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Organ Donations Dip: Trust Erodes in Lifesaving System
15 Jan
Summary
- Organ donations from deceased donors fell last year for the first time in over a decade.
- Rare patient safety reports showing signs of life during organ retrieval caused a crisis.
- Fewer kidney transplants occurred, but other organ transplants saw increases.
Organ donations from deceased donors in the United States experienced a decline last year, the first such decrease in over a decade. This trend has led to a reduction in the number of kidney transplants performed.
The decrease is largely linked to public mistrust stemming from rare but concerning incidents where patients exhibited signs of life during organ retrieval procedures. Although these retrievals were halted and new safeguards are being developed, the events have shaken public confidence in the transplant system.
Despite the drop in deceased donations, transplants of other organs such as hearts, livers, and lungs continued to rise. An increase in living kidney donations helped to mitigate the overall decline in kidney transplants.
