the United States, deceased organ donors have traditionally been cared for in hospitals, where organ rehabilitation, transplant patient identification, and the intensive care and testing required for organ retrieval surgery are performed. Over the past two decades, some donors have been transferred from hospitals to Donor Care Units (DCUs), which provide similar services but only for deceased donors. Currently, two types of DCUs operate in the United States: freestanding (located outside of an acute care hospital) and hospital-based DCUs.

The researchers analyzed lung donation rates and lung graft survival rates for nearly 11,000 deceased donors who underwent organ retrieval surgery between April 2017 and June 2022. The researchers hypothesized that there would be no significant difference in lung graft survival rates between organs retrieved from donors managed in these two types of units. However, the study showed that although independent donor centers generally had higher donation rates, recipients of lungs from hospital-based DCUs had longer survival times.

“These insights may facilitate improvements in organ donation management practices nationwide and ultimately improve the quality and availability of donated organs.” Emily Vale, Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine Perelman School of Medicine Senior Fellow and Leonard Davis Institute for Health EconomicsThe study highlights that our system of care for deceased organ donors is evolving, with the potential to significantly improve organ quality and increase the number of available organs per donor.

This story is by Matt Toll. Read more University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine News.