How large is the organ donor potential? Results of a data pool analysis on deceased with primary and secondary brain damage on intensive care units between the years 2002 and 2005

The number of potential organ donors depends on various factors, among which the number of deceased with primary or secondary brain damage in intensive care units is decisive. In the German donor region Northeast (Berlin, Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania) with 7.69 Million inhabitants 2019 cases of deceased with primary or secondary brain damage were reported by 136 intensive care units in the study years 2002-2005. These cases were monthly documented on a special survey form and analysed. The data analysis shows that 64 percent of these deceased could be identified as potential donors. With reference to the population this meant 40.7 potential donors per one million inhabitants. It can be concluded that in the other donor regions of Germany a comparable potential of donors exists, although not all possible donors have been detected and referred. The continuous and prompt compilation of the datapool of deceased with primary and secondary brain damage registered on the survey forms in the hospitals allows to detect and to eliminate weak points in donor identification and referral. The conversion rate (i.e. number of potential donors becoming effective donors) in the years 2002-2005 accounted for 47 percent. The main reason (73 percent) for the conversion rate being so low was the large number of relatives who declined an organ donation of their family member. Despite broad public campaigns and a positive attitude towards organ donation in the population (according to opinion polls) more than 90 percent of the relatives in the Northeast donor region were not initiated into the deceased's last will. From our point of view the high refusal rate can mainly be decreased by two measures: For the short term, health care professionals especially trained should be involved in the conversations with donor families so as to appropriately inform and support the relatives which in turn enable them to take a decision. In the long-run, public education about organ donation has to be intensified e.g. by integrating the issue of organ donation and transplantation into the curriculum of secondary schools. This can enable youths to make their own decisions and to familiarize their friends and family with the topic of organ donation.