The transplantation community has reached a significant milestone with the publication of a new special issue of Transplant International dedicated to The Bucharest International (ESOT) Consensus on controlled Donation after Circulatory Determination of Death (cDCDD).
As controlled donation after circulatory determination of death continues to play an increasingly important role in addressing organ shortages worldwide, variations in terminology, clinical practice, ethical frameworks and legal approaches have highlighted the need for greater international alignment.
To address these challenges, the European Society for Organ Transplantation (ESOT) convened a global consensus forum in Bucharest at the International DCD Congress & Consensus, bringing together multidisciplinary experts from across the world. Through a rigorous, structured Delphi consensus process that combined multiple survey rounds and face-to-face deliberations, participants worked to establish evidence-informed recommendations on some of the most complex and debated aspects of cDCDD.
The resulting special issue presents the conclusions of this international effort across 5 complementary manuscripts covering methodology and definitions, determination of death, clinical standards in adult cDCDD, normothermic regional perfusion (NRP), and paediatric pathways.
“This publication is one of the most comprehensive and surely the most updated international consensus initiatives in the field of cDCDD. We are confident that this ESOT scientific effort represents a valuable framework to support clinical practice, policy development and education, and, most importantly, will shape the development of future research and consensus.” (Umberto Cillo, ESOT President-elect)
The Consensus reflects ESOT’s commitment to fostering international collaboration, advancing evidence-to-decision practices and supporting ethical reasoning in organ donation and transplantation. The solidity of these outputs lies in the diversity of expertise and perspectives brought together, reinforcing trust, transparency and consistency in cDCDD through an international lens.
The special issue is now available through Transplant International.
The special issue has been edited by an international panel of leaders in transplantation:
- Umberto Cillo (University of Padua, Italy)
- Beatriz Domínguez-Gil (National Transplant Organization, Madrid, Spain)
- Dominique E. Martin (Deakin University, Geelong, Australia)
- Gabriel C. Oniscu (Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden)
Take a moment to explore these outputs carefully and let us know what you think – your feedback and suggestions could help inspire new ideas and shape future initiatives in this important area.