Prospective survey of availability of cadaveric kidneys for transplantation.

A prospective study in Nottingham hospitals, serving 3/4 million population, identified 25 potential kidney donors in one year. Seventeen later died in circumstances when kidney donation would have been possible. Twelve kidneys were actually removedfor transplantation out of the possible 34. The reasons for failure to donate kidneyswere either relatives' refusal or a failure of the doctors looking after those patientsto consider them as potential donors. If all possible donors had their kidneys removed there would be sufficient available to approximately equal the numbers of patients likely to require renal transplatation.