Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38868064›Full record

ArticleHeliyon2024

The learning curve of COVID-19 and organ donation: Potential missed opportunities in the COVID era.

Jared R Zhang, Muhammad Mujtaba, Heidi Wagenhauser, Yvette Chapman, Trine Engebretsen, Heather L Stevenson, Syed Hussain, Ann Kathleen N Gamilla-Crudo, Michael Kueht

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Heliyon, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Exploring the challenges: main contraindications in organ donation in ColombiaBiomedica : revista del Instituto Nacional de Salud · 2026
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Jared R ZhangDepartment of Surgery, Division of Multiorgan Transplant and Hepatobiliary Surgery, The University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd, Galveston TX 77550, USA.
Muhammad MujtabaDepartment of Medicine, Division of Transplant Nephrology, 301 University Blvd, Galveston TX 77550, USA.
Heidi WagenhauserSouthwest Transplant Alliance, 8190 Manderville Ln, Dallas, TX 75231, USA.
Yvette ChapmanSouthwest Transplant Alliance, 8190 Manderville Ln, Dallas, TX 75231, USA.
Trine EngebretsenDepartment of Surgery, Division of Multiorgan Transplant and Hepatobiliary Surgery, The University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd, Galveston TX 77550, USA.
Heather L StevensonDepartment of Pathology, Division of Transplant Pathology, The University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd, Galveston TX 77550, USA.
Syed HussainDepartment of Medicine, Division of Transplant Nephrology, 301 University Blvd, Galveston TX 77550, USA.
Ann Kathleen N Gamilla-CrudoDepartment of Nephrology, The University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd, Galveston TX 77550, USA.
Michael KuehtDepartment of Surgery, Division of Multiorgan Transplant and Hepatobiliary Surgery, The University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd, Galveston TX 77550, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, positive COVID-19 status often disqualified potential organ donors due to perceived risks, despite limited evidence. Subsequent studies have clarified that the COVID-19 status of donors, particularly when incidental and not the cause of death, does not adversely affect non-lung transplant outcomes. This study quantifies the potential loss of eligible organ donors and the corresponding impact on organ availability during the initial phase of the pandemic. Methods: In this retrospective analysis, we examined deceased donor referrals to a major organ procurement organization from June 2020 to January 2022. Referrals were categorized as All Referrals, Medically Ruled Out (MRO), or Procured Donors (PD). We used Chi-square tests for categorical comparisons and logistic regression to model additional donors and organs, contrasting COVID-negative and positive cases within age-matched cohorts. Results: Among 9478 referrals, 23.4 % (2221) were COVID-positive. Notably, COVID-positive referrals had a substantially higher MRO rate (80.6 % vs. 29.6 %, p < 0.01) and a markedly lower PD rate (0.2 % vs. 8.2 %, p < 0.01). Potential missed donations of 103 organs from COVID-positive referrals were identified. Conclusion: This OPO-level study demonstrates a substantial impact of COVID-19 status on organ donation rates, revealing significant missed opportunities. Improved management of donor COVID-19 status could potentially increase organ donations nationwide, taking into account evolving evidence and vaccine availability changes.

Indexed as

COVID-19Organ donationOrgan procurement organizationsPandemic impact on health servicesRetrospective studiesTransplant outcomes

Identifiers

PMID38868064
PMCPMC11168379

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.