Purpose We investigated the status of deceased organ donation and transplantation through a questionnaire distributed to transplant centers in Japan during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods The questionnaire was distributed electronically to 206 transplant centers for heart ( n = 11), lung ( n = 10), liver ( n = 25), kidney ( n = 130), pancreas ( n = 18), and small intestine ( n = 12) transplantation. Organ donations and organ transplantation data were extracted from the Japan Organ Transplant Network website. Results We received questionnaire responses from 177 centers (response rate, 86%). In 2020, the number of brain-dead donors (BDDs) decreased to 68 (69% of the year-on-year average) and the number of donors after cardiac death (DCDs) decreased to 9 (32% of the year-on-year average). Eighty-five (48%) transplant centers (heart, n = 0; lung, n = 0; liver, n = 4; kidney, n = 78; pancreas, n = 22; and small intestine, n = 0) suspended transplant surgeries in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Consequently, the number of organ transplantations from deceased donors was significantly lower in 2020 than in 2019. Conclusion Although the COVID-19 pandemic has had less impact in Japan than in other countries, it has affected transplantation activity significantly, suspending transplantation surgeries in 48% of the transplantation centers, including 78% of the kidney transplantation centers, and reducing the number of organ donations to 61% of the year-on-year average.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, solid organ transplantation, Brain-dead donors, Donors after cardiac death, 【초록키워드】 COVID-19 pandemic, lung, kidney, Transplant, response, death, Japan, network, liver, questionnaire, Donor, pancreas, Deceased, Organ donation, website, small intestine, average, organ, significantly lower, Result, affected, significantly, investigated, less, reducing, pancrea, 【제목키워드】 COVID-19 pandemic, Japan, Donor, Deceased, organ,