cadaveric donor

cadaveric donor,

an organ or tissue donor who has already died. See also cadaveric donor transplantation .

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donor [do´ner]

1. a person or organism that supplies an organ or tissue to be used in another body, usually either a cadaveric, living related, or living unrelated donor; see transplantation.

2. a substance or compound that contributes part of itself to another substance (acceptor).

Algorithm for organ donation. From McQuillan, 2002.

cadaveric donor an organ or tissue donor who has already died; see cadaveric donor transplantation.

living nonrelated donor living unrelated donor.

living related donor one who is a close blood relative of the recipient; see living related donor transplantation.

living unrelated donor one who is not a close blood relative of the recipient; see living unrelated donor transplantation.

non–heart beating cadaveric donor a donor who has been pronounced dead according to the traditional criteria of lack of any pulse or detectable cardiac activity, but is not yet brain dead (see brain death). There are two types: The controlled donor is a person in a vegetative state who has signed a consent form or otherwise stated his or her wishes before becoming ill. Based on the patient's stated wishes and at the request of the next-of-kin, cannulas are placed into blood vessels for postmortem cooling of organs and the person is removed from life support. Once death has been declared, the organs are rapidly perfused with cold preservative solution and surgically removed. The uncontrolled donor is a person declared dead because of catastrophic injury to the heart, such as a gunshot wound to the heart. Cannulas are placed into blood vessels after death and the organs are perfused and removed. This also requires consent of next-of-kin.

universal donor a person whose blood is type O in the ABO blood group system; such blood is sometimes used in emergency transfusion. Transfusion of blood cells rather than whole blood is preferred.