The Alliance DCD Educational Guide: A Comprehensive Resource for OPOs & Hospital Patient Care Teams for Building and Supporting Effective Practices Surrounding Organ Donation After Circulatory Death

The Organ Donation and Transplantation Alliance ("The Alliance") is pleased to present the first national DCD Educational Guide, an interdisciplinary resource designed to outline effective practices for building a robust organ donation after circulatory death (DCD) program within hospital settings. This guide represents a significant milestone in our community’s efforts to enhance the organ donation and transplantation process, ensuring that more lives can be saved through the gift of organ donation.

The development of this guide was driven by a shared commitment to advancing the field of organ donation and transplantation. By bringing together experts from diverse disciplines, including the American Society of Transplantation (AST), the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO), American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST), Donate Life America (DLA), the Neurocritical Care Society (NCS), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the The Society for the Advancement of Transplant Anesthesia (ASATA), and several organ procurement organizations, we have created a comprehensive resource that addresses the complexities and challenges of DCD programs. The insights and strategies presented in this guide are rooted in the effective practices from programs across the country, offering practical solutions to improve outcomes for donors and recipients alike.

We recognize the critical impact that healthcare professionals have on organ donation. In fact, the increase in the identification of DCD potentials at hospitals across the country has led to more families having the opportunity to find healing through donation, as well as a significant growth in the number of available organs for transplant over the past decade. This guide is designed to support you in your efforts, providing valuable information on key areas such as donor identification and evaluation, family communication, clinical management and ethical considerations. By fostering a collaborative approach and emphasizing the importance of interdisciplinary teamwork, we aim to empower hospitals to develop and sustain effective DCD programs in partnership with your organ procurement organization.

Our hope is that this guide will serve as a valuable tool for healthcare teams across the country, helping more families to find comfort through donation, as well as increasing the availability of organs for transplantation and ultimately saving more lives. We are deeply grateful to the many contributors who have shared their expertise and experience to make this guide possible. Your dedication and commitment to advancing the field of organ donation and transplantation are truly inspiring.