The effect of brain death protocol duration on potential donor losses due to cardiac arrest.

BACKGROUND: The severe inflammatory reaction that occurs after brain death (BD) tends to amplify over time, contributing to cardiovascular deterioration and occurrence of cardiac arrest (CA). Our purpose is to evaluate the effect of BD protocol duration (BDPD) on potential donor losses due to CA.

METHODS: This retrospective analysis included potential donors reported during the period from May 2012 to April 2014. The risk of losses due to CA was analyzed to identify the chronological threshold at which the probability of loss due to CA increases.

RESULTS: Three hundred and eighty-four potential donors were analyzed. There was a greater chance of CA after a 30-hour threshold (OR 1.67, 95% CI: 1.38-1.83), and the lowest risk of was identified for the range from 12 to 30 hours (OR 0.32, 95% CI: 0.19-0.52). Multivariate analysis identified the following variables as being associated with lower occurrence of CA: BDPD between 12 and 30 hours, management of a potential donor inside the intensive care unit, and the adherence to a goal-directed protocol.

CONCLUSION: A long duration between the first clinical test for BD diagnosis and the procurement of organs may be an important risk factor for the occurrence of cardiac arrest in deceased potential donors.