Optimizing Organ Donation: Expert Opinion from Austria, Germany, Spain and the U.K.

BACKGROUND Organ donation-rates using deceased donors and organizational approaches to organ donation differ drastically between countries at a similar level of health care as measured by the Euro Health Consumer Index (EHCI). MATERIAL AND METHODS Expert opinions from intensive care nurses, physicians, transplant coordinators and transplant surgeons from Austria, Germany, Spain, and the U.K. were obtained in semi-structured interviews followed by qualitative content analysis. Results were reported back to all interview partners to identify potential controversies and consensus recommendations. RESULTS No controversies could be detected. On a variety of beneficial factors an interprofessional consensus between interview partners could be reached: A) The relevance of standardization of the screening for potential donors, the family approach and training; B) standards and best-practice procedures should be regulated and supervised by state authorities; C) full transparency and the prevention of scandals is essential; D) overburdened intensive care unit (ICU) doctors need to be supported by full-time in-house special nurses who organize donor evaluation, transport logistics and pastoral care, if required; E) public awareness campaigns are helpful; F) a broad public consensus on the concept of donation after brain and cardiac death is essential; G) incentives for the reporting of potential organ donors are inappropriate; H) an opt-out system alone is not sufficient. CONCLUSIONS Expert opinions from different professional backgrounds from different European health care systems reach a broad consensus on the most relevant issues for the improvement of organ donation.

Organización de la atención a pacientes críticos en situación de pandemia: Experiencia del Hospital Vall d'Hebron durante el brote de neumonía por SARS-CoV-2 / Planning for the assistance of critically ill patients in a Pandemic Situation: The experience of Vall d'Hebron University Hospital

INTRODUCCIÓN: En un escenario de circulación comunitaria del virus, el impacto de la pandemia sobre el sistema sanitario y en las unidades de cuidados intensivos (UCI) se preveía devastador. El Hospital Universitario Vall d'Hebron (HUVH) ha desplegado un dispositivo de atención a pacientes críticos sin precedentes. MÉTODOS: Se describen las previsiones realizadas, las medidas tomadas y los principales resultados en una cohorte de pacientes críticos durante los primeros dos meses (3 de marzo al 2 de mayo del 2020) de la pandemia por COVID-19 en el HUVH de Barcelona. RESULTADOS: En el periodo de estudio, ingresaron en las Unidades de Críticos del HUVH 333 pacientes. El porcentaje de los pacientes en VMI o VMI y ECMO se mantuvo constantemente por encima del 78%. La mayoría de pacientes han sido hombres (65%); el grupo de edad más frecuente entre 60 y 70 años. Veintitrés pacientes recibieron ECMO, 18 de los cuales fueron canulados en otro centro y trasladados al HUVH. A fecha de cierre del estudio, 14 pacientes se decanularon satisfactoriamente, tres pacientes fallecieron y el resto siguen en soporte con ECMO. Han sido atendidas en UCI ocho gestantes, con una supervivencia del 100%. La mortalidad en UCI de los pacientes menores de 60 años fue el 3,2%. La estancia media en UCI de las altas y los fallecimientos ha sido de 14 días. CONCLUSIONES: Las estrategias de organización de la expansión de recursos para la atención de pacientes críticos, sus principales retos y los resultados obtenidos, pueden servir de clave para futuros escenarios similares

INTRODUCTION: In the context of community transmission of the virus, the impact of the pandemic on health-care systems, mainly on intensive care units (ICU), was expected to be devastating. Vall d'Hebron University Hospital (HUVH) implemented an unprecedented critical patient-care planning and management of resources. METHODS: We describe a cohort of critically ill patients during the first two months of the pandemic (from March 3, 2020, to May 2, 2020) in HUVH, Barcelona. In this manuscript, we report our previsions, strategies implemented, and the outcomes obtained. RESULTS: Three-thousand and thirty-three patients were admitted to the HUVH Critical Care Units. Throughout the study period, the proportion of patients on IMV or IMV and ECMO remained above 78%. Most patients were men (65%); the most common age group was 60-70 years. Twenty-three patients received ECMO, and eighteen were cannulated at another center and transferred to HUVH. At the end of the study, fourteen patients were successfully decannulated, three patients died, and the rest of the patients were still on ECMO. Eight pregnant women have been treated in the ICU, with a survival rate of 100%. The ICU mortality of patients younger than 60 years was 3.2%. The mean ICU stay of both survivors and nonsurvivors was 14 days. CONCLUSION: The adequate preparation for resource expansion for critically ill patients care, main challenges, and overall positive results can serve as a precedent for similar future scenarios

Lesión miocárdica tras la cirugía no cardiaca: ¿el dabigatrán puede ser un primer paso para su tratamiento? / Myocardial injury after noncardiac surgery. Could dabigatran be a first step in its management?

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