The use of organs from donation after circulatory death (DCD) donors is increasing in many countries. Donation after circulatory death, also known as donation after cardiac death or non–heart-beating donation, has become an established strategy to offer donation to more intensive care patients, expand the donor pool, and reduce the waiting list for transplantation [1]. Most DCD donors are patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) who die after withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment (controlled DCD [cDCD]) [2]. Organs from cDCD donors are subjected to a period of warm ischemia, the period between the cessation of circulation and the initiation of preservation measures, which adversely affects transplant outcome [3]. To minimize the warm ischemic damage, it is paramount to initiate organ preservation as soon as possible after the patient's death. A fundamental principle within the context of organ donation is the “dead-donor rule”: organs cannot be removed until death has been declared [4]. The determination of circulatory death and a subsequent obligatory no-touch period to ensure the permanent death are an essential part of cDCD [5]. However, in contrast to the criteria for brain death, which are generally well defined and accepted with clear protocols, clearly defined criteria for determination of circulatory death are so far not available [6].
A review of contemporary international guidelines shows the currently existing variability in the determination of death after cardiac arrest [7], resulting in an ongoing discussion about the determination of cardiac death within the context of organ donation [8], [9], [10] and [11]. The main issues identified relate to the irreversibility of the loss of cardiocirculatory function, the exact moment of death, and the concern about the possibility of spontaneous resumption of a cardiac rhythm after asystole with circulatory output, termed autoresuscitation (AR) [12], [13] and [14].
The primary objective of this study was to describe the current practices of determination of death after cardiac arrest in adults in the Netherlands by intensive care physicians. Secondary objectives included to identify the policies and guidelines which are available to physicians, to determine the perceived need for standardization of practice, and to determine the reported occurrence of AR.