Comparison of Imported with Locally Retrieved Kidneys preserved by Intracellular Electrolyte Flushing Followed by Cold Storage

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Ice-cold intracellular electrolyte flushing followed by cold storage and economy air shipment is the cheapest method to share kidneys for transplantation. From 1 center, 62 primary [human] cadaver kidney grafts imported from other centers were compared to 128 that were retrieved locally. Cold ischemia time was 36.4 .+-. 8.6 h (mean .+-. SD) in the imported group and 24.2 .+-. 8.8 h in the locally retrieved group. The significant increase in 1st wk dialysis (71 vs. 42%) and 1 mo. serum creatinine nadirs (2.63 .+-. 2.73 vs. 1.78 .+-. 1.04 mg/dl) was explained by longer cold ischemia times in the imported kidney grafts. There were no significant differences between the 2 groups with respect to actuarial kidney graft survivals and serum creatinine levels at 1, 2 and 3 yr. Intracellular electrolyte flushing followed by simple cold storage and air transportation provides kidney graft survivals and long-term kidney graft function at minimal expense when the kidneys are retrieved from beating-heart cadavers and have undergone minimal warm ischemia.