Donation after cardiac death (non-heart-beating donation)

Donation after cardiac death (DCD) is a viable option for patients with end-stage organ disease. Although there are fewer DCD donors compared with traditional donation after brain death (DBD) donors in the United States, there is increasing use of DCD donors in Europe because of growing evidence of equivalent outcomes. Management of controlled DCD donors is frequently done in the intensive care unit (ICU) setting, with healthcare professionals being on the frontline for identification and referral for the DCD donation process. This chapter investigates the outcomes, ethical considerations, and future outlook of DCD as it relates to the ICU setting.