Canadian Donation Policy Has Raised Organ Donation in Ontario by 57%

Since 2006, Ontario organ donation has increased after the implementation of a new Canadian policy, Donation after Circulatory determination of death (DCD).

Ontario has seen a 57% increase in organ donation since 2006 after the implementation of Donation after Circulatory Determination of Death (DCD) policy as introduced by the Canadian policymakers, found a new study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

Before 2006, deceased organ donation traditionally occurred after neurologic determination of death (NDD), commonly known as brain death, when a person was declared dead after the complete and irreversible loss of all brain functions.

‘Donation after circulatory determination of death has had a positive effect in Ontario in terms of both overall numbers of donors and transplant activity.’

And Because of the lack of organ donors and other factors, waiting lists for donations of lungs, kidneys, livers, and hearts were long, and recipients often died while waiting depending upon their need of different major organ.

"The most important development in efforts to expand the donor pool has involved donation after [DCD]," writes Dr. Vivek Rao, Multiorgan Transplant Unit, Toronto General Hospital and the University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, with coauthors.

Researchers compared data from the pre-DCD period (2002/03 to 2005/06), early DCD period (2006/07 to 2009/10) and recent DCD period (2010/11 to 2013/14) to understand trends in organ donation after introducing the policy.

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"Donation after circulatory determination of death has had a positive effect in Ontario in terms of both overall numbers of donors and transplant activity," state the authors.

"Donation after NDD does not appear to have been adversely affected. Although there are disparities among organ groups, we foresee that an active DCD program will continue to have a positive effect on all solid-organ transplant recipients," they conclude.

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In a similar commentary , Dr. Sam Shemie of Montreal Children's Hospital and McGill University Health Centre & Research Institute, and medical advisor for Deceased Organ Donation, Canadian Blood Services, says that the research paper shows Ontario has seen a rise in numbers of transplants in the province over a 12-year period that is almost entirely attributable to DCD.

This significant finding is instructive for the rest of the country. Substantial variation in organ donation rates between provinces still exists and can be explained largely by variable degree of DCD implementation.

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However, according to Dr. Shemie, the 2015 rate of 18.2 donors per million people fall far below the number of potential donors, estimated at 40-89 donors per million.

Canada must continue to focus on increasing organ donation and preventing death and disability for potential transplant candidates.

The research study was conducted by researchers from Toronto General Hospital, University Health Network, St. Michael's Hospital, the University of Toronto, Trillium Gift of Life Network, Toronto, Ontario; and Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Ontario.

Source-Eurekalert