Donor infection status should be considered when accepting an organ for transplant. Here we present a case of Chagas disease developing after a lung transplant where the donor was known to be Trypanosoma cruzi antibody positive. The recipient developed acute Trypanosoma cruzi infection with reactivation after treatment. Chagas disease-positive donors are likely to be encountered in the United S...

a r t i c l e i n f o The present study examined the role of the big five personality dimensions and altruism in organ donation attitudes (ODA), intentions to register, and organ donor status using a sample of 336 college undergraduates. Participants completed questionnaires that assessed the big five personality dimensions, altruism, ODA, and non-donors completed a question that assessed their...

Bone marrow-derived stem cells have been shown to participate in solid organ repair after tissue injury. Animal models suggest that epithelial malignancies may arise as aberrant stem cell differentiation during tissue repair. We hypothesized that if bone marrow stem cells participate in human neoplasia, then solid organ cancers developing after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (ABMT) migh...

The objectives of this study were to evaluate and compare the performance of the deceased donor registries of the 50 states and the District of Columbia and to identify possible predictive factors of donor designation. Data were collected retrospectively by Donate Life America using a questionnaire sent to Donor Designation Collaborative state teams between 2007 and 2010. By the end of 2010, th...

End-of-Life Care in the intensive and critical care unit (ICU) involves the rare situation of caring for brain dead persons who, by their death, become potential organ donors (POD). A consequence might be that end-of-life care continues into after-death care in order to facilitate organ donation (OD). In this situation, the concept of organ donor advocacy is critical. Aim: The overall objective...

Most cases of coccidioidomycosis in organ transplant recipients arise from either primary infection with Coccidioides immitis after environmental exposure or from reactivation of latent infection. Herein, we report 2 cases of rapidly fatal, disseminated coccidioidomycosis that occurred in organ transplant recipients who had never lived in or visited an area where C. immitis is endemic. Both sub...

As increasing demand for organs is a challenge for transplant services worldwide it is essential to audit the process of organ donation. To address this, a national audit of potential organ donors was undertaken across hospitals with Intensive Care Units (N = 36). Questionnaires were returned on all patients (n = 2073) who died in these units from 1/9/07-31/8/08; 200 (10%) of these patients wer...

There is an increasing burden of responsibility for intensivists to optimize donation potential after the declaration of brain death in patients with catastrophic brain injury. Best practice for donor management, if present, has been formed on low quality and mainly observational studies or consensus. In particular, research into the use of corticosteroids has shown varied benefit. The specific...

Transplant professionals are entrusted with a unique position in the practice of medicine—the stewardship of the organs from either the deceased or living donor. This stewardship entails two major responsibilities for which society holds transplant professionals accountable: the equitable allocation of deceased donor organs to medically suitable recipients, and the evaluation and care for the l...

Successful organ transplantation depends, first of all, an a well-planned recovery of the organs, and appropriate management af the donor. These aSRects are increasingly' critical, considering the dramatic organ shortage, which allows for no waste of the few available organs. In fact, in spJte of several attempts to find alternative solutions to the brain-dead human donor, an immediate impact o...