Helicopter transport of cardiac death donors

Mateos Rodríguez AA, Navalpotro Pascual JM, Ortega I, Moreno R, Barba Alonso C, Martín Maldonado ME, Andrés Belmonte A

Since 2005 helicopters have been used to transport potential donors after cardiac death.

This study aims to describe this means of transport and compare outcomes to those for

donors transported over land. Helicopter transfers during a 53-month period were

included. Fifteen were carried out. The mean donor age was 36 years; most were men

(89%). The mean duration of flights was 113 minutes and 46 seconds. Twenty-four

kidneys, 5 livers, 5 corneas, 4 bone grafts, and 1 lung were recovered (mean of 2.6

organs or tissues per donor). The outcomes for these grafts were similar to those for

tissues and organs from donors transported over land. The rate of primary graft failure of

kidneys from helicopter-transported donors was 11% and the rate of 2-year survival of

recipients was 94%. These rates are also similar to those for land-transferred donors.

Andrés Belmonte A, Barba Alonso C, Martín Maldonado ME, Mateos Rodríguez AA, Moreno R, Navalpotro Pascual JM, Ortega I