Organ Donation in Latin America

• Published in: Transplantation proceedings 2007-03, Vol.39 (2), p.333-335
• Main Authors: Mizraji, R, Alvarez, I, Palacios, R.I, Fajardo, C, Berrios, C, Morales, F, Luna, E, Milanés, C, Andrade, M, Duque, E, Giron, F, Alfonso, J, Herra, S, Soratti, C, Ibar, R, Garcia, V.D
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anesthesia. Intensive care medicine. Transfusions. Cell therapy and gene therapy; Biological and medical sciences; Brain Death; Cadaver; Cause of Death; Clinical death. Palliative care. Organ gift and preservation; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fundamental immunology; Humans; Latin America; Living Donors - statistics & numerical data; Medical sciences; Renal Replacement Therapy - statistics & numerical data; Surgery; Surgery (general aspects). Transplantations, organ and tissue grafts. Graft diseases; Tissue and Organ Procurement - economics; Tissue and Organ Procurement - ethics; Tissue and Organ Procurement - statistics & numerical data; Tissue Donors - statistics & numerical data; Tissue, organ and graft immunology; Waiting Lists
• ISSN: 0041-1345; 1873-2623
• DOI: 10.1016/j.transproceed.2007.01.017

Abstract Recently in Latin America, there has been a strong influence of the “Spanish model” of organ procurement. In 2001, The “Punta Cana Group” was created by Latin American transplantation coordinators with the objective of registering and improving the system of donation and procurement. In many countries there is no universal financial support from the government for medical treatment, including dialysis and transplantation. In other countries there is complete financial support for all of the population, including immunosuppressive drugs. Practically all countries have transplantation laws that follow ethical concepts, such as brain death diagnosis criteria, forms of consent, criteria of allocation, and inhibition of commerce. The rate of potential donors notified in countries that perform transplantations with deceased donors varied from 6 to 47 per million population yearly (pmp/y); The rate of effective donors varied from 1 to 20 pmp. In 2004, the mean rate of effective donors in Latin America was 5.4 pmp. The family refusal rate for the donation of organs varied from 28% in Uruguay to 70% in Peru. In some countries, such as Puerto Rico, Uruguay, and Cuba, it was more than 15 pmp, whereas in others countries deceased donors were practically not used. The number of patients on the waiting list for solid organ transplants in 12 Latin American countries is 55,000. Although the donation rate has increased by 100% during the last 10 years, it is lower than that in Europe (15 pmm/y) or the United States (20 pmp/y).