In the United Kingdom, kidneys can be donated if a patient dies within three-hours of being removed from life sustaining treatment. In most countries however this rule only extends to one-hour. This means that there is a much shorter window in which these organs remain viable. As a result, many kidneys that could have been used under the UK’s rules, are not being utilised in other countries.
"More lives can be saved through the gift of organ donation"
The study was led by Newcastle University and also involved Cambridge University, University of Wisconsin, Guy’s Hospital and NHS Blood and Transplant. It was supported by funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Blood and Transplant Research Unit in Organ Donation and Transplantation, Medical Research Council, and The Wellcome Trust.
Findings were based on a statistical analysis of data from the UK Transplant Registry. Data included 7,183 kidney transplant recipients that took place between 2013 and 2021.
Tingle’s research has debunked beliefs that waiting these extra few hours is detrimental to organ health. Based on this finding, if a new rule was implemented internationally it would save lives. Casting this data on the United States reveals that over 1,000 more kidney transplants could take place per annum.
Dr Dale Gardiner, National Clinical Lead for Organ Donation, states the United Kingdom has been, “a world-leader in this type of organ donation for over a decade.” He continues saying, "It is a privilege to share this expertise with the world so that more lives can be saved through the gift of organ donation".
An increase in the number of kidney donations would reduce the amount of patients on dialysis and ensure donors are able to help someone in need.
Further research will be conducted in collaboration with NHS Blood and Transplant to see if the three-hour wait time can be extended further.