Nutrition Therapy in the Organ Donor: Theoretical Benefits and Barriers to Implementation

While standardized organ donor management has maximized the number of organs successfully transplanted in the past 10 years, organ donor management prior to the procurement operation does not typically include nutrition therapy. The value of providing nutrition therapy in critically ill patients relates to reductions seen in infection and multiple organ failure, especially with early enteral feeding. Preventing infection and maintaining organ function prior to organ transplantation are key strategies in the management of the donor population. This paper discusses the rationale for providing nutrition therapy to critically ill brain-dead organ donors, highlighting potential benefits, issues with implementation, the importance of timing, and the potential risks which may be involved. While little experience exists in the literature, the potential benefits which might be incurred warrant consideration for initiating nutrition therapy in this patient population.