Donor Management Evidence Bulletins

Evidence bulletins are an attractive, user-friendly, evidence-based knowledge translation tool. Each bulletin is a one-page, letter-size card addressing one specific intervention in the management of deceased donors, highlighting:

• the recommendation and relevant context
• key research underlying the recommendation
• bedside notes, and
• a short bibliography, for those interested in accessing the original literature.

The following is available upon request in English and in French:

• Evidence Bulletins; Understanding key recommendations for the medical management of neurologically deceased donors (in English)
• Bulletins de données probantes; Comprendre les recommandations clés pour la prise en charge médicale des donneurs décédés neurologiquement (en français)

These evidence bulletins were created for new recommendations, those with a strong quality of evidence, and those for which there was a change in the recommendation from the 2006 guideline.  In total, seven evidence bulletins were created: Corticosteroids, Thyroid Hormone, Vasopressin and DDAVP, Transfusion, Nutrition, Lung Protective Ventilation, and Hypothermia. 

The efficacy of the evidence bulletins was tested by key stakeholder groups, including: intensive care unit (ICU) physicians, residents, nurses, and organ donation organization (ODO) coordinators.  They were evaluated for their content, clarity, ease of use, attractiveness, likelihood of uptake and influencing donor care, as well as anticipated implementation challenges.