Influence of Factors Associated With the Deceased-Donor on Kidney Transplant Outcomes

Objectives: We analyzed different donor characteristics to determine those that significantly affect patient and graft outcomes after kidney transplant. Materials and Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients who had received kidney transplants at our institution between 1990 and 2011 from deceased-donors. We tracked this patients until the end of 2014. Using univariate and multivariate analyses, we analyzed the following outcomes: patient status, graft status, chronic allograft nephropathy, and delayed graft function. Results: In 342 recipients, univariate analysis revealed donor-associated predictors of transplant outcomes. Recipients of kidneys from older donors showed longer time to creatinine normalization (P = .047). We found a partial correlation between donor diagnosis and the number of dialyses after surgery (excluding the effect of donor age), with patients receiving kidneys from donors who had cerebrovascular events having higher risk of delayed graft function (P = .03). Donors with shorter stays in intensive care units resulted in longer graft survival (P = .02), and vasopressor use by donors was associated with delayed graft function in recipients (P = .018). Low serum sodium levels in donors predicted worse survival of recipients and transplants (P = .015 and P = .048). The number of hemodialysis procedures after transplant was correlated with the donor's creatinine level (P = .027). Insufficient daily dieresis of donor predicted worse graft survival (P = .04). Correlation analysis showed that a higher P-CO2 level in donors was significantly associated with longer creatinine normalization time after kidney transplant (P = .001). Cox regression analysis detected 2 significant independent predictors of graft outcomes: duration of perfusion of donor kidney (P = .016) and length of intensive care unit stay of donor (P = .032), with improved prognosis associated with longer perfusion time and shorter time in intensive care unit. Conclusions: The kidney donor has a direct effect on patient life expectancy and renal graft success after transplant.