Tele-ICU enabled management of an organ donor in an under-resourced setting

Abstract

A man in his 30s was involved in a road traffic crash in a small town in India, not equipped to deal with cases of brainstem death. He was declared brain-dead after a few hours. The patient’s information was forwarded to organ specialists across the country, with the goal of preserving the patient’s organs for donation via a tele-ICU model. The team comprising bedside doctors and remote intensivists communicating via an indigenously developed tele-ICU platform managed the patient for 24 hours, following treatment protocols and providing critical care to ensure that the patient’s vital organs were optimally perfused. The following morning, specialist teams from a nearby city arrived at the local hospital to retrieve the patient’s organs. This fast-tracked organ retrieval and transplant process were made possible through advances in technology and the involvement of specialists from other parts of the country through this tele-ICU model.