Profile of cadaveric liver donors of the OPO-UNICAMP from 2002 to 2006

Introduction. Four decades after the first successful liver transplantation, the organ donation shortage challenges the scientific community to create various new strategies. Objectives. We sought to analyze the profile of registered cadaveric liver donors for an Organ Procurement Organization (OPO) during the period of 2002 through 2006. Methods. This retrospective analysis of 122 deceased donors in the OPO-Unicamp corresponded to the period of 2002 through 2006. Results. Men were identified as 57.14% of donors and the overall average age was 32.88 years with 16.53% over 50 years of age. Analyzing the causes of brain death, cerebral trauma (CET) was responsible for 46.22% and cerebral vascular accidents, 33.61%. The percentage of use of vasoactive drugs was 88.43 %. Observing the donors' backgrounds, we observed that 11.90% had alcoholism, 1.23% drug addiction and 27.78% infection. We verified cardiac arrest in 9.43%. In accordance with the expanded criteria of donation, 89.26% of donors fulfilled some of the criteria: 73.55%, one criterion; 14.05%, two; 1.65%, three; and no donor fulfilled 4 or 5. Conclusion. The donor profile in our unit is a young man with CET and who fulfills at least one expanded donation criterion. Finally, to increase the number of donors, the use of vasoactive drugs (89.26%), cardiopulmonary resuscitation (9.43%), and infection (27.78%) were not considered reasons to discard the liver.