Center For Donation & Transplant

Organ Donation for EMS Providers

January 9, 2007

by Barbara York, BA, OPC, EMTPThe Center for Donation & Transplant

Albany, New York

Center For Donation & Transplant

Removing the Veil of Mystery About Organ &

Tissue DonationJanuary 9, 2007

by Barbara York, BA, OPC, EMTPThe Center for Donation & Transplant

Albany, New York

Everyone has a personal story

Center for Donation & Transplant

CDT is a Organ Procurement Organization (OPO)

5 OPO’s in New York

CDT service area (dark green)

46 Hospitals:6 in Vermont1 in Mass.39 in New York

Trends in Organ Donation and Transplantation

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

80000

90000

100000

1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004

Transplant Recipients

Organ Donors

Patients on Waiting List

2005

What Organs Can Be Transplanted

http://www.transplantliving.org/beforethetransplant/organfacts/default.aspx

Lungs

Heart & Heart Valves (Heart & Lung)

Kidneys (Kidney and Pancreas)

Liver

Pancreas (Kidney & Pancreas)

Intestine

Factors Influencing the Potential Supply of Organs

Number of brain deaths annually: 20,000 - Only about 7,500 (38%) become organ donors- Estimated loss of transplantable organs: >56,000

Public willingness to donate:- 90% of people support organ and tissue donation- 56% likely to donate their own organs- 33% know the steps to take to ensure their wishes regarding donation are fulfilled

Major Legislation

1968 Uniform Anatomical Gift Act.1978 Uniform Brain Death Act1980 Uniform Determination of Death Act1984 National Organ Transplant Act1986 Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act 1996 Medicare/Medicaid Existing regulations

published May 2, 1996; Final rule, CMS-3064-F, published May 31, 2006

1998 Required Referral Law

Required Referral

When the death of a person in a hospital has occurred or is imminent, the hospital shall contact the federally designated organ procurement organization in order to make a preliminary determination of the suitability of the person for organ donation.

CMS: The Final Rule

In order for hospitals to participate in Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement, they must follow

the CMS Conditions of Participation. The Joint Commission for the Accreditation

of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) has adopted the provisions of the regulation

and these standards.

Imminent Death

• Imminent death is a term that applies to patients who are on a ventilator and have had an insult or injury to the brain.

• When patients are on a ventilator and have a Glasgow Coma Scale of less than or equal to 5, or appear to have irreversible loss of brain function, death is considered to be imminent and CDT must be notified immediately.

• CDT must be notified before the patient is removed from the ventilator.

People Die in Two Ways

Pre hospital BRAIN DEATH Head Trauma, CVA, asphyxia:

Patient has interrupted blood flow to the brain with no oxygen supply and cell death begins.

Pre hospital CARDIAC DEATH Patient has lethal cardiac

activity - no “pump” for oxygen supply and cell death begins.

The brain takes an anoxic hit, begins to swell and often leads to

brain death…… even if the cause of the

interruption of blood flow or oxygen is transient or cardiac

rhythm is restored.

The Storm

• Catecholimine Storm– Cushings Triad– Psuedo MI– Usually will progress in 24 – 48 hours

Pathways to Donation

• Standard Path, Patient is Brain Dead– Declared brain dead but still with

cardiac function• Standard donor• Taken to OR• Never extubated• Aorta is cross clamped

Clinical Criteria for Brain Death

• No response to external stimuli• No reflex activity except of spinal

cord origin• No pupillary response to light• No corneal reflex

Clinical Criteria for Brain Death

• No gag reflex• No cough reflex• No eye movement with caloric

testing or doll’s eyes maneuver• Apnea in the presence of adequate

CO2 stimulation – Apnea Test

Confirmatory Testing

EEG Cerebral Blood

Flow Studies– Nuclear Flow

Study– Cerebral

Angiography

Pathways to Donation

• Donation After Cardiac Death (DCD) Path– NOT brain dead with cardiac function

• Extended criteria donor• They may have many of the clinical signs

that EMS has come to know as indicators of brain activity; pupils, cough, gag, etc.

• Remember, they are NOT brain dead

Donation After Cardiac Death

• This is an option offered to families when all indications are that the patient has sustained fatal, non survivable injury and will remain in a vegetative state

• Taken to OR• Extubated and pray patient goes asystolic

very soon - within 60 minutes

Donation After Cardiac Death

• Was original way donation occurred• Resurgence in popularity because of need

for organs for transplant• Organs have poor graft survival

rates due to increased anoxia hit to organs• Extubation & DCD is difficult to wrap your

arms around in hospital OR environment

Circling the Drain

• Bad things happen to good people• Bad things happen to bad people

You or I didn’t kill them…

Chain of EMS

Or did we?

We are only as strong as our weakest link…

EMS & Donor Connection

• Airway, airway, airway• Good BLS before ALS• Documentation. Do YOU leave it at

the hospital? Or do it at the end of the day?

Don’t answer that out loud!

EMS & Donor Connection

• Just like you paint the picture for the ED, you are our eyes and ears on scene.

• Your documentation and description of any downtime and treatment is paramount to our ability to paint a picture of an organ donor to a transplant surgeon later.

Which heart would you want your transplant surgeon to pick for you?

“18 YO F with unknown PMHX was found down at home yesterday by a family member with unknown downtime. EMS/ACLS was performed, but she never regained neuro status, CT showed ICH. This morning she deteriorated and was pronounced brain dead at 11:53.”

“18 YO F with a PMHX of PSVT was found slumped over on the couch unconscious by a family member after they came back into the living room from the bathroom. Per 911 she was breathing without a pulse. EMS was activated with a 3 min. response time. EMS found her in care of Father, chest compressions being done. No signs of drug or alcohol use on scene. Upon assessment, patient was found to be in SVT, breathing at 6 but pulseless and was transported to the ED with ACLS. #7 nasal ET confirmed by LS. – epigastric sounds and end tidal color change. Pt. converted to NSR with 12 mg. adenosine but had a GCS=3 upon arrival to the ED. She was PEARL and ocassionally clenching her mouth. CT showed ICH. This morning she deteriorated and was pronounced brain dead at 11:53.”

Chain of Donation

• EMS gets the call and delivers patient to “definitive care.”• Attending MD. and neurology assesses patient• CDT is paged• Donor evaluation (often on site); serologies drawn• Family approached• Consent (hopefully)• Donor management by OPC that includes bedside

hemodynamic monitoring and node procurement for antigen matching if patient is a kidney donor

• Coordinate placement of organs and arrival of transplant teams

• Coordinate OR recovery, packaging of organs and transportation, delivery of organs to recipient transplant center

The Operating Room

Organ Hierarchy: Lungs & Heart First

Small space, many hands

Liver

Kidneys

Cardiac Allografts

• Aortic Valve• Pulmonary Valve

Vascular Allografts

Saphenous Vein

Femoral Vein/Artery

Superficial Femoral Vein Valve

Corneal Transplant

Bone & Connective Tissues that CDT Recovers

• Humerus• Radius• Ulna• Ribs• Iliac Crest• Femur

• Tibia• Fibula• Tendons• Ligaments• Fascia Lata

Uses for Bone and Tissue

• Skin for burn victims• Orthopedic surgery• Neurosurgery• Plastic surgery• Dentistry

Center for Donation & Transplant

Q: Why isn’t there a policy or protocol for trauma/cardiac arrest and organ donation?

Center for Donation & Transplant

A: Ethicists and the Department for Health and Human Services feel that the subject of organ donation should be addressed with families in a way that promotes consideration and consent, by trained personnel.

Interestingly, the myth that a hospital provider or EMS provider would be more likely NOT to provide life saving care in favor of creating an organ donor still exists in 2007.

The Fast Track to Organ Donation

• Drive a motorcycle recklessly on a dark, gravel-filled back road

• Drive head on into a tree with or without your seat belt

• Dive from a tall bridge, play handgun roulette with your friends or

• Never visit your PCP and treat your HTN

The Fast Track to Organ Donation

• Tell your loved ones what your wishes are

• Ask your loved ones what their wishes are

• Fill out a Health Care Proxy• Register when you renew your license • Go on the web to: • http://www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/donor/form.htm

Your Very Patient, Thanks!

Thank you for your time!

Barbara York, BA, OPC, EMTP

Center for Donation & Transplant

218 Great Oaks Blvd.

Albany, NY 12203

byork@cdtny.org

518-928-8387