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Photo: Thomas Trutschel / photothek / IMAGO
The number of organ donations fell massively in the first three months of this year.
After the number of organ donations had remained largely stable in the past year, they fell by 29 percent in the first quarter of 2022 compared to the same period last year, as the German Foundation for Organ Transplantation (DSO) announced on Friday in Frankfurt am Main.
According to the DSO, the burglary came unexpectedly.
One of the main reasons is obviously the high corona numbers at the beginning of the year.
From January to March, 176 people donated their organs - in the same period last year there were 249.
The number of organs removed after death fell from 778 to 562.
A total of 600 organs were transplanted in German transplant centers in the first quarter, which were placed with patients on the waiting lists via Eurotransplant.
That was 194 fewer transplants than in the previous year.
Staff shortage as a possible reason
"Against the background that every single organ counts and can save lives, we are facing a dramatic development for the approximately 8,500 patients on the waiting lists," said Axel Rahmel, Medical DSO Board Member.
The slump came completely unexpectedly, especially since, according to the DSO, Germany had come through the pandemic without major losses compared to most other countries.
The DSO cited the increasing number of Covid-19 cases at the beginning of the year and the associated increase in staff shortages in the intensive care units as a possible reason for the drastic downward trend in the number of organ donations.
There is a high probability that fewer organ donations were realized as a result than would have been possible under normal circumstances.
There was also less approval for organ donation.
The refusal of organ donation in acute situations in intensive care units increased by 11 percent.
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In addition, in more cases organ donations have been ruled out on the basis of medical findings, for example if a corona infection was found in patients as an incidental finding.
Until recently, people infected with corona were excluded from organ removal, according to the DSO.
In the meantime, however, international experience has shown that a donation is also possible with a positive corona finding under certain conditions.
Since March, organs from positive donors have therefore also been offered in the Eurotransplant network in individual cases.
The decision about the transplantation is then made after careful consideration of the benefits and risks for the recipient, who is informed accordingly.
According to the experts, another major reason for the slump was premature cardiovascular failure in potential donors, which makes organ donation impossible.
Cardiovascular collapse occurred in 44 percent more cases before brain death was determined.
Normally, the organs of a deceased donor are kept functional by intensive care measures until the operation.
In all of last year, 933 people donated at least one organ after their death.
The number of donors increased slightly by 2.2 percent, but at the same time the number of organs removed in Germany fell by 1.2 percent.
mar/dpa/AFP
