Organ transplantation has proven to be life-saving for thousands of patients and a growing number of disease processes. However, the gap between available organs for transplant and patients on organ transplant waiting lists continues to grow. In this episode, we will discuss the ICU management of the organ donor. Our guest is Dr. George Williams. He is a Professor of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, and Vice Chair for Critical Care Medicine at the McGovern Medical School of the University of Texas in Houston. Dr. Williams is also Medical Co-Director of the Surgical Intensive Care Unit at Lyndon B. Johnson General Hospital, and Executive Medical Director, for the Donor Specialty Care Unit- Memorial Hermann Hospital TMC. He is an Immediate Past-President of the Texas Society of Anesthesiologists and currently serves as Chair, for the American Society of Anesthesiologists Committee on Critical Care Medicine.

Additional Resources:

Management of the Potential Organ Donor in the ICU. A clinical guideline published by the Society of Critical Care Medicine: https://www.sccm.org/Clinical-Resources/Guidelines/Guidelines/Management-of-the-Potential-Organ-Donor-in-the-ICU

Website for the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS): https://unos.org/

Critical Matters podcast episode – Death By Neurological Criteria: https://soundphysicians.com/podcast-episode/?podcast_id=342&track_id=1304762116

The rise of organ donation after circulatory death: a narrative review. Gardiner D, et al. ANESTHESIA 2020: https://associationofanaesthetists-publications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/anae.15100

Books Mentioned in this Episode:

The Holy Bible, KJV: https://shorturl.at/wyLM4