Relationship between hyperchloremia in braindead donors and delayed graft function in the kidney allograft recipients.

Introduction In the brain-dead organ donors a number of hormonal changes occurs, reflecting anterior and posterior pituitary failure. There is an early development of diabetes insipidus in almost 80% of brain-dead organ donors, characterized by inappropriate diuresis, severe hypovolemia, hyperosmolality, and electrolyte abnormalities, such as hypernatremia and hyperchloremia. Hypernatremia and hyperchloremia is often aggravated by infusions of large volumes of sodium and chloride-containing solutions, as a part of the therapy of intracranial hypertension.