Difficulties in obtaining kidneys from potential postmortem donors.

Disease outcome and kidney disposition of 86 patients referred as potential postmortem kidney donors were followed up over a one-year period to determine factors that led to "organ wastage." Six patients died before fulfilling the electorencephalographic criteria for death; another six were referred too late, leaving insufficient time to contact the relatives; and in 16 patients, permission was refused by the next of kin. In eight cases, no relatives could be traced and, finally, 14 patients died wtthout fulfilling our criteria of acceptability. Organs were obtained from only 22 donors--25.5% of the total referrals. Any data presenting the number of potential postmortem kidney donors must be considered in thp light of factors incorporating the ease or difficulty with which kidney grafts can be obtained. An awareness of these factors is necessary for maximum utilization of potential kidney donors.