Analysis of Donor Factors for Non–Heart-Beating Donors With Regard to Cadaveric Kidney Transplantation in the Western Region of Japan

Abstract Background Kidneys from non–heart-beating donors are thought to be marginal, and careful evaluation is required. Mass analyzed data are limited, and each transplant surgeon must evaluate these organs on the basis of their own experience. Methods We analyzed the data of 589 kidneys used for kidney transplantation from 304 non–heart-beating donors from January 2002 through December 2013 at the Japan Organ Transplant Network West Japan Division. The age of the donors, cause of death, and total ischemic time of more than 24 hours were factors that influenced the graft survival of the organs. Results On the other hand, the final serum creatinine level before donation (maximum, 12.4 mg/dL), the presence and duration of anuria (maximum, 92 hours), and the presence of cannulation did not influence the graft survival rate. Conclusions In multivariate analysis of Cox proportional hazards regression analysis, graft survival was significantly related to the age of the donor (over 70 years of age), cause of death (atherosclerotic disease), and total ischemic time of more than 24 hours.