Intensive Care of the Multiorgan Donor

Abstract

Disruption of central feedback regulatory loops leads to specific symptoms at the onset of brain death. Without consistent intensive care, these may cause the death of all organs within a few hours. In order to ensure optimal organ functioning after transplantation, specific minimum requirements must be met in respect of the way in which the multiorgan donor is treated.Standardized guidelines on therapeutic measures and monitoring of the brain-dead patients that are based on the current literature and our own experience will be presented in this paper.