Evaluation of the liver graft before procurement. Significance of arterial ketone body ratio in brain-dead patients.

Hepatic energy metabolism was assessed by measuring the blood ketone body ratio (KBR), that is, the ratio of acetoacetate to beta-hydroxybutyrate in the arterial blood, in 31 brain-dead patients in an intensive care unit (ICU) in Japan and in 25 donors just before procurement of the liver for transplantation in Germany. In the study in Japan, 7 of the 12 brain-dead patients treated with high-dose catecholamine showed significantly decreased KBRs, revealing the detrimental effect of catecholamine on liver metabolism. In contrast, 8 of the 9 untreated patients with blood pressure below 80 mm Hg showed almost normal KBRs. In the 25 donors in Germany, KBR was maintained within the normal range. Based upon conventional criteria, 21 livers were selected for use and the other 4 were discarded. Nineteen of the grafts were able to normalize KBR within 24 h after reperfusion, while 2 failed to function and required a second transplantation. It was suggested that a KBR in the normal range in donors is a prerequisite to immediate recovery of metabolic function of the liver graft after transplantation, and that hypotensive donors as a potential source of liver grafts may warrant further study.