Extended Criteria Liver Donation and Transplant Recipient Consent: The European Experience

The organization known as ELPAT (Ethical, Legal and Psychological Aspects of Organ Transplantation) coordinated the distribution of an electronic questionnaire concerning the definition of extended criteria liver donation (ECD) and the implication for informed consent of transplant recipients to European liver transplant centers. Completed questionnaires were received from 30 centers in 13 countries. Twenty-eight centers accepted ECD liver donors. The criteria for defining a liver donor as ECD were: steatosis in 24 centers (85%); age up to 80 years in 23 centers (82%); serum sodium levels higher than 165 mmol/L in 17 centers (60%); intensive care unit stay with ventilation longer than 7 days in 16 centers (57%); serum glutamic oxalo-acitic transaminase levels higher than 90 U/L in 12 centers (42%); body mass indeces more than 30 in 10 centers (35%); serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase levels higher than 105 U/L in 10 centers (35%); serum bilirubin levels higher than 3 mg/dL in 10 centers (35%); and other criteria in 13 centers (46%). Twenty-three centers informed the transplant candidate of the ECD status of the donor: 10 centers (43%) when the patient registered for transplantation, 3 centers (14%) when an ECD liver became available, and 10 centers (43%) on both occasions. Ten centers required the liver transplant candidate to sign a special consent form. Ten centers informed the potential recipient of the donor's serology. Only three centers informed the potential recipient of any high risk behavior of the donor.