Pediatric Organ and Tissue Donation-A 10-Year Retrospective Study in Portugal.

Organ and tissue donation can transform lives. One donor can ensure the survival of up to 8 people through their organs and improve the quality of life for dozens more through tissue donation. Portugal has an excellent transplantation rate, but deaths still occur while waiting for an organ. The study aimed to analyze pediatric organ and tissue donors nationally and evaluate brain deaths in a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) over the past 10 years to identify any potential lost donors. We conducted a retrospective descriptive study of pediatric organ and tissue donors and diagnosed brain deaths from January 2011 to December 2021. Demographic and clinical data were analyzed, including those provided by the National Transplant Coordination. Over the past 10 years in Portugal, 121 pediatric donors (11.7 per million population) were collected, and 569 organs and tissues were collected. During the same period in the PICU, there were 125 deaths, including 20 brain deaths. Of this group, 4 were organ and tissue donors. In the non-donor group (n = 16), a potential lost donor case stands out. Pediatric specialists need to be more familiar with the donation process, which would enable the identification and optimization of all potential donors, thus minimizing the number of potentially lost organs.

Ingestion of anthropogenic materials by yellow-legged gulls (Larus michahellis) in natural, urban, and landfill sites along Portugal in relation to diet composition.

Pollution is a global concern, increasing rapidly throughout marine and terrestrial ecosystems, and affecting many species. Urbanization enhances waste production, leading to the opening of landfills that constitute a spatially and temporally predictable food source for opportunistic species. Several species of gulls are known to exploit and breed in urban areas, taking advantage of accessible and diverse food resources. The exploitation of anthropogenic food subsidies at sea (e.g. fishery discards), urban sites, and landfills leads to debris ingestion by gulls with potential negative effects. Here we characterize anthropogenic debris ingested by yellow-legged gulls (Larus michahellis) along Portugal, by analysing the content of pellets collected in (1) natural and urban breeding locations, and in (2) urban and landfill resting sites, to assess seasonal patterns in the ingestion of anthropogenic debris. We also relate diet with the presence of anthropogenic debris. Debris materials were found in 28.8% of pellets from breeding locations (natural and urban) and in 89.7% of pellets from resting sites (urban and landfill). Gulls from the most urbanized breeding location exhibited higher levels of ingested materials during the entire breeding cycle, however, gulls from a natural breeding site also ingested high levels of debris during the pre-breeding season. At resting sites, small seasonal differences were detected in the number and mass of debris items ingested, which were both higher during spring and summer. Gulls that typically fed on pelagic fish had significantly less sheet and fragment plastics in their pellets. The presence of certain debris categories in gull pellets was positively related to the presence of some prey items, suggesting that gulls may accidentally ingest debris while foraging at multiple habitats. The quantity of anthropogenic materials ingested by gulls from urban locations and landfills indicates a need for improved waste management.