Evaluation of the Impact of COVID-19 on the Yearly Distribution of Brain Death Declarations in Turkey Between 2011 and 2020

Abstract

The 2020 data of the Turkish Society of Nephrology reveals that the number of patients receiving hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis treatment in Turkey is 63,945.1 According to the 2020 registered data of the Transplantation Dialysis Monitoring System (TDIS), the number of patients waiting for solid organs is 23,923. The number of organs used was 1,059 out of 1,391 brain death cases declared in 2020.2 While solid organ transplantation could be performed in 4.42% of the patients enrolled in TDIS, 95.58% could not. Insufficient organ supply in our country adversely affects patients waiting for organs. Our study aimed to investigate the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the distribution of brain deaths declared in our country by years.

Keywords

• Brain Death
• Organ Donation
• Organs Used

References

1. Türk Nefroloji Derneği Registry Raporları. Registry 2020. Available at: https://nefroloji.org.tr/tr/tnd-kayit-raporlari. Accessed February 11, 2022.
2. TTIDS. ORGAN KDS 2021. Böbrek Nakli Bekleyenler. Available at: https://organkds.saglik.gov.tr/dss/PUBLIC/WL_Kidney.aspx. Accessed February 10, 2022.
3. TTIDS. ORGAN KDS 2021. Bağış ve Donörler Beyin Ölümü. Available at: https://organkds.saglik.gov.tr/dss/PUBLIC/Brain_Death.aspx. Accessed February 10, 2022.
4. Ersoy A. The frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic: Healthcare workers. Turkish J Int Med. 2020 Apr 29;2(2):31-2. doi: 10.46310/tjim.726917.