Thyroid and Adrenocortical Hormone Replacement in Organ Donors
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2013-09-30
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Brain death inevitably leads to hemodynamic instability and prolonged hypotension that
compromises viability of potentially transplantable organs. In addition to depletion of
peripheral norepinephrine stores, concomitant depletion of thyroid hormone and cortisol
levels are believed to contribute to this instability. Catecholamine vasopressors are widely
used to support hemodynamics in potential organ donors, however their use has also been shown
to compromise allograft function.
Trials studying the effects of thyroid hormone and corticosteroid treatment on brain dead
organ donors have had mixed results with respect to improving donor hemodynamics. Further,
few studies have attempted to discriminate the relative contribution of thyroid hormone vs.
corticosteroids.
The specific aims of this study include:
1. To quantify hemodynamic changes during the management of cadaveric organ donors
routinely receiving thyroid hormone therapy alone vs. corticosteroid therapy alone vs.
the combination, compared to those who do not receive any hormonal therapy (controls)
2. To document number and types of organs procured in donors treated with thyroid hormone
therapy alone vs. corticosteroid therapy alone vs. the combination, compared to those
not treated with hormonal therapy (controls)
3. To quantify graft and patient outcomes in recipients of organs exposed to thyroid
hormone therapy alone vs. corticosteroid therapy alone vs. the combination, compared to
recipients of organs not exposed to hormonal therapy (controls).