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PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
5
pubmed:dateCreated
1989-6-22
pubmed:abstractText
Blood samples were obtained, at the time of organ donation, from 31 consecutive brain-stem-dead (BSD) donors referred to one transplant coordinator during a 9-month period. Twenty-four cases (77%) had clinical diabetes insipidus (DI), which was poorly controlled with marked dehydration in a majority of cases (serum osmolality range 268-357; median 302 mOSM/kg). Serum triiodothyronine (T3) was subnormal in 25 (81%); all had normal or high serum reverse T3; and the serum free thyroxine (T4) index was subnormal in 9 (29%), and TSH was subnormal in 7 (23%). In no case were T4 and TSH both subnormal and results were typical of the sick euthyroid syndrome rather than TSH deficiency. Of 21 cases not receiving corticosteroids, 5 (24%) had a serum cortisol above 550 nmol/L (20 micrograms/dl), excluding ACTH deficiency, and only 1 had undetectable cortisol levels. Those with severe hypotension did not have significantly lower serum cortisol (mean 354 vs. 416; P greater than 0.5). Levels of prolactin, growth hormone, gonadotrophins, and gonadal steroids were variable, but only a minority were frankly deficient in these hormones. BSD donors frequently have DI, which is often managed poorly by nonspecialists and requires appropriate replacement therapy. In contrast most patients are not totally deficient in anterior pituitary hormones. Routine hormonal therapy with cortisol and T3 cannot, therefore, be justified on endocrinological grounds. Widespread introduction of such treatment should only follow controlled trials that clearly demonstrate clinically significant improvement in the transplanted organ function, without detriment to the donor.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
May
pubmed:issn
0041-1337
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
47
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
828-34
pubmed:dateRevised
2005-11-17
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
1989
pubmed:articleTitle
Anterior and posterior pituitary function in brain-stem-dead donors. A possible role for hormonal replacement therapy.
pubmed:affiliation
Department of Endocrinology, St Bartholomew's Hospital, London, United Kingdom.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article