National Transplant Communications Network

A National Communications Network for cadaver kidney transplant sharing in the United States and Canada has been established and has been functional for 1 1/2 years. Currently, a total of 864 waiting recipients from 61 transplant centers are kept on the computerized file. Through this network a total of 215 kidneys have been exchanged; 40 kidneys originated from nontransplanting hospitals and 175 from transplant centers. This type of interhospital cooperation for the treatment of patients is a new development and is essential for the complete utilization of valuable organs and for the development and evaluation of histocompatibility methods in transplantation.