Shortage of organs for transplantation

Abstract

Clearly, the fact that fewer young people now die because of road traffic accidents or intracranial haemorrhage is a cause of donor loss that must be welcomed. However, the report highlights the fact that many medical and financial practices still mitigate against the efficient identification and recruitment of organ donors. In particular, the lack of intensive care beds means that many potential donors are not being ventilated, with the decision depending on locally devised prognostic criteria. As a result, waiting lists for renal transplantation continue to rise, putting increasing pressure on dialysis budgets. While it would be inappropriate …