Kidney transplantation policy will include more minorities - Brief Article

AORN Journal,  Jan, 2003  

• E-mail
• Print
• Link

The board of directors of the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network/United Network for Organ Sharing voted in November 2002 to increase minority access to kidney transplantation, according to a Nov 14, 2002, news release from the organization. The board intends to achieve this by revising the allocation priority for tissue matching, which should increase the number of transplantations for minority patients by more than 200 annually.

Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) matching is used to measure immune system compatibility between an organ donor and a patient. Those patients with a higher level of HLA match traditionally have received higher transplantation priority. Some minority patients, however, are less well matched with Caucasian donors because HLA patterns are inherited. This may result in a longer wait for minorities who need a transplantation.

According to the release, recent scientific evidences indicates that HLA matching priority could be reduced and a high rate of long-term graft survival still could be maintained. In matching, three pairs of HLA are compared between the donor and potential recipient. The revised policy will give priority to those patients whose antigens match one or both donor antigens at a specific pair and will continue to give priority to patients who have a perfect match.

Implementation of the new policy will begin as soon as it can be programmed into the computerized system that matches donors and recipients. Board members will study the impact of the revised policy and may consider modifications at a later time.

OPTN/UNOS Board Revises Kidney Policy to Boost Minority Transplants (news release, Alexandria, Va: United Network for Organ Sharing, Nov 14, 2002) http:/www.unos.org /news/newsDetail. asp?id=228 (accessed 18 Nov 2002).

COPYRIGHT 2003 Association of Operating Room Nurses, Inc.
COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group