Organ procurement management in COVID-19

Abstract

COVID-19 pandemic and the confusion of the world at the beginning of the epidemic affected many aspects of the life and health care. In this regard, organ donation as a vital approach for life saving in patients on the waiting list was influenced too. This essential treatment requires the provision of vital organs from the brain death cases, which is a sensitive, accurate and lengthy process. This process begins with the identification of Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) cases less than five and is followed by organ harvesting and assignment to waiting list patients. Organ donation and factors related to its process have been fluctuated during three specific time periods, including the first and second year of the epidemic with the year before the epidemic. This decrease in the number of donations has been felt worldwide and it has been reported that this number has decreased significantly even in the amount of blood donation. Numerous barriers to the treatment system during the epidemic, limitations of surgeries except in emergencies, asymptomatic patients, and many unknown aspects of the disease have shown that the policies and approaches of procurement centers need to be changed to continue efforts in this situation. New protocols (according to the needs of these days) should be developed and implemented according to the conditions ahead.