Organ donation after brain-death : experience over five-yer in a Tertiary hospital

Abstract EN

Organ transplantation is the treatment of choice for end-stage organ failure.

The main challenge for organ transplantation continues to be organ shortage.

The purpose of our study was to evaluate the success rate of organ donation after brain-death, as documented in a tertiary closed intensive care unit in Saudi Arabia.

Data was obtained from a collected database from Jan 2001-Dec 2005.

Brain death was documented in 162 patients, most of whom were young (median age was 28 ± 17 years).

The group consisted predominantly of males, 149 (92 %) and Saudis 109 (67 %).

Only 24 (17 %) positive consents to organ donation were obtained and the majority of them [21 (87 %)] were from non-Saudis.

Positive consent was obtained from only three percent of Saudi potential organ donors in comparison to the 40 % positive rate among non-Saudis (40 %) (p < 0.05).

In conclusion, we believe that misconceptions about brain-death are the likely causes behind this unfavorable view towards organ donations among Saudis.