The British transplantation society guidelines on organ donation from deceased donors after circulatory death

Recipient outcomes after transplantation with organs from donation after circulatory death (DCD) donors can compare favourably and even match recipient outcomes after transplantation with organs from donation after brain death donors. Success is dependent upon establishing common practices and accepted protocols that allow the safe sharing of DCD organs and maximise the use of the DCD donor pool. The British Transplantation Society 'Guideline on transplantation from deceased donors after circulatory death' has recently been updated. This manuscript summarises the relevant recommendations from chapters specifically related to organ donation.

Automated summary

Recipient outcomes after transplantation with organs from donation after circulatory death (DCD) donors can be as good as or even comparable to those after transplantation with organs from donation after brain death donors. The key to success lies in establishing common practices and accepted protocols to safely utilize DCD organs and maximize the use of the DCD donor pool.