COVID-19 in donation and transplant.

SARS-CoV-2 infection has had a major impact on donation and transplantation. Since the cessation of activity two years ago, the international medical community has rapidly generated evidence capable of sustaining and increasing this neccesary activity. This paper analyses the epidemiology and burden of COVID-19 in donation and transplantation, the pathogenesis of the infection and its relationship with graft-mediated transmission, the impact of vaccination on donation and transplantation, the evolution of donation in Spain throughout the pandemic, some lessons learned in SARS-CoV-2 infected donor recipients with positive PCR and the applicability of the main therapeutic tools recently approved for treatment among transplant recipients.

Papel de la perfusión normotérmica con oxigenación de membrana extracorpórea en la donación en asistolia controlada en España / Role of normothermic perfusion with ECMO indonation after controlled cardiac death in Spain

Spain has become one of the most active countries in donation after controlled cardiac death, using normothermic abdominal perfusion with ECMO in more than 50% of all donors – a situation contributed to by the creation of mobile teams to support hospitals lacking this technology. The donation process must be respectful of the wishes and values of the patients and their relatives, especially if there is pre mortem manipulation, and the absence of cerebral perfusion should be guaranteed. The liver is the most benefited organ by reducing biliary complications as well as the loss of grafts. In renal transplantation, the technique could contribute to reduce the incidence of delayed graft function. In addition, the procedure is compatible with surgical rapid recovery in hypothermia when there is also lung donation. The future lies in the consolidation of cardiac donation by extending normothermic perfusion to the thoracic cavity (AU)

España se ha convertido en uno de los países más activos en donación en asistolia controlada incorporando la perfusión abdominal normotérmica con ECMO en más del 50% de los donantes, a lo que ha contribuido la creación de equipos móviles para apoyo a hospitales carentes de esta tecnología. El proceso de donación debe ser respetuoso con los deseos y valores del paciente y sus familiares, especialmente si hay manipulación pre mortem, y debe asimismo garantizar la ausencia de flujo cerebral. El hígado es el órgano más beneficiado al reducirse las complicaciones biliares, así como la pérdida de injertos. En el trasplante renal podría contribuir a reducir la incidencia de retraso en la función inicial del injerto; además, el procedimiento es compatible con la cirugía súper rápida en hipotermia cuando también hay donación pulmonar. El futuro pasa por la consolidación de la donación cardíaca al extender la perfusión normotérmica a la cavidad torácica (AU)

Role of normothermic perfusion with ECMO in donation after controlled cardiac death in Spain.

Spain has become one of the most active countries in donation after controlled cardiac death, using normothermic abdominal perfusion with ECMO in more than 50% of all donors - a situation contributed to by the creation of mobile teams to support hospitals lacking this technology. The donation process must be respectful of the wishes and values of the patients and their relatives, especially if there is pre mortem manipulation, and the absence of cerebral perfusion should be guaranteed. The liver is the most benefited organ by reducing biliary complications as well as the loss of grafts. In renal transplantation, the technique could contribute to reduce the incidence of delayed graft function. In addition, the procedure is compatible with surgical rapid recovery in hypothermia when there is also lung donation. The future lies in the consolidation of cardiac donation by extending normothermic perfusion to the thoracic cavity.

Health Care Professionals as Relatives in Organ Donation Interviews: Analysis of the Important Role of Health Care Professionals as Family Members.

INTRODUCTION: The organ and tissue donation interview is a vital step in obtaining the donation. Therefore, it is important to obtain as much information as possible regarding the relatives of the potential donor prior to this interview and know if there is a health care professional among the relatives who may act as an interlocutor. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to assess the influence that relatives who are health care professionals may have if present at the interview for the organ and tissue donation request. METHODS: This is a descriptive study of all the organ donations from 1996 to 2019. Variables of the interview record form were completed by the Regional Transplant Coordination Office. Quantitative variables are expressed as mean (standard deviation) or median (interquartile range), and qualitative variables are expressed in percentage. The χ2 test was used for inferential statistics. RESULTS: Health care professionals were present as interlocutors in 8.4% of the total interviews conducted (9279). Organ donation was accepted in 86% of these interviews, while the relative who was a health care professional gave a 93.8% (729) positive response to the donation. Having a health care professional as an interlocutor favors the acceptance of the donation (odds ratio 9.325, 95% confidence interval: 5.054-17.205; P < .001). CONCLUSION: Health care professionals have a very positive attitude toward donation. This attitude positively impacts other relatives' acceptance of the donation.

Role of normothermic perfusión with ECMO in donation after controlled cardiac death in Spain. / Papel de la perfusión normotérmica con oxigenación de membrana extracorporea en la donación en asistolia controlada en España.

Spain has become one of the most active countries in donation after controlled cardiac death, using normothermic abdominal perfusion with ECMO in more than 50% of all donors - a situation contributed to by the creation of mobile teams to support hospitals lacking this technology. The donation process must be respectful of the wishes and values of the patients and their relatives, especially if there is pre mortem manipulation, and the absence of cerebral perfusion should be guaranteed. The liver is the most benefited organ by reducing biliary complications as well as the loss of grafts. In renal transplantation, the technique could contribute to reduce the incidence of delayed graft function. In addition, the procedure is compatible with surgical rapid recovery in hypothermia when there is also lung donation. The future lies in the consolidation of cardiac donation by extending normothermic perfusion to the thoracic cavity.

[Donation after cardiac death: cardiac arrest during donor maintenance after brain death]. / Donación tras la muerte cardíaca. Parada cardíaca en el mantenimiento del donante en muerte encefálica.

Brain death implies the complete cessation of activity in both cerebral hemispheres and in the brainstem; this leads to severe physiopathological disorders that make donor maintenance complex and involve the concomitant risk of rapid organ deterioration. The heart is one of the target organs in this process of multiple organ failure. Myocardial stunning occurs due to a "catecholamine storm" and subsequent release of many proinflammatory mediators, free oxygen radicals, and electrolyte imbalance secondary to insipid diabetes and hypothermia. Cardiac arrest during the maintenance of a donor after brain death is relatively frequent. The shortage of organs for transplantation has led to the broadening of the criteria for organ donation to include donation after cardiac death or non heart beating donation, among others.

Non heart beating donors. Succesfully expanding the donor's pool.

OBJECTIVES: Expand the donors pool is one of the most hastening problems among transplant coordination teams all over the world. Our Hospital outlined thirteen years ago a specific policy to increase donors pool with non-heart-beating-donors program. METHODS: We have developed an specific program, called "code 9" to get donors from "previously healthy" people who die of sudden or unexpected death. Madrid has one of the best emergency medical services all over the world, with response time under eight minutes, and being able to perform all kind of advanced life support maneuvers in situ and during transfer to hospital. RESULTS: From 1989 we have reported the goodness of the program and the excellence of the organs transplanted. In Madrid, one of the most active communities in Spain in organ donors procurement, 33% of donors comes from this program. Organs and tissues obtained are of same or better quality than those obtained from encephalic death donors. CONCLUSIONS: Non-heart beating programs are a good option to increase donors pool.