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Organ donation: a chance for Australia to do better

Timothy H Mathew and Jeremy R Chapman
Med J Aust 2006; 185 (5): . || doi: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2006.tb00551.x
Published online: 4 September 2006

We can learn from the US Breakthrough Collaborative, which increased organ donation rates by 20% in 3 years

Organ donation saves lives. This trite but true slogan applies to all the solid organs that are currently transplanted. Even in patients with kidney failure, where dialysis provides long-term treatment, the mortality rate is reduced significantly in those who receive transplants compared with those remaining on the waiting list.1 Improved survival, improved quality of life and reduced economic costs of care provide an unusual coincidence of benefits from this therapy.


  • 1 Kidney Health Australia, Adelaide, SA.
  • 2 Westmead Hospital, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW.


Correspondence: tim.mathew@kidney.org.au

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  • 4. Kennedy SE, Shen Y, Charlesworth JA, et al. Outcome of overseas commercial kidney transplantation: an Australian perspective. Med J Aust 2005; 182: 224-227. . <MJA full text>
  • 5. Opdam HI, Silvester W. Potential for organ donation in Victoria: an audit of hospital deaths. Med J Aust 2006; 185: 250-254 <eMJA full text>
  • 6. Shafer T, Wagner D, Chessare J, et al. Organ Donation Breakthrough Collaborative — increasing organ donation through system redesign. Crit Care Nurse 2006; 26: 33-49.
  • 7. Marks WH, Wagner D, Pearson TC, et al. Organ donation and utilization, 1995-2004: entering the collaborative era. Am J Transplant 2006; 6 (5 Pt 2): 1101-1110.
  • 8. Australian Government Minister for Health and Ageing. Flame of life ignites awareness of organ donation. Media release ABB016/06. 19 February 2006. http://www.health.gov.au/internet/ministers/publishing.nsf/Content/health-mediarel-yr2006-ta-abb016.htm?OpenDocument&yr=2006&mth=2 (accessed Aug 2006).
  • 9. Pfizer Australia. Health report: transplantation and organ donation, 2004. http://www.healthreport.com.au/Reports/8.pdf (accessed Aug 2006).

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