EFFECTS OF DONOR POSITION ON HARVESTED LUNG QUALITY

Potential lung donors are frequently maintained in one position for pr olonged periods of time prior to harvest. This study was designed to d etermine if the effects of gravity induced by maintaining an animal mo del in the supine position for 24 hr would have adverse effects on the harvested lung. Group 1 pigs were anesthetized, instrumented, mechani cally ventilated, and the lungs harvested within 90 min. Group 2 pigs were anesthetized, instrumented, and mechanically ventilated in an ide ntical manner then maintained in the same dorsal-spinal recumbency pos ition for 24 hrs. Hemodynamic and respiratory parameters were stable a nd not statistically different between the two groups for the baseline and 1 hr time period measurements. There were no significant differen ces between the two groups for shunt fractions, wet/dry ratios, blood flow distribution, or flush solution distribution, We conclude that in anesthetized pigs there is no evidence that routine repositioning pro tocols improve blood flow distribution, shunting, or dependent edema. (C) 1996 Academic Press, Inc.