Potential Number of Organ Donors After Euthanasia in Belgium

Potential Number of Organ Donors After Euthanasia in BelgiumOrgan donation after euthanasia involves patients whose request to undergo euthanasia has been granted and who voluntarily want to donate their organs after death.It requires patients to undergo euthanasia in the hospital, and organ donation is performed after circulatory death.The practice is controversial and currently only allowed in Belgium and the Netherlands.Even in these countries, it is rarely performed; as of August 2016, 43 patients undergoing euthanasia had donated organs. 1 Organ donation after euthanasia has been described in a practical manual, which addresses the medical, ethical, and legal aspects of performing euthanasia and donation after circulatory death. 2 Donation after euthanasia could potentially help ease the shortage of organs for transplantation.It is unknown how many of these patients would be medically suitable to donate organs.3 We examined the number of patients undergoing euthanasia in Belgium who could potentially donate at least 1 organ.