Treatment Used on Donated Hearts Found Useless, and Even Harmful, in New Study
Treatment for Donated Hearts Proven Ineffective and Potentially Harmful New Study Reveals
Study Finds Treatment for Donated Hearts May Be Useless, Even Harmful
A recent study has revealed that a technique used by doctors to preserve donated hearts may not be as effective as previously thought. In fact, it might even be harming these precious organs. Apparently, physicians have been administering thyroid hormones to deceased organ donors in an attempt to maintain heart function and ensure the organs remain healthy and viable. However, the study found that this thyroid hormone treatment made no significant difference in the number of successfully transplanted hearts from a group of over 800 donors. To make matters worse, the treatment was more likely to cause high blood pressure and an increased heart rate in the deceased donors’ bodies.
“We found good evidence that this intervention we’ve been using for 40 years doesn’t work,” said researcher Dr. Raj Dhar. “Our findings tell us we should halt this practice.”
The practice of administering thyroid hormone to deceased organ donors has been adopted by more than 70% of organ-procurement organizations and is performed on thousands of donors each year. Surprisingly, no one has ever rigorously studied whether this hormone treatment actually improves the success rate of donations.
During the critical period between brain death and transplant surgery, doctors strive to keep the donors’ hearts functioning normally to preserve the health of the organs. Despite their efforts, approximately half of all hearts in this situation deteriorate and become unsuitable for transplantation.
“It’s vital that we explore questions like this to ensure we are doing all we can for patients who need organs – and to ensure that they receive the most benefit possible from the generous people who choose to donate organs,” emphasized Dhar.
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Previous observational studies had suggested that thyroid hormones might enhance the viability of still-beating donor hearts. These hormones influence heartbeat, and their levels can decline once the brain stops functioning. However, some doctors have expressed concerns that providing intravenous thyroid hormones to a donor body might increase the risk of fast heart rate, high blood pressure, and potential damage to the heart and other organs.
To investigate the effects of thyroid hormone treatment on organ donation, a team from 15 organ-procurement organizations across the country conducted a study on a group of 838 deceased organ donors. Half of the donors were randomly assigned to receive a synthetic thyroid hormone called levothyroxine, while the other half were given a saline placebo. Surprisingly, just over half of the hearts from each group were suitable for transplantation, indicating that the thyroid hormone treatment did not significantly improve the success rate.
Furthermore, when doctors reduced or discontinued the doses of thyroid hormone, they observed that the high blood pressure and fast heart rate in the deceased donors’ bodies became less severe or disappeared altogether. This suggests that thyroid hormone may be causing overstimulation of the hearts.
“It turns out that it doesn’t have any benefit and may cause some harm,” concluded Dhar.
After reviewing the trial results, several organ-procurement organizations have already ceased using thyroid hormone in the treatment of organ donors.
So, what does this mean for organ donation? Well, it simply highlights the importance of constant research and evaluation to ensure that we are doing everything possible to help patients in need of organ transplants. Let’s continue supporting organ donation and making a difference in people’s lives. Together, we can save more lives than ever before!
More information: The Mayo Clinic has more about organ donation. Click here.
This article was written by a health and psychology expert with a touch of humor and a pinch of professionalism. Stay tuned for more articles filled with interesting insights and witty commentary!