Changes in Notification and Demographics of Deceased Donors During the Past Decade in the State of Michigan, USA

From 1993 to 2003 there have been significant changes in the number and demographics of deceased donors referred to the organ procurement organization (OPO) in the state of Michigan (USA). It was the aim of this study to document the magnitude of these changes and attempt to explain them. There has been a 26-fold increase in the number of reported in-hospital deaths from 1993 to 2003. Most of these calls (96%) concerned patients who were already dead and thus not suitable for organ donation. There has also been a 72% increase in the number of antemortem calls, but there has been only a 30% increase in the number of organ donors, primarily because the majority of the deceased individuals referred for donation (57% in 2003) do not meet the criteria for brain death. The median age of donors over the past 10 years has increased from 31 to 45. The proportion of African-American donors increased from 9.8% in 1993 to 21.3% in 2003. An increase in the age of donors and the increased frequency of cerebrovascular accidents as the cause of death of donors may be a reflection of changes in criteria for donation. Mandatory reporting of hospital deaths has resulted in an increase in notification to the OPO but has not had a major impact on the number of organ donors. On the other hand, increased donation from African-Americans indicates that public information programs may be contributing to the increased donation from this segment of the population.