Organ donation and management of the potential organ donor

Solid organ transplant offers the hope of disease cure for hundreds of thousands of patients worldwide. Not only does it increase life expectancy and improve the quality of life, it unburdens health services and offers long-term financial savings. The clinician's role in early identification and management of potential donors ensures that the maximum number of people can benefit from this life changing intervention. A chronic shortfall in transplantable organs has led to broadened inclusion criteria for donors, inevitably resulting in a reduction in the ‘quality’ of the transplanted organs. Careful donor management with early involvement of the multidisciplinary team and use of goal directed management increases both the quantity and number of grafts successfully donated.