Clinical Research Directory

Anesthesia sTrategy foR Organ Procurement In braiN dEath

The optimal anesthetic strategy during organ procurement in brain-dead donors remains unknown. The administration of anesthetic drugs in this setting aims to preserve hemodynamic stability in the face of reflex responses mediated by preserved spinal activity. Volatile anesthetics may blunt these reflexes, but their potential benefits in this context have never been investigated. This randomized trial evaluates the effects of volatile anesthesia (sevoflurane), opioid administration (sufentanil), or no anesthetic drugs on intraoperative hemodynamic stability during organ procurement in brain-dead donors. The primary outcome is the proportion of operative time within a predefined arterial blood pressure range.

Potassium Canrenoate in Brain-dead Organ Donors: Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

Given the current organ shortage, improving the quality/efficacy of harvested grafts from expanded criteria donors is essential to substantially increase the number of potential donors. Preclinical studies have shown that blocking the vascular mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) mitigates ischemia-reperfusion injury (I/R) and prevents renal dysfunction following acute kidney injury. Potassium canrenoate is an intravenous MR antagonist. Blocking the MR upstream from aortic cross clamping is likely the most effective strategy to limit I/R injury. Yet, brain-dead donors are prone to severe hemodynamic instability and polyuria. Consequently, this study seeks to assess the hemodynamic tolerance of the use of potassium canrenoate in this context, as a first step to a large-scale clinical trial testing the impact of this therapeutic intervention on the survival of kidney grafts.