All articles tagged with #donor
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced reforms to the organ transplant system after findings showed some organs were being removed from donors who still showed signs of life, with stricter protocols and potential decertification for non-compliant organ procurement organizations.
Organ transplant patients in the US are at risk of contracting Chagas disease, a parasitic infection, from donors who were not screened for the disease. Despite expert recommendations, the US does not require at-risk organ donors to be screened for Chagas. A proposal to require screening of donors born in Mexico or 20 countries in Central and South America will be considered by the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network. The proposal has divided transplant professionals, with some arguing that screening for Chagas would be too cumbersome and could potentially delay organs from reaching patients in need.
Heart transplant recipients from donors with active COVID-19 infection had higher mortality at 6 months and at 1 year than those with transplants from donors who had either a recently resolved COVID case or did not have COVID, according to a retrospective analysis. However, heart transplants from recently resolved COVID donors had similar post-transplant mortality to non-COVID donors. The study highlights the need for continued evaluation, risk-stratification, and a more nuanced approach in evaluating potential heart donors with COVID-19 infection.
A top Republican donor has expressed disappointment with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' stance on social issues, including transgender rights and immigration. The donor, who has previously supported DeSantis, has stated that he will not donate to the governor's re-election campaign due to these disagreements.