Validating potential organ and tissue donors in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic: Scoping review and recommendations construction.
Neide da Silva-Knihs, João Luis Erbs-Pessoa, Aline Lima Pestana-Magalhães and 4 others
PMID 35256101WHAT IT FOUND
Assessing potential organ donors during the pandemic relied on tests, chest imaging, symptom checks, and family contact history.
Only 48.1% of surveyed transplant staff said their teams were trained, and 30.8% had epidemiological screening routines. These are recommendations, not tested interventions.
Key findings
01Nineteen reviewed articles recommended SARS-CoV-2 testing and chest imaging for potential donors, including asymptomatic donors.
02Among 52 surveyed transplant staff, 48.1% said staff were trained for donor validation in the pandemic, and 30.8% reported an epidemiological screening routine.
03The review and staff responses were combined into 34 care actions for assessing and validating potential organ and tissue donors.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
This was a scoping review and staff consultation, not a trial; it did not show that the 34 care actions reduce infection or improve transplant outcomes. The consultation participants were transplant staff, not patients or families, so the reported practices are self-reported and may not reflect all centres. Only 52 professionals from São Paulo State Transplant Centers and the Organ Search Organization completed the questionnaire, and there was no sample calculation. Less than half of respondents said staff were trained, and only 30.8% reported epidemiological screening, so implementation was uneven. The authors note that knowledge about SARS-CoV-2 infection was still uncertain and nursing workload was high.
Declared interests
All authors declared no conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the 34 care actions as evidence that this validation method prevents transmission or improves transplant outcomes. The paper did not test them, and it surveyed staff practices rather than patient outcomes.