Impact of a Lung Transplantation Donor–Management Protocol on.pdfVIP

Impact of a Lung Transplantation Donor–Management Protocol on Lung Donation and Recipient Outcomes Luis F. Angel, Deborah J. Levine, Marcos I. Restrepo, Scott Johnson, Edward Sako, Andrea Carpenter, John Calhoon, John E. Cornell, Sandra G. Adams, Gary B. Chisholm, Joe Nespral, Ann Roberson, and Stephanie M. Levine Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, and Center for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio; Veterans Evidence-based Research, Dissemination, and Implementation Center (VERDICT) Center of Excellence, Audie L. Murphy VA Hospital; and the Texas Organ Sharing Alliance, San Antonio, Texas Rationale: One of the limitations associated with lung transplanta- In 2005, nearly 3,000 patients were on the national waiting tion is the lack of available organs. list for lung transplantation. Only 35% of these patients received Objective: To determine whether a lung donor–management proto- transplants, and 10% died while awaiting a graft (2). Approxi- col could increase the number of lungs for transplantation without mately half of the listed patients waited more than 2 yr before affecting the survival rates of the recipients. receiving a transplant. This trend worsens each year; the number Methods: We implemented the San Antonio Lung Transplant proto- of new additions to the waiting list annually is nearly double the col for managing potential lung donors according to modifications number of patients who receive transplants (2). of standard criteria for donor selection and strategies for donor The lack of organ donors is most serious for patients awaitin