Does the deceased organ donors managed in hospital-based or in the independent donor care units affects the overall long-term outcomes in the heart transplant recipients? A retrospective study published in the Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation has found that whether deceased organ donors are managed in hospital-based or independent donor care units (DCUs) does not influence the likelihood of heart donation or the long-term survival of heart transplant recipients.

Researchers analyzed data from 9,830 adult donors after brain death between January 2019 and December 2022 across 21 U.S. regions with DCUs. Of these, 3,302 donors were managed in independent DCUs, 1,366 in hospital-based DCUs, and the rest in standard hospital settings. Heart donation rates were nearly identical between independent and hospital-based DCUs (40.9% vs. 40.4%), with no significant differences after adjusting for donor characteristics.

The study also examined 3,108 heart transplant recipients from the same donor pool. Four years after transplantation, survival times were comparable, i.e., 1,292 days and 1,276 days for independent DCU hearts and hospital-based DCU hearts, respectively. Adjusted analyses showed no significant difference in graft failure risk between the two DCU types.

Key Takeaways
Heart donation rates and long-term survival were similar between hospital-based and independent DCUs.