Organ donation can only occur after death is confirmed. However, when life-support is withdrawn in potential organ donors, doctors often cannot predict how long it will take for the person to pass away. If death takes too long, organs may not stay healthy enough for donation and donation may not be possible because there are strict time limits for when organs can be used. Doctors currently rely on their experience and limited predictive tools to estimate this timing, which can be stressful for families and may lead to fewer successful organ donations.
This project will collect medical information, such as blood tests that show brain injury and signs of increased pressure in the brain from potential organ donors after life-support is stopped. We will use this information to build a low risk predictive tool that helps doctors better estimate how long the dying process may take.
Improving dying predictions will support families, help doctors make confident decisions and increase the number of healthy organs available for transplant. We will share this knowledge with Canadian organ donation organizations and front-line doctors to strengthen donation practices across the country and world-wide.