Organ Procurement and Donor Evaluation Flashcards

Which serologic test must be negative in a potential organ donor to prevent transmission of HIV to the transplant recipient?

Answer: HIV-1/2 antibody and HIV NAT (nucleic acid testing)

Both HIV antibody testing and nucleic acid testing (NAT) are performed on donors to minimize the window period and prevent HIV transmission to recipients.

What is the purpose of machine perfusion technology in organ preservation?

Answer: To continuously perfuse the organ with oxygenated solution, reducing ischemic injury and improving viability

Machine perfusion continuously delivers oxygenated preservation solution to the organ, reducing cold ischemia injury and allowing viability assessment beyond static cold storage.

The Kidney Donor Profile Index (KDPI) is used for what purpose?

Answer: To estimate the quality and expected function of a deceased donor kidney relative to the donor pool

KDPI uses donor characteristics to estimate kidney quality — a higher KDPI indicates a greater risk of graft failure compared to the average donor kidney.

A potential organ donor has a history of treated hypertension and mild proteinuria. What step is most important before accepting the kidneys?

Answer: Perform a donor kidney biopsy to assess histologic quality

A biopsy helps assess the degree of glomerulosclerosis and arterial changes, informing the decision to use one or both kidneys or decline them.

Which organization manages the national deceased donor organ allocation system in the United States?

Answer: United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS)

UNOS manages the national Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) and oversees policies for organ allocation to ensure equitable distribution.

What is the primary purpose of performing a liver biopsy on a donor liver before transplantation?

Answer: To assess the degree of hepatic steatosis, which affects graft function

Donor liver biopsy primarily assesses macrovascular steatosis — livers with greater than 30–40% steatosis have increased risk of primary non-function.