ABSTRACT
In a district general hospital serving 303,000 people, deaths from cerebrovascular incidents over 12 months were analysed retrospectively. 8 patients who died in general wards were identified as potential organ donors. A working party then devised a protocol for managing such donors by transfer to the intensive care unit for support until organ retrieval could be arranged. In the first 19 months with the protocol, organs (1 heart, 2 sets of heart valves, 2 livers, and 16 kidneys) were retrieved from 8 patients who would not otherwise have become donors. If these results were replicated nationally a further 16.7 donors per million per year would be added to the current annual UK rate of 14.6 donors per million.
Subject(s)
Cerebrovascular Disorders/mortality , Hospitals, District , Hospitals, General , Hospitals, Public , Tissue and Organ Procurement/methods , Adult , Aged , Brain Death/diagnosis , Cerebrovascular Disorders/therapy , Evaluation Studies as Topic , Female , Humans , Intensive Care Units , Male , Middle Aged , Patient Transfer , Prognosis , Retrospective Studies , Time Factors , United KingdomABSTRACT
In a randomized prospective clinical trial in 128 patients undergoing radical surgical resection of primary colorectal cancer, 63 patients received intravenous fluorouracil (5-FU) in two courses, four and eight weeks after surgery; 65 controls received no chemotherapy. The duration of follow-up exceeded five years in all cases, and 28 patients have died in each group. Recurrent disease was present in 26 5-FU patients (41.2 percent) and in 22 controls (33.9 percent). There is no evidence that short-term 5-FU therapy was of significant value in the chemoprophylaxis of colorectal cancer.