Estimation of the potential number of donor organs in 1988 and 1989 in 13 hospitals with a major neurosurgical department
Kodde, J.H.; Kerkhoff, A.H.
Nederlands Tijdschrift Voor Geneeskunde 136(17): 839-844
1992
ISSN/ISBN: 0028-2162 PMID: 1522929 Document Number: 403745
In the Netherlands the supply of donor organs for transplantation still fails to meet demand. This study deals with the total number of donors and donor organs available in the 13 Dutch hospitals with a large neurosurgical department. The number of kidneys that could have been donated was twice as large, hearts and livers five times as large, and pancreas 35 times as large as the numbers actually donated (in absolute numbers for 1988 and 1989 respectively 631 and 642 (kidneys), 173 and 204 (livers), 154 and 178 (hearts) and 239 and 285 (pancreata). Refusal by the potential donor's family was the main reason for not donating organs.