Drug overdose epidemic has driven increase in organ donors
The devastating epidemic of drug overdose deaths in the US has led to an increase in organ donors, data from the federal government shows.
As the death rate from drug overdoses surged in the US over the last several years, the number of organ donors who died from overdoses increased from 1.1% of all deceased organ donors in 2000 to 9.34% in 2015, according to government data.
These numbers reflect a marginal improvement in one public health crisis – 22 people die each day waiting for an organ transplant – spurred by the damage of another.
The rate of deaths from drug overdoses has increased 137% since 2000, including a 200% increase in the rate of overdose deaths involving opioids.
This has raised questions about the safety of collecting organs from people who die of drug overdoses, though transplant surgeons say the risks of contracting disease from such patients is low.
Nikole Neidlinger, a transplant surgeon and medical adviser for the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO), said that when doctors tell patients the risk of transmitting a virus from a donor with behavioral risk factors, such as drug abuse, is low, patients usually have the same response.
“When that incidence is dramatically lower than your incidence of dying on the waitlist, most patients will say yes,” said Neidlinger.
EndFragment
EndFragment