Donation after Cardiac Death

Historically organ donation has only occurred after brain death. A small percentage of all hospital deaths result from a determination of neurological death (brain death). Some estimates are as small as 1.5-3%. Reliance on organ donation after brain death severely limits the availability of organs for transplant.

Formerly called Non-Heart-Beating Organ Donation (NHBD), organ donation after cardiac death (DCD) has been an end-of-life option for patients and families for more than thirty years in the USA and Europe.

Initially DCD had its limitations such as poor organ function for recipients. Donation after brain death (deceased donation) offered better outcomes. As a result DCD fell by the wayside and donation after brain death became the preferred method of organ recovery. The ongoing shortage of organs for transplantation has created a renewed interest in organ donation after cardiac death.

Organ donation after cardiac death is an option for families of patients who have decided to withdraw life support after a physician has determined that there is no long- term prognosis for recovery, and for those patients who do not meet the criteria for neurological death. After the decision has been made that the patient has no chance of survival and the family has decided to withdraw life support, the family is offered the option of organ donation after cardiac death.

For more information see the Trillium Gift of Life Network publication:

• Understanding Organ Donation After Cardiac Death (DCD)

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