Resilience among organ donation coordinators: a Canadian mixed-methods study

Background

Organ and Tissue Donation Coordinators (OTDCs) are key to the success of deceased organ donation processes. However, reduced resilience can leave them susceptible to the incidence of work-related issues and decrease the quality of the care provided. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the extent of resilience and influencing aspects among OTDCs in Canada.

Methods

Mixed-method (QUAN-qual) explanatory sequential design. Quantitative data was collected using an online cross-sectional survey approach with demographic data and the validated scales and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Qualitative data was collected using a descriptive approach with a semi-structured interview guide and analyzed using content analysis.

Results

One hundred twenty participants responded to the survey, and 39 participants were interviewed. Most participants from the survey were female (82%), registered nurses (97%) and on average 42 years old. The quantitative data revealed that OTDCs had a high level of perceived compassion satisfaction (ProQOL-CS = 36.3) but a resilience score (CD-RISC = 28.5) lower than other groups of healthcare professionals. OTDCs with over a year of experience in the role were more likely to have higher levels of resilience. The qualitative data identified that participants saw resilience as crucial for their work-related well-being. Although coping strategies were identified as a key factor that enhance resilience, many OTDCs reported difficulty in developing healthy coping strategies, and that the use of unhealthy mechanisms (e.g., alcohol and smoking) can result in negative physical consequences (e.g., weight gain) and reduced resilience levels.

Conclusion

Participants reported using a series of coping and protective strategies to help build resilience, but also difficulty in developing healthy mechanisms. The lack of healthy coping strategies were seen as contributing to negative work-related issues (e.g., burnout). Our findings are being used to develop tailored interventions to improve resilience and healthy coping strategies among organ donor coordinators in Canada.

Organ donation following medical assistance in dying, Part I: a scoping review of legal and ethical aspects

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this review was to collate and summarize the current literature on what is known about organ donation following medical assistance in dying (MAiD). Additionally, for this first part of a 2-part scoping review, the focus is on legal and ethical considerations regarding organ donation following MAiD.

INTRODUCTION

Organ donation following MAiD is a relatively new procedure that has sparked much debate and discussion. A comprehensive investigation into the legal and ethical aspects related to organ donation following MAiD is needed to inform the development of safe and ethical practices.

INCLUSION CRITERIA

In this review, we included documents that investigated legal and/or ethical issues related to individuals who underwent organ donation following MAiD in any setting (eg, hospital or home) worldwide. We considered quantitative and qualitative studies, text and opinion papers, gray literature, and unpublished material provided by stakeholders.

METHODS

This scoping review followed JBI methodology. Published studies were retrieved from databases, including MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase (Ovid), CINAHL (EBSCOhost), PsycINFO (Ovid), Web of Science Core Collection, and Academic Search Complete (EBSCOhost). Gray and unpublished literature included reports from organ donation organizations in Canada, The Netherlands, and Belgium. Two independent reviewers screened all reports (both by title and abstract and by full text) against the inclusion criteria, extracted data, and completed a content analysis. Disagreements between the 2 reviewers were resolved through discussions among the reviewers and the lead reviewer.

RESULTS

We included 121 documents for parts I and II of our scoping review, 89 of which are included in part I. The majority of the 89 documents were discussion papers published in English and in Canada from 2019 to 2021. In the content analysis, we identified 4 major categories regarding ethical and legal aspects of organ donation following MAiD: i) legal definitions, legislation, and guidelines; ii) ethics, dilemmas, and consensus; iii) consent and objection; and iv) public perceptions. We identified the main legislation regulating the practices of organ donation following MAiD in countries where both procedures are permitted, the many ethical debates surrounding this topic (eg, eligibility criteria for organ donation and MAiD, disclosure of donors' and recipients' information, directed organ donation, death determination in organ donation following MAiD, ethical safeguards for organ donation following MAiD), as well as the public perceptions of this process.

CONCLUSIONS

Organ donation following MAiD has raised many legal and ethical concerns regarding establishing safeguards to protect patients and families. Despite the ongoing debates around the risks and benefits of this combined procedure, when patients who request MAiD want to donate their organs, this option can help fulfill their last wishes and diminish their suffering, which should be the main reasons to offer organ donation following MAiD.

Organ donation following medical assistance in dying, Part II: a scoping review of existing processes and procedures

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this review was to collate and summarize the current literature on what is known about organ donation following medical assistance in dying (MAiD). For this second part of a 2-part scoping review, the focus is on the existing procedures and processes for organ donation following MAiD.

INTRODUCTION

Organ donation following MAiD is a novel and contentious issue worldwide. To give direction for future research and initiatives, a comprehensive understanding of the available evidence of existing procedures and processes for organ donation following MAiD is needed.

INCLUSION CRITERIA

For this review, the population of interest included all individuals who underwent organ donation following MAiD; the concept was defined as procedures and processes involved in organ donation after MAiD; and the context was reports of organ donation following MAiD at home or in any health care setting worldwide. We considered quantitative and qualitative studies, text and opinion papers, gray literature, and unpublished material provided by stakeholders.

METHODS

This scoping review was conducted in line with JBI methodology. Published studies were retrieved from MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase (Ovid), CINAHL (EBSCOhost), PsycINFO (Ovid), Web of Science Core Collection, and Academic Search Complete (EBSCOhost). Gray and unpublished literature included reports from websites and organ donation organizations in Canada, Belgium, and The Netherlands. Two independent reviewers screened all reports (both title and abstract, and full text) against the predetermined inclusion criteria, extracted data, and completed a content analysis. Any disagreements between the 2 reviewers were resolved through discussion or with another reviewer.

RESULTS

We included 121 documents across parts I and II, and we report on 107 documents in this second part. The majority of the 107 documents were discussion papers, published in English, and in Canada from 2019 to 2021. In the content analysis, we identified 5 major categories regarding existing procedures and processes of organ donation following MAiD: i) clinical pathways for organ donation following MAiD; ii) organ donation following MAiD and the donor; iii) clinical practice tools for organ donation following MAiD; iv) education and support for health care providers involved in organ donation following MAiD; and v) health care providers' roles and perceptions during organ donation following MAiD.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings from this review can be used to provide support and guidance for improvements in procedures and processes, as well as a rich resource for countries currently planning to establish programs for organ donation after MAiD.

Pediatric Death After Withdrawal of Life-Sustaining Therapies: A Scoping Review

OBJECTIVES

Evaluate literature on the dying process in children after withdrawal of life sustaining measures (WLSM) in the PICU. We focused on the physiology of dying, prediction of time to death, impact of time to death, and uncertainty of the dying process on families, healthcare workers, and organ donation.

DATA SOURCES

MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Web of Science.

STUDY SELECTION

We included studies that discussed the dying process after WLSM in the PICU, with no date or study type restrictions. We excluded studies focused exclusively on adult or neonatal populations, children outside the PICU, or on organ donation or adult/pediatric studies where pediatric data could not be isolated.

DATA EXTRACTION

Inductive qualitative content analysis was performed.

DATA SYNTHESIS

Six thousand two hundred twenty-five studies were screened and 24 included. Results were grouped into four categories: dying process, perspectives of healthcare professionals and family, WLSM and organ donation, and recommendations for future research. Few tools exist to predict time to death after WLSM in children. Most deaths after WLSM occur within 1 hour and during this process, healthcare providers must offer support to families regarding logistics, medications, and expectations. Providers describe the unpredictability of the dying process as emotionally challenging and stressful for family members and staff; however, no reports of families discussing the impact of time to death prediction were found. The unpredictability of death after WLSM makes families less likely to pursue donation. Future research priorities include developing death prediction tools of tools, provider and parental decision-making, and interventions to improve end-of-life care.

CONCLUSIONS

The dying process in children is poorly understood and understudied. This knowledge gap leaves families in a vulnerable position and the clinical team without the necessary tools to support patients, families, or themselves. Improving time to death prediction after WLSM may improve care provision and enable identification of potential organ donors.

The care of critically ill adults with COVID-19 in Ontario pediatric intensive care units

PURPOSE

To describe and review the experience of two pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) in Ontario, Canada, adapting and providing care to critically ill adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.

CLINICAL FEATURES

At a time of extreme pressure to adult intensive care unit (ICU) capacity, two PICUs provided care to critically ill adults with COVID-19 pneumonia. Substantial yet rapid planning was required to facilitate safe delivery of critical care to adult patients while maintaining PICU services, including thoughtful development of care pathways and patient selection. To prepare clinical staff, several communication strategies, knowledge translation, skill consolidation, and system-adaptation mechanisms were developed. There was iterative adaptation of operational processes, including staffing models, specialist consultation, and the pharmacy. Care provided by the interprofessional teams was reoriented as appropriate to the needs of critically ill adults in close collaboration with adult ICU teams. Forty-one adults were admitted to the two PICUs over a 12-week period. In total, 36 patients (88%) received invasive ventilation, eight patients (20%) were supported with venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, and six patients (15%) received continuous renal replacement therapy. Four died in the PICU during this period. Feedback from staff included anxiety around reorienting practice to the care of critically ill adults, physical exhaustion, and psychological distress. Importantly, staff also reported a renewed sense of purpose with participation in the program.

CONCLUSION

Though challenging, the experience has provided opportunity to enhance collaboration with partner institutions and improve the care of older children and adolescents in the PICU.

Development of a consortium to examine organ donation legislative and system reforms: A report from the LEADDR consortium

In April 2019, the province of Nova Scotia became the first jurisdiction in North America to pass legislation that incorporated deemed consent for deceased organ donation. The reform included many other important updates, including the hierarchy for consent, enabled donor and recipient contact, and mandatory referral of potential deceased donors. Additionally, system reforms were implemented to improve the deceased donation system in Nova Scotia. A collection of national colleagues identified the magnitude of the opportunity to develop a comprehensive strategy to measure and evaluate the impact of the legislative and system reforms. This article describes the successful development of a consortium from both national and provincial jurisdictions that included experts from a variety of backgrounds and clinical and administrative disciplines. In describing the creation of this group, we hope to offer our case example as a model for the evaluation of other health system reforms from a multidisciplinary perspective.

Calcineurin Inhibition in Deceased Organ Donors: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Preclinical Studies

Background

Preconditioning deceased organ donors with calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs) may reduce ischemia-reperfusion injury to improve transplant outcomes.

Methods

We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and conference proceedings for animal models of organ donation and transplantation, comparing donor treatment with CNIs with either placebo or no intervention, and evaluating outcomes for organ transplantation. Reviewers independently screened and selected studies, abstracted data, and assessed the risk of bias and clinical relevance of included studies. Where possible, we pooled results using meta-analysis; otherwise, we summarized findings descriptively.

Results

Eighteen studies used various animals and a range of CNI agents and doses and evaluated their effects on a variety of transplant outcomes. The risk of bias and clinical applicability were poorly reported. Pooled analyses suggested benefit of CNI treatment on early graft function in renal transplants (3 studies; serum creatinine: ratio of means [RoM] 0.54; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.34-0.86) but not for liver transplants (2 studies; serum alanine transaminase: RoM 0.61; 95% CI, 0.30-1.26; and serum aspartate aminotransferase: RoM 0.58; 95% CI, 0.26-1.31). We found no reduction in graft loss at 7 d (2 studies; risk ratio 0.54; 95% CI, 0.08-3.42). CNI treatment was associated with reduced transplant recipient levels of interleukin-6 (4 studies; RoM 0.36; 95% CI, 0.19-0.70), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (5 studies; RoM 0.36; 95% CI, 0.12-1.03), and cellular apoptosis (4 studies; RoM 0.30; 95% CI, 0.19-0.47).

Conclusions

Although this compendium of animal experiments suggests that donor preconditioning with CNIs may improve early kidney graft function, the limited ability to reproduce a true clinical environment in animal experiments and to assess for risk of bias in these experiments is a serious weakness that precludes current clinical application.

Is the process of withdrawal of life-sustaining measures in the intensive care unit different for deceased organ donors compared with other dying patients? A secondary analysis of prospectively collected data

OBJECTIVE

To investigate whether observable differences exist between patterns of withdrawal of life-sustaining measures (WLSM) for patients eligible for donation after circulatory death (DCD) in whom donation was attempted compared with those patients in whom no donation attempts were made.

SETTING

Adult intensive care units from 20 centres in Canada, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands.

DESIGN

Secondary analysis of quantitative data collected as part of a large, prospective, cohort study (the Death Prediction and Physiology after Removal of Therapy study).

PARTICIPANTS

Patients ≥18 years of age who died after a controlled WLSM in an intensive care unit. Patients were classified as not DCD eligible, DCD eligible with DCD attempted or DCD eligible but DCD was not attempted.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES

The process of WLSM (timing and type and, if applicable, dosages of measures withdrawn, dosages of analgesics/sedatives) was compared between groups.

RESULTS

Of the 635 patients analysed, 85% had either cardiovascular support stopped or were extubated immediately on WLSM. Of the DCD eligible patients, more were immediately extubated at the initiation of WLSM when DCD was attempted compared with when DCD was not attempted (95% vs 61%, p<0.0001). Initiation of WLSM with the immediate cessation of cardiovascular measures or early extubation was associated with earlier time to death, even after adjusting for confounders (OR 2.94, 95% CI 1.39 to 6.23, at 30 min). Other than in a few patients who received propofol, analgesic and sedative dosing after WLSM between DCD attempted and DCD eligible but not attempted patients was not significantly different. All patients died.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients in whom DCD is attempted may receive a different process of WLSM. This highlights the need for a standardised and transparent process for end-of-life care across the spectrum of critically ill patients and potential organ donors.

Research and Innovation in Organ Donation: Recommendations From an International Consensus Forum

This report provides recommendations from the Research and Innovation domain as part of the International Donation and Transplantation Legislative and Policy Forum (hereafter the Forum) to provide expert guidance on the structure of an ideal organ and tissue donation and transplantation system. The recommendations focus on deceased donation research and are intended for clinicians, investigators, decision-makers, and patient, family, and donor (PFD) partners involved in the field.

Methods

We identified topics impacting donation research through consensus using nominal group technique. Members performed narrative reviews and synthesized current knowledge on each topic, which included academic articles, policy documents, and gray literature. Using the nominal group technique, committee members discussed significant findings, which provided evidence for our recommendations. The Forum's scientific committee then vetted recommendations.

Results

We developed 16 recommendations in 3 key areas to provide stakeholders guidance in developing a robust deceased donor research framework. These include PFD and public involvement in research; donor, surrogate, and recipient consent within a research ethics framework; and data management. We highlight the importance of PFD and public partner involvement in research, we define the minimum ethical requirements for the protection of donors and recipients of both target and nontarget organ recipients, and we recommend the creation of a centrally administered donor research oversight committee, a single specialist institutional review board, and a research oversight body to facilitate coordination and ethical oversight of organ donor intervention research.

Conclusions

Our recommendations provide a roadmap for developing and implementing an ethical deceased donation research framework that continually builds public trust. Although these recommendations can be applied to jurisdictions developing or reforming their organ and tissue donation and transplantation system, stakeholders are encouraged to collaborate and respond to their specific jurisdictional needs related to organ and tissue shortages.

Neurologic Physiology after Removal of Therapy (NeuPaRT) study: study protocol of a multicentre, prospective, observational, pilot feasibility study of neurophysiology after withdrawal of life-sustaining measures

INTRODUCTION

In donation after circulatory determination of death, death is declared 5 min after circulatory arrest. This practice assumes, but does not explicitly confirm, permanent loss of brain activity. While this assumption is rooted a strong physiological rationale, paucity of direct human data regarding temporal relationship between cessation of brain activity and circulatory arrest during the dying process threatens public and healthcare provider trust in deceased organ donation.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

In this cohort study, we will prospectively record cerebral and brainstem electrical activity, cerebral blood flow velocity and arterial blood pressure using electroencephalography (EEG), brainstem evoked potentials, transcranial doppler and bedside haemodynamic monitors in adult patients undergoing planned withdrawal of life sustaining measures in the intensive care units at five hospital sites for 18 months. We will use MATLAB to synchronise waveform data and compute the time of cessation of each signal relative to circulatory arrest. Our primary outcome is the feasibility of patient accrual, while secondary outcomes are (a) proportion of patients with complete waveform recordings and data transfer to coordinating site and (b) time difference between cessation of neurophysiological signals and circulatory arrest. We expect to accrue 1 patient/site/month for a total of 90 patients.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

We have ethics approval from Clinical Trials Ontario (protocol #3862, version 1.0, date 19 January 2022.) and the relevant Research Ethics Board for each site. We will obtain written informed consent from legal substitute decision makers. We will present study results at research conferences including donor family partner forum and in peer-reviewed publications.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT05306327.

A brain-based definition of death and criteria for its determination after arrest of circulation or neurologic function in Canada: a 2023 clinical practice guideline

This 2023 Clinical Practice Guideline provides the biomedical definition of death based on permanent cessation of brain function that applies to all persons, as well as recommendations for death determination by circulatory criteria for potential organ donors and death determination by neurologic criteria for all mechanically ventilated patients regardless of organ donation potential. This Guideline is endorsed by the Canadian Critical Care Society, the Canadian Medical Association, the Canadian Association of Critical Care Nurses, Canadian Anesthesiologists' Society, the Canadian Neurological Sciences Federation (representing the Canadian Neurological Society, Canadian Neurosurgical Society, Canadian Society of Clinical Neurophysiologists, Canadian Association of Child Neurology, Canadian Society of Neuroradiology, and Canadian Stroke Consortium), Canadian Blood Services, the Canadian Donation and Transplantation Research Program, the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians, the Nurse Practitioners Association of Canada, and the Canadian Cardiovascular Critical Care Society.

Brain-based arterial pulse pressure threshold for death determination: a systematic review

PURPOSE

There is lack of consensus regarding the minimum arterial pulse pressure required for confirming permanent cessation of circulation for death determination by circulatory criteria in organ donors. We assessed direct and indirect evidence supporting whether one should use an arterial pulse pressure of 0 mm Hg vs more than 0 (5, 10, 20, 40) mm Hg to confirm permanent cessation of circulation.

SOURCE

We conducted this systematic review as part of a larger project to develop a clinical practice guideline for death determination by circulatory or neurologic criteria. We systematically searched Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) via the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science for articles published from inception until August 2021. We included all types of peer-reviewed original research publications related to arterial pulse pressure as monitored by an indwelling arterial pressure transducer around circulatory arrest or determination of death with either direct context-specific (organ donation) or indirect (outside of organ donation context) data.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

A total of 3,289 abstracts were identified and screened for eligibility. Fourteen studies were included; three from personal libraries. Five studies were of sufficient quality for inclusion in the evidence profile for the clinical practice guideline. One study measured cessation of cortical scalp electroencephalogram (EEG) activity after withdrawal of life-sustaining measures and showed that EEG activity fell below 2 μV when the pulse pressure reached 8 mm Hg. This indirect evidence suggests there is a possibility of persistent cerebral activity at arterial pulse pressures > 5 mm Hg.

CONCLUSION

Indirect evidence suggests that clinicians may incorrectly diagnose death by circulatory criteria if they apply any arterial pulse pressure threshold of greater than 5 mm Hg. Moreover, there is insufficient evidence to determine that any pulse pressure threshold greater than 0 and less than 5 can safely determine circulatory death.

STUDY REGISTRATION

PROSPERO (CRD42021275763); first submitted 28 August 2021.

Autoresuscitation after circulatory arrest: an updated systematic review

PURPOSE

Current practice in organ donation after death determination by circulatory criteria (DCD) advises a five-minute observation period following circulatory arrest, monitoring for unassisted resumption of spontaneous circulation (i.e., autoresuscitation). In light of newer data, the objective of this updated systematic review was to determine whether a five-minute observation time was still adequate for death determination by circulatory criteria.

SOURCE

We searched four electronic databases from inception to 28 August 2021, for studies evaluating or describing autoresuscitation events after circulatory arrest. Citation screening and data abstraction were conducted independently and in duplicate. We assessed certainty in evidence using the GRADE framework.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

Eighteen new studies on autoresuscitation were identified, consisting of 14 case reports and four observational studies. Most studies evaluated adults (n = 15, 83%) and patients with unsuccessful resuscitation following cardiac arrest (n = 11, 61%). Overall, autoresuscitation was reported to occur between one and 20 min after circulatory arrest. Among all eligible studies identified by our reviews (n = 73), seven observational studies were identified. In observational studies of controlled withdrawal of life-sustaining measures with or without DCD (n = 6), 19 autoresuscitation events were reported in 1,049 patients (incidence 1.8%; 95% confidence interval, 1.1 to 2.8). All resumptions occurred within five minutes of circulatory arrest and all patients with autoresuscitation died.

CONCLUSION

A five-minute observation time is sufficient for controlled DCD (moderate certainty). An observation time greater than five minutes may be needed for uncontrolled DCD (low certainty). The findings of this systematic review will be incorporated into a Canadian guideline on death determination.

STUDY REGISTRATION

PROSPERO (CRD42021257827); registered 9 July 2021.

Death determination by neurologic criteria-what do families understand?

PURPOSE

Currently, there is little empirical data on family understanding about brain death and death determination. The purpose of this study was to describe family members' (FMs') understanding of brain death and the process of determining death in the context of organ donation in Canadian intensive care units (ICUs).

METHODS

We conducted a qualitative study using semistructured, in-depth interviews with FMs who were asked to make an organ donation decision on behalf of adult or pediatric patients with death determination by neurologic criteria (DNC) in Canadian ICUs.

RESULTS

From interviews with 179 FMs, six main themes emerged: 1) state of mind, 2) communication, 3) DNC may be counterintuitive, 4) preparation for the DNC clinical assessment, 5) DNC clinical assessment, and 6) time of death. Recommendations on how clinicians can help FMs to understand and accept DNC through communication at key moments were described including preparing FMs for death determination, allowing FMs to be present, and explaining the legal time of death, combined with multimodal strategies. For many FMs, understanding of DNC unfolded over time, facilitated with repeated encounters and explanation, rather than during a single meeting.

CONCLUSION

Family members' understanding of brain death and death determination represented a journey that they reported in sequential meeting with health care providers, most notably physicians. Modifiable factors to improve communication and bereavement outcomes during DNC include attention to the state of mind of the family, pacing and repeating discussions according to families' expressed understanding, and preparing and inviting families to be present for the clinical determination including apnea testing. We have provided family-generated recommendations that are pragmatic and can be easily implemented.

Variability in criteria for death determination in the intensive care unit

PURPOSE

Variability in practice exists in death determination by circulatory criteria in the context of organ donation. We sought to describe the practices of intensive care health care professionals for death determination by circulatory criteria with and without organ donation.

METHODS

This study is a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data. We included patients with death determination by circulatory criteria in intensive care units at 16 hospitals in Canada, three in the Czech Republic, and one in the Netherlands. Results were recorded using a checklist for the determination of death questionnaire.

RESULTS

A total of 583 patients had their death determination checklist reviewed for statistical analysis. The mean (standard deviation) age in years was 64 (15). Three hundred and fourteen (54.0%) patients were from Canada, 230 (39.5%) were from the Czech Republic, and 38 (6.5%) were from the Netherlands. Fifty-two (8.9%) patients proceeded with donation after death determination by circulatory criteria (DCD). The most common diagnostic tests reported for the whole group were absent heart sounds by auscultation (81.8%), flat continuous arterial blood pressure (ABP) tracing (77.0%), and flat electrocardiogram tracing (73.2%). In patients who successfully underwent DCD (N = 52), death was determined most frequently using a flat continuous ABP tracing (94%), absent pulse oximetry (85%), and absent palpable pulse (77%).

CONCLUSION

In this study, we have described practices for death determination by circulatory criteria both within and between countries. Though some variability exists, we are reassured that appropriate criteria are almost always used in the context of organ donation. In particular, the use of continuous ABP monitoring in DCD was consistent. It highlights the need for standardization of practice and up to date guidelines, especially within the context of DCD where there is both an ethical and a legal requirement to adhere to the dead donor rule, while minimizing time between death determination and organ procurement.

Diagnostic test accuracy for cessation of circulation during death determination: a systematic review

PURPOSE

To synthesize the available evidence comparing noninvasive methods of measuring the cessation of circulation in patients who are potential organ donors undergoing death determination by circulatory criteria (DCC) with the current accepted standard of invasive arterial blood pressure (IAP) monitoring.

SOURCE

We searched (from inception until 27 April 2021) MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. We screened citations and manuscripts independently and in duplicate for eligible studies that compared noninvasive methodologies assessing circulation in patients who were monitored around a period of cessation of circulation. We performed risk of bias assessment, data abstraction, and quality assessment using Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation in duplicate and independently. We presented findings narratively.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

We included 21 eligible studies (N = 1,177 patients). Meta-analysis was not possible because of study heterogeneity. We identified low quality evidence from four indirect studies (n = 89) showing pulse palpation is less sensitive and specific than IAP (reported sensitivity range, 0.76-0.90; specificity, 0.41-0.79). Isoelectric electrocardiogram (ECG) had excellent specificity for death (two studies; 0% [0/510]), but likely increases the average time to death determination (moderate quality evidence). We are uncertain whether point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) pulse check, cerebral near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), or POCUS cardiac motion assessment are accurate tests for the determination of circulatory cessation (very low-quality evidence).

CONCLUSION

There is insufficient evidence that ECG, POCUS pulse check, cerebral NIRS, or POCUS cardiac motion assessment are superior or equivalent to IAP for DCC in the setting of organ donation. Isoelectric ECG is specific but can increase the time needed to determine death. Point-of-care ultrasound techniques are emerging therapies with promising initial data but are limited by indirectness and imprecision.

STUDY REGISTRATION

PROSPERO (CRD42021258936); first submitted 16 June 2021.

Quality improvement tools to manage deceased organ donation processes: a scoping review

OBJECTIVE

To collate and summarise the literature on the quality improvement tools that have been developed for deceased organ donation processes after circulatory determination of death and neurological determination of death.

DESIGN

Scoping review using the Joanna Briggs Institute framework.

DATA SOURCES

We searched for published (MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Web of Science) and unpublished literature (organ donation organisation websites worldwide). The search was initially conducted on 17 July 2021 and updated on 1 June 2022. Included articles discussed the creation and/or use of quality improvement tools to manage deceased organ donation processes. Two independent reviewers screened the references, extracted and analysed the data.

RESULTS

40 references were included in this review, and most records were written in English (n=38), originated in Canada (n=21), published between 2016 and 2022 (n=22), and were specific for donation after neurological determination of death (n=20). The tools identified included checklists, algorithms, flow charts, charts, pathways, decision tree maps and mobile apps. These tools were applied in the following phases of the organ donation process: (1) potential donor identification, (2) donor referral, (3) donor assessment and risk, (4) donor management, (5) withdrawal of life-sustaining measures, (6) death determination, (7) organ retrieval and (8) overall organ donation process.

CONCLUSIONS

We conducted a thorough investigation of the available quality improvement tools for deceased organ donation processes. The existing evidence lacks details in the report of methods used for development, testing and impact of these tools, and we could not locate tools specific for some phases of the organ donation process. Lastly, by mapping existing tools, we aim to facilitate both clinician choices among available tools, as well as research work building on existing knowledge.

Outcomes from organ donation following medical assistance in dying: A scoping review

AIM

To collate and summarize the current international literature on the transplant recipient outcomes of organs from Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) donors, as well as the actual and potential impact of organ donation following MAiD on the donation and transplantation system.

BACKGROUND

The provision of organ donation following MAiD can impact the donation and transplantation system, as well as potential recipients of organs from the MAiD donor, therefore a comprehensive understanding of the potential and actual impact of organ donation after MAiD on the donation and transplantation systems is needed.

DESIGN

Scoping review using the JBI framework.

METHODS

We searched for published (MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and Academic Search Complete), and unpublished literature (organ donation organization websites worldwide). Included references discussed the actual and potential impact of organ donation following MAiD on the donation and transplantation system. All references were screened, extracted and analysed by two independent reviewers.

RESULTS

We included 78 references in this review and our finding were summarized across three categories: (1) Impact in the donor pool: (2) statistics on organ donation following MAiD; and (3) potential and actual impact of MAiD on the donation and transplant system.

CONCLUSIONS

The potential impact of the MAiD donor on the transplant waiting list is relatively small as this process is still rare, however, due to the current organ shortage worldwide the contribution of this procedure should not be disregarded. Additionally, despite being limited, the existing research provided scanty evidence that organs retrieved from MAiD donors are associated with satisfactory graft function and survival rates and that outcomes from transplant recipients are comparable to those of organs from donation following brain death and may be better than those of organs from other types of donation after circulatory determined death. Still, further studies are required for comprehensive and reliable evidence.

Cerebral cortical activity after withdrawal of life-sustaining measures in critically ill patients

Establishing when cerebral cortical activity stops relative to circulatory arrest during the dying process will enhance trust in donation after circulatory determination of death. We used continuous electroencephalography and arterial blood pressure monitoring prior to withdrawal of life sustaining measures and for 30 min following circulatory arrest to explore the temporal relationship between cessation of cerebral cortical activity and circulatory arrest. Qualitative and quantitative EEG analyses were completed. Among 140 screened patients, 52 were eligible, 15 were enrolled, 11 completed the full study, and 8 (3 female, median age 68 years) were included in the analysis. Across participants, EEG activity stopped at a median of 78 (Q1 = -387, Q3 = 111) seconds before circulatory arrest. Following withdrawal of life sustaining measures there was a progressive reduction in electroencephalographic amplitude (p = .002), spectral power (p = .008), and coherence (p = .003). Prospective recording of cerebral cortical activity in imminently dying patients is feasible. Our results from this small cohort suggest that cerebral cortical activity does not persist after circulatory arrest. Confirmation of these findings in a larger multicenter study are needed to help promote stakeholder trust in donation after circulatory determination of death.

Family experiences with non-therapeutic research on dying patients in the intensive care unit

Experiences of substitute decision-makers with requests for consent to non-therapeutic research participation during the dying process, including to what degree such requests are perceived as burdensome, have not been well described. In this study, we explored the lived experiences of family members who consented to non-therapeutic research participation on behalf of an imminently dying patient.We interviewed 33 family members involved in surrogate research consent decisions for dying patients in intensive care. Non-therapeutic research involved continuous physiological monitoring of dying patients prior to and for 30 min following cessation of circulation. At some study centres participation involved installation of bedside computers. At one centre electroencephalogram monitoring was used with a subset of participants. Aside from additional monitoring, the research protocol did not involve deviations from usual end-of-life care.Thematic analysis of interviews suggests most family members did not perceive this minimal-risk, non-therapeutic study to affect their time with patients during the dying process, nor did they perceive research consent as an additional burden. In our analysis, consenting for participation in perimortem research offered families of the dying an opportunity to affirm the intrinsic value of patients' lives and contributions. This opportunity may be particularly important for families of patients who consented to organ donation but did not proceed to organ retrieval.Our work supports concerns that traditional models of informed consent fail to account for possible benefits and harms of perimortem research to surviving families. Further research into consent models which integrate patient and family perspectives is needed.

Paediatric death after withdrawal of life-sustaining therapies: a scoping review protocol

INTRODUCTION

The physiology of dying after withdrawal of life-sustaining measures (WLSM) is not well described in children. This lack of knowledge makes predicting the duration of the dying process difficult. For families, not knowing this process's duration interferes with planning of rituals related to dying, travel for distant relatives and emotional strain during the wait for death. Time-to-death also impacts end-of-life care and determines whether a child will be eligible for donation after circulatory determination of death. This scoping review will summarise the current literature about what is known about the dying process in children after WLSM in paediatric intensive care units (PICUs).

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

This review will use Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for scoping reviews. Databases searched will include Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials via EBM Reviews Ovid, Ovid PsycINFO, CINAHL and Web of Science. Literature reporting on the physiology of dying process after WLSM, or tools that predict time of death in children after WLSM among children aged 0-18 years in PICUs worldwide will be considered. Literature describing the impact of prediction or timing of death after WLSM on families, healthcare workers and the organ donation process will also be included. Quantitative and qualitative studies will be evaluated. Two independent reviewers will screen references by title and abstract, and then by full text, and complete data extraction and analysis.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The review uses published data and does not require ethics review. Review results will be published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.

PP37 Examining the potential for uncontrolled organ donation after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in Canada – a sub analysis of the canROC registry

Background

In 2020, there were 4,352 people waiting for organ transplantation in Canada. A rise in demand has led to national exploration of non-traditional pathways for organ donation to increase the potential pool of donors and subsequent transplant recipients. Donation after Cardiac Death (DCD) has become a promising option across Canada and in other jurisdictions worldwide. One unexplored aspect to uncontrolled DCD (uDCD) in Canada is the inclusion of patients who suffer an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) into the pool of potential donors, of which there are an estimated 40,000 each year in Canada. The primary objective of this study is to quantify the potential pool of donors that would be eligible for uDCD subsequent to OHCA. This will allow us to understand how many potential donors are being missed when treated, but not transported after an OHCA.

Methods

A retrospective observational cohort study will be undertaken, using pre-existing data from the Canadian Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium (CanROC) registry, a pan- Canadian registry that collects prospective OHCA data. Consecutive OHCA cases from January 1, 2016 - December 31, 2018 meeting inclusion criteria will be included.

Results

Descriptive analysis will be used to examine patient and event characteristics, and determine the proportion of patients who meet the indication for uDCD. Results will be reported as mean (standard deviation [SD]) or median (interquartile range [IQR]) for continuous variables and frequency (%) for categorical variables.

Conclusions

Preliminary literature review suggests uDCD subsequent to OHCA is a viable opportunity to increase the donor pool in Canada. Presently, there is a lack of understanding of this pool of potential donors, and no programs exist in Canada to recruit from this population. In order to determine if pursuing uDCD subsequent to OHCA to improve organ donation rates is worthwhile, we must first quantify its potential.

Understanding organ donation processes and structures in ontario: A social network analysis approach

BACKGROUND

Transplant rates in Ontario rose steeply in the decade prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Reasons for that increase remain unclear, but the inter-organizational arrangement of organ donation programs may have contributed. However, there is a paucity of literature investigating these inter-organizational arrangements, with a limited understanding of how communication facilitates organ donation. Understanding these arrangements may help to re-establish rising organ donation rates post-pandemic.

OBJECTIVE

To describe interprofessional interactions of Organ and Tissue Donation Coordinators (OTDCs) during organ donation cases, within organ donation programs in Ontario, from an organizational perspective (describing structure, context, process).

METHODS

Mixed-method social network analysis (SNA) approach analyzing 14 organ donation cases just before the COVID-19 pandemic.

RESULTS

Structure: Social network graphs depict the joint work performed by hospital staff and OTDCs, with a great part of the communication being processed through the OTDC.

CONTEXT

Network density ranged from 0.05 to 0.24 across cases, and health care professionals perceived an atmosphere of shared vision and trust among team members.

PROCESS

Most networks had a degree centralization <0.50 suggesting a decentralized information flow, and participants perceived decisions being jointly made. The characteristic path length of cases ranged from 1.6 to 3.2, suggesting potential for rapid information diffusion. Overall, data reinforced the OTDC role of intermediator within the communication process, and hospital staff perceived OTDCs as central players. Hospital staff and OTDCs reported frustration with some aspects of the flow of information during the organ allocation processes.

CONCLUSION

Findings from this study provide a network map of communications within organ donation cases and reinforce the importance of the OTDC role. Opportunities for quality improvement within these processes are identified.

The experiences of family members of deceased organ donors and suggestions to improve the donation process: a qualitative study

Background:

Decisions about organ donation are stressful for family members of potential organ donors. We sought to comprehensively explore the donation process from interviews conducted with family members of patients admitted to pediatric and adult intensive care units in Canada.

Methods:

We conducted a qualitative study using semistructured, in-depth interviews with 271 family members asked to make an organ donation decision. We recruited participants from all provinces with an organ donation organization (n = 10), and analyzed themes using a modified grounded theory approach. On the basis of these interviews, suggestions were made by researchers and family members on how to improve the process of organ donation.

Results:

We identified 3 main themes and 9 subthemes. Families need more comprehensive support around the time of donation, including having access to someone with shared experiences, support during specific moments as needed and better support during critical transitions (e.g., when the donor body goes to the operating room). The theme of better connection to recipient(s) included receiving information about the donation surgery (e.g., which organs were recovered), establishing connection with recipients (e.g., via social networks or letters) and planned encounters. Support after donation, such as updates on organ transplantation, early mental health checks and continued connection to donor organizations, could be improved. We derived 20 suggestions for improving the organ donation process, derived from interviews with family members of pediatric and adult organ donors.

Interpretation:

We found gaps in family support during end-of-life and donation care. Feelings of abandonment, lack of support and poor-to-little follow-up provide the empirical findings needed for hospitals and organ donor organizations to provide better support to donor families.

Impact of Donation Physicians on Deceased Organ Donation: A Systematic Review

Background:

An emerging strategy to increase deceased organ donation is to use dedicated donation physicians to champion organ donation. We sought to conduct a systematic review of the effectiveness of donation physicians in improving organ donation outcomes.

Objective:

A systematic review was conducted following Cochrane principles. MEDLINE, Embase, and CINHAL databases were searched from inception to March 26, 2020.

Methods:

Quantitative studies examining the effects of donation physicians on all deceased organ donation outcomes were considered for inclusion. Review articles, editorials and opinion articles, and case studies were excluded. Study selection was completed independently by 2 team members; all discrepancies were resolved by consensus. Two team members independently extracted data from studies.

Results:

A total of 1017 studies were screened, and 12 met inclusion criteria. Included studies were published between 1994 and 2019. Half used an interrupted time series design (n = 6; 50%), 3 (25%) were cohort studies, and 3 (25%) used a before-and-after study design. Outcomes (reported in greater than 50% of included articles) included consent/refusal rate (n = 8; 67%), number of potential donors (n = 7; 58%), and number of actual donors (n = 7; 58%). Across studies and design types, there was an increase in potential organ donors ranging from 8% to 143% (Mdn = 33%), an increase in actual organ donors from 15% to 113% (Mdn = 27%), an increase in donor consent rate from −3% to 258% (Mdn = 12%), and an increase in deceased donor transplants from 13% to 24% (Mdn = 19%) following the introduction of donation physicians.

Conclusions:

Donation physicians have the potential to significantly improve deceased organ donation. Further implementation and evaluation of donation physician programs is warranted. However, implementation should be undertaken with a clear plan for a methodologically rigorous evaluation of outcomes.

Clinical evaluation and ancillary testing for the diagnosis of death by neurologic criteria: a cross-sectional survey of Canadian intensivists

PURPOSE

Trust in the deceased organ donation process relies on the expectation that the diagnosis of death by neurologic criteria (DNC) is accurate and reliable. The objective of this study was to assess the perceptions and approaches to DNC diagnosis among Canadian intensivists.

METHODS

We conducted a self-administered, online, cross-sectional survey of Canadian intensivists. Our sampling frame included all intensivists practicing in Canadian institutions. Results are reported using descriptive statistics.

RESULTS

Among 550 identified intensivists, 249 (45%) completed the survey. Respondents indicated they would be comfortable diagnosing DNC based on clinical criteria alone in cases where there is movement in response to stimulation (119/248; 48%); inability to evaluate upper/lower extremity responses (84/249; 34%); spontaneous peripheral movement (76/249; 31%); inability to evaluate both oculocephalic and oculo-caloric reflexes (40/249; 16%); presence of high cervical spinal cord injury (40/249; 16%); and within 24 hr of hypoxemic-ischemic brain injury (38/247; 15%). Most respondents agreed that an ancillary test should always be conducted when a complete clinical evaluation is impossible (225/241; 93%); when there is possibility of a residual sedative effect (216/242; 89%); when the mechanism for brain injury is unclear (172/241; 71%); and if isolated brainstem injury is suspected (142/242; 59%). Sixty-six percent (158/241) believed that ancillary tests are sensitive and 55% (132/241) that they are specific for DNC. Respondents considered the following ancillary tests useful for DNC: four-vessel conventional angiography (211/241; 88%), nuclear imaging (179/240; 75%), computed tomography (CT) angiography (156/240; 65%), and CT perfusion (134/240; 56%).

CONCLUSION

There is variability in perceptions and approaches to DNC diagnosis among Canadian intensivists, and some practices are inconsistent with national recommendations.

Facteurs qui influent sur le consentement au don d’organes : étude rétrospective basée dans la population

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Organ donation after medical assistance in dying: a scoping review protocol

OBJECTIVE

This scoping review will collate and summarize the current literature on what is known worldwide about organ donation following medical assistance in dying. The information gathered will be used to inform updates of current and future policies on organ donation following medical assistance in dying in Canada.

INTRODUCTION

Medical assistance in dying is a controversial and contentious issue worldwide. While more countries are legalizing medical assistance in this regard, very few allow organ donation after such assistance has been given. At present, Canada, Belgium, and The Netherlands are the only three countries that permit this procedure. This scoping review will be conducted to summarize the current state of evidence and practices regarding organ donation following medical assistance in dying.

INCLUSION CRITERIA

This review will consider articles and documents on individuals who choose organ donation following medical assistance in dying. Articles will be considered for inclusion if they explore organ donation following medical assistance in dying at home or in any health care setting in any country. Quantitative and qualitative studies, text and opinion papers, gray literature, and unpublished materials provided by researchers will be considered for inclusion.

METHODS

This review will be conducted in accordance with the JBI methodology for scoping reviews. Published and unpublished materials will be included. Databases will include MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Web of Science - Science Citation Index and Social Science Citation Index, and Academic Search Complete. Relevant gray literature and materials from organ donation organizations will be included. Two independent reviewers will screen all material, extract data, and complete the descriptive examination.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Findings Are Associated with Long-Term Global Neurological Function or Death after Traumatic Brain Injury in Critically Ill Children

The identification of children with traumatic brain injury (TBI) who are at risk of death or poor global neurological functional outcome remains a challenge. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can detect several brain pathologies that are a result of TBI; however, the types and locations of pathology that are the most predictive remain to be determined. Forty-two critically ill children with TBI were recruited prospectively from pediatric intensive care units at five Canadian children's hospitals. Pathologies detected on subacute phase MRIs included cerebral hematoma, herniation, cerebral laceration, cerebral edema, midline shift, and the presence and location of cerebral contusion or diffuse axonal injury (DAI) in 28 regions of interest were assessed. Global functional outcome or death more than 12 months post-injury was assessed using the Pediatric Cerebral Performance Category score. Linear modeling was employed to evaluate the utility of an MRI composite score for predicting long-term global neurological function or death after injury, and nonlinear Random Forest modeling was used to identify which MRI features have the most predictive utility. A linear predictive model of favorable versus unfavorable long-term outcomes was significantly improved when an MRI composite score was added to clinical variables. Nonlinear Random Forest modeling identified five MRI variables as stable predictors of poor outcomes: presence of herniation, DAI in the parietal lobe, DAI in the subcortical white matter, DAI in the posterior corpus callosum, and cerebral contusion in the anterior temporal lobe. Clinical MRI has prognostic value to identify children with TBI at risk of long-term unfavorable outcomes.

Burnout, compassion fatigue and work-related stressors among organ donation and transplantation coordinators: A qualitative study

AIM

Organ and Tissue Donation Coordinators (OTDCs) are healthcare professionals who manage deceased organ donation cases. This study investigated the experiences and perceptions of OTDCs, pertaining to compassion fatigue, burnout, and resilience as it relates to their daily work.

METHODOLOGY

A qualitative descriptive study was undertaken using semi-structured interviews conducted with a convenience sample of OTDCs.

SETTING

A Canadian Organ Donation Organization.

FINDINGS

Seven out of the ten OTDCs contacted participated in this study. Coordinators all agreed that they work in a high-pressure and demanding environment and the constant exposure to work-related stress and grief has resulted in the majority of them experiencing signs and symptoms of burnout and compassion fatigue occurring throughout their career. Participants described that the emotional toll of work-related stressors and difficult cases led them to use a variety of defence strategies to protect and support their well-being. They also recognised that more strategies to help mitigate work-related stressors and to prevent burnout and compassion fatigue are needed and that management and institutions should lead the development of such interventions.

CONCLUSION

Our results describe how coordinators' mental health is affected by their daily work. Further research is needed to comprehensively examine these work-related stressors and to generate additional data to support the development of interventions to mitigate burnout and compassion fatigue among OTDCs.

The variable impact of the overdose crisis on organ donation among five Canadian provinces: a retrospective study

BACKGROUND

While most overdose deaths in Canada occur in the community, some patients are resuscitated, admitted to intensive care units having sustained severe anoxic brain injury, and have the potential to be organ donors. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of the overdose crisis on organ donation in selected Canadian provinces.

METHODS

We obtained data on the total number of organ donors and those dying because of overdose in five Canadian provinces from 2014 to 2018. We also obtained data for January-June 2019 for four of five provinces (Quebec excepted). We accessed federal and provincial data on the number of overdose deaths and compared the proportion of organ donors who died of an overdose both over time and between provinces. The number of organ transplants resulting from donors dying of an overdose from three provinces was also determined.

RESULTS

From 2014 to 2017, there was a 35% increase (554 to 747) in total deceased organ donors but a 294% increase (31 to 122) in organ donors dying of an overdose. While the proportion of organ donors dying from an overdose increased overall, this varied from 35% (42 of 121) in British Columbia to < 5% in both Quebec (9 of 182) and Nova Scotia (< 2 of 16). There were 1,043 organ transplants resulting from organ donors dying of overdose in BC, Ontario and Alberta although only 2.5-3.5% (297 of 10,858) of those dying of an overdose became organ donors.

CONCLUSIONS

There has been an increase in organ donors dying from drug overdose in Canada. Regional variation mirrors differences in total opiate-related death.

Burnout and compassion fatigue among organ donation coordinators: a scoping review protocol

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this review is to develop a comprehensive description of burnout and compassion fatigue, including risk/protective factors, among organ and tissue donation coordinators worldwide.

INTRODUCTION

Research on turnover rates among organ and tissue donation coordinators has shown that job tenure generally lasts less than three years, a possible consequence of burnout and compassion fatigue. Increased turnover rates of organ and tissue donation coordinators have significant impact on the ability of ODOs to optimize organ donation. This current scoping review will help inform understanding of the nature of burnout and compassion fatigue in this population as well as the available strategies for managing it.

INCLUSION CRITERIA

Articles examining health care professionals working as organ and tissue donation coordinators, with the main concepts of interest being burnout and/or compassion fatigue, will be considered. Articles within the context of organ and tissue donation coordinators in acute care settings at any part of the organ donation process will also be considered for inclusion in this review. Quantitative and qualitative studies, text and opinion papers, unpublished material (eg, unpublished research data, reports, institutional protocols, government documents) provided by researchers in the organ donation field worldwide will also be examined for possible inclusion.

METHODS

The scoping review will be performed in accordance with JBI methodology. Published and unpublished papers from 1980 to the present will be searched. Databases will include MEDLINE (Ovid), CINAHL, Embase, LILACS, PsycINFO, and PTSDpubs, while appropriate gray literature will be searched. Two reviewers will screen the papers according to predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, extract data for specific variables, and perform descriptive examination.

Family veto in organ donation: the experiences of Organ and Tissue Donation Coordinators in Ontario

PURPOSE

In Ontario, an individual's registered wish for organ donation is legally valid consent following death. Family veto occurs when the deceased donor's substitute decision-maker (SDM) overrides this consent to donate, evoking a legal and ethical conflict. The objective of this study was to examine the experiences of Organ and Tissue Donation Coordinators (OTDCs) working with SDMs who vetoed a deceased donor's consent for organ donation.

METHODS

Qualitative focus groups were conducted with ten OTDCs in Ontario, Canada who reported experience with family veto. An interpretative phenomenological approach informed data analysis. Themes emerged through team consensus and were further refined through collaborative and reflexive engagement.

RESULTS

Four themes emerged regarding family veto: 1) the significance of the OTDC role, 2) emotional distress and the "understandable" family veto, 3) barriers contributing to family veto, and 4) strategies towards a culture of organ donation. Findings highlighted the importance of patient advocacy in the OTDC role, while revealing the emotional distress of experiencing family veto. OTDCs identified timing and healthcare providers' perceived ambivalence toward organ donation as critical barriers to family authorization. Value-positive language, role reframing, and increased education were offered as strategies to address these barriers and reduce family veto.

CONCLUSION

This study highlights important considerations about organ donation authorization processes in Ontario. Findings support practice changes towards reducing family veto and further research nationally. Collaborations with key stakeholders are warranted to align healthcare practices, donation policies, and education initiatives towards a shared goal of increasing organ donation.

Defining Quality Criteria for Success in Organ Donation Programs: A Scoping Review

Background

Well-established performance measures for organ donation programs do not fully address the complexity and multifactorial nature of organ donation programs such as the influence of relationships and organizational attributes.

Objective

To synthesize the current evidence on key organizational attributes and processes of international organ donation programs associated with successful outcomes and to generate a framework to categorize those attributes.

Design

Scoping Review using a mixed methods approach for data extraction.

Setting

Databases included PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, LILACS, ABI Business ProQuest, Business Source Premier, and gray literature (organ donation association websites, Google Scholar-first 8 pages), and searches for gray literature were performed, and relevant websites were perused.

Sample

Organ donation programs or processes.

Methods

We systematically searched the literature to identify any research design, including text and opinion papers and unpublished material (research data, reports, institutional protocols, government documents, etc). Searches were completed on January 2018, updated it in May 2019, and lastly in March 2020. Title, abstracts, and full texts were screened independently by 2 reviewers with disagreements resolved by a third. Data extraction followed a mixed method approach in which we extracted specific details about study characteristics such as type of research, year of publication, origin/country of study, type of journal published, and key findings. Studies included considered definitions and descriptions of success in organ donation programs in any country by considering studies that described (1) attributes associated with success or effectiveness, (2) organ donation processes, (3) quality improvement initiatives, (4) definitions of organ donation program effectiveness, (5) evidence-based practices in organ donation, and (6) improvements or success in such programs. We tabulated the type and frequency of the presence or absence of reported improvement quality indicators and used a qualitative thematic analysis approach to synthesize results.

Results

A total of 84 articles were included. Quantitative analysis identified that most of the included articles originated from the United States (n = 32, 38%), used quantitative approaches (n = 46, 55%), and were published in transplant journals (n = 34, 40.5%). Qualitative analysis revealed 16 categories that were described as positively influencing success/effectiveness of organ donation programs. Our thematic analysis identified 16 attributes across the 84 articles, which were grouped into 3 categories influencing organ donation programs' success: context (n = 39, 46%), process (n = 48, 57%), and structural (n = 59, 70%).

Limitations

Consistent with scoping review methodology, the methodological quality of included studies was not assessed.

Conclusions

This scoping review identified a number of factors that led to successful outcomes. However, those factors were rarely studied in combination representing a gap in the literature. Therefore, we suggest the development and reporting of primary research investigating and measuring those attributes associated with the performance of organ donation programs holistically.

Trial Registration

Not applicable.

Requests for somatic support after neurologic death determination: Canadian physician experiences

PURPOSE

Neurologic determination of death (NDD) is legally accepted as death in Canada but remains susceptible to misunderstandings. In some cases, families request continued organ support after NDD. Conflicts can escalate to formal legal challenges, causing emotional, financial, and moral distress for all involved. We describe prevalence, characteristics, and common experiences with requests for continued organ support following NDD in Canada.

METHODS

Mixed-methods design combining anonymous online survey with semi-structured interviews of Canadian critical care physicians (448 practitioners, adult and pediatric).

RESULTS

One hundred and six physicians responded to the survey and 12 participated in an interview. Fifty-two percent (55/106) of respondents had encountered a request for continued organ support after NDD within two years, 47% (26/55) of which involved threat of legal action. Requests for continued support following NDD ranged from appeals for time for family to gather before ventilator removal to disagreement with the concept of NDD. Common responses to requests included: consultation with an additional physician (54%), consultation with spiritual services (41%), and delay of one to three days for NDD acceptance (49%). Respondents with prior experience were less likely to recommend ancillary tests (P = 0.004) or consultation with bioethics services (P = 0.004). Qualitative analysis revealed perceptions that requests for continued organ support were driven by mistrust, tensions surrounding decision-making, and cultural differences rather than a lack of specific information about NDD.

CONCLUSIONS

Family requests for continued somatic support following NDD were encountered by half our sample of Canadian critical care physicians. Mitigation strategies require attention to the multifaceted social contexts surrounding these complex scenarios.

Resumption of Cardiac Activity after Withdrawal of Life-Sustaining Measures

BACKGROUND

The minimum duration of pulselessness required before organ donation after circulatory determination of death has not been well studied.

METHODS

We conducted a prospective observational study of the incidence and timing of resumption of cardiac electrical and pulsatile activity in adults who died after planned withdrawal of life-sustaining measures in 20 intensive care units in three countries. Patients were intended to be monitored for 30 minutes after determination of death. Clinicians at the bedside reported resumption of cardiac activity prospectively. Continuous blood-pressure and electrocardiographic (ECG) waveforms were recorded and reviewed retrospectively to confirm bedside observations and to determine whether there were additional instances of resumption of cardiac activity.

RESULTS

A total of 1999 patients were screened, and 631 were included in the study. Clinically reported resumption of cardiac activity, respiratory movement, or both that was confirmed by waveform analysis occurred in 5 patients (1%). Retrospective analysis of ECG and blood-pressure waveforms from 480 patients identified 67 instances (14%) with resumption of cardiac activity after a period of pulselessness, including the 5 reported by bedside clinicians. The longest duration after pulselessness before resumption of cardiac activity was 4 minutes 20 seconds. The last QRS complex coincided with the last arterial pulse in 19% of the patients.

CONCLUSIONS

After withdrawal of life-sustaining measures, transient resumption of at least one cycle of cardiac activity after pulselessness occurred in 14% of patients according to retrospective analysis of waveforms; only 1% of such resumptions were identified at the bedside. These events occurred within 4 minutes 20 seconds after a period of pulselessness. (Funded by the Canadian Institutes for Health Research and others.).

Burnout and compassion fatigue among organ and tissue donation coordinators: a scoping review

OBJECTIVES

To collate and synthesise available literature on burnout and compassion fatigue (CF) among organ and tissue donation coordinators (OTDCs) and to respond to the research question: what is known about burnout and CF among OTDCs worldwide?

DESIGN

Scoping review using Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for scoping reviews.

DATA SOURCES

Medline, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, LILACS, PTSpubs and grey literature (ResearchGate, OpenGrey, Organ Donation Organization (ODO) websites, open access theses and dissertations) up to April 2020.

STUDY SELECTION

Studies reporting aspects of burnout and CF among OTDCs, including risk and protective factors.

DATA EXTRACTION

Two reviewers independently screened the studies for eligibility and extracted data from chosen sources using a data extraction tool developed for this study; NVIVO was used to perform a qualitative directed content analysis.

RESULTS

The searches yielded 741 potentially relevant records, of which 29 met the inclusion criteria. The majority of articles were from the USA (n=7, 24%), Canada (n=6, 21%) and Brazil (n=6, 21%), published between 2013 and 2020 (n=13, 45%) in transplant journals (n=11, 38%) and used a qualitative design approach (n=12, 41%). In the thematic analysis, we classified the articles into five categories: (1) burnout characteristics, (2) CF characteristics, (3) coping strategies, (4) protective factors and (5) ambivalence.

CONCLUSION

We identified aspects of burnout and CF among OTDCs, including defining characteristics, demographic predispositions, protective factors, coping strategies, precursors, consequences and personal ambivalences. Researchers described burnout and CF characteristics but did not use consistent terms when referring to CF and burnout, which may have hindered the identification of all relevant sources. This gap should be addressed by the application of consistent terminology, systematic approaches and appropriate research methods that combine quantitative and qualitative investigation to examine the underlying reasons for the development of burnout and CF among OTDCs.

Survey of Canadian critical care physicians' knowledge and attitudes towards legislative aspects of the deceased organ donation system

PURPOSE

We surveyed Canadian critical care physicians who may care for patients who are potential organ donors to understand their attitudes and knowledge of legislation governing the deceased organ donation system.

METHODS

We used a web-based, self-administered survey that included questions related to opt-out consent and mandatory referral legislation. Potential participants were identified through membership lists of professional societies and manual searches. We designed our survey using standardized methods and administered it in February and March 2018.

RESULTS

Fifty percent (263/529) of potential participants completed the questionnaire. A majority (61%; 144/235) supported a change towards an opt-out consent model, and 77% (181/235) stated they believe it would increase donation rates. Asked if opt-out consent would change their practices, 71% (166/235) stated an opt-out model would not change how or if they approach families to discuss donation. Fifty-six percent (139/249) supported mandatory referral laws, while only 42% (93/219) of those working in provinces with mandatory referral correctly stated that such laws exist in their province. Respondents gave variable responses on who should be accountable when patients are not referred, and 16% (40/249) believed no one should be held accountable.

CONCLUSIONS

While a majority of critical care physicians supported opt-out consent and mandatory referral, many were neutral or against it. Many were unaware of existing laws and had variable opinions on how to ensure accountability. Efforts to increase understanding of how legislative models influence practice are required for any law to achieve its desired effect.