Thyroid hormone therapy and procurement of livers from brain-dead donors

• Published in: Endocrine research Vol. 41; no. 3; pp. 270 - 273
• Main Authors: Novitzky, Dimitri, Mi, Zhibao, Videla, Luis A., Collins, Joseph F., Cooper, David K. C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Taylor & Francis 02.07.2016
• Subjects: Anti-diuretic hormone; brain death; Brain Death - metabolism; Hormone Replacement Therapy; Humans; insulin; levothyroxine; Liver Transplantation; organ donors; Retrospective Studies; Thyroid Hormones - administration & dosage; Thyroid Hormones - metabolism; Tissue and Organ Procurement; triiodothyronine; brain death; levothyroxine; organ donors; insulin; triiodothyronine; Anti-diuretic hormone
• ISSN: 0743-5800; 1532-4206; 1532-4206
• DOI: 10.3109/07435800.2015.1111902

Hormonal therapy to brain-dead potential organ donors remains controversial. A retrospective study was carried out of hormonal therapy on procurement of organs in 63,593 donors in whom information on T 3 /T 4 therapy was available. In 40,124 donors, T 3 /T 4 and all other hormonal therapy was recorded. The percentages of all organs procured, except livers, were greater in T 3 /T 4 -treated donors. Nevertheless, if T 3 /T 4 therapy had been administered to the donor, liver transplantation was associated with significantly increased graft and recipient survival at 1 month and 12 months. The potential reasons for the lack of effect of T 3 /T 4 therapy on the number of livers procured are discussed.