Donor factors in cadaveric renal transplantation.

1. Donor kidney side (left/right) had no significant effect on cadaveric renal allograft survival. 2. Kidneys from male donors had an 83% one-year graft survival rate, compared with 78% for those from female donors. 3. Donor race did not have an effect on renal allograft survival. 4. One-year survival rates for kidneys from very young (< 5 years old) donors and older (> 50 years old) cadaver donors (74%) were significantly poorer than those for kidneys from donors age 6-50 (84%). 5. Donor ABO blood type and Rh factor had no significant effect on renal allograft survival. 6. Cause of death (trauma/nontrauma) had a pronounced effect on cadaveric renal allograft survival. Kidneys from trauma donors (motor vehicle accident, gunshot wound, head injury, etc.) had a significantly higher one-year graft survival rate (84%) than that of kidneys from nontrauma donors (77%). This effect was found to be independent of donor age. 7. Donor past medical history had a significant effect on renal allograft survival. Kidneys from donors with histories of hypertension had slightly poorer graft survival (75%) than those from "normal" donors (80%). Donors with histories of diabetes had significantly lower graft survival; 54.8% at one-year posttransplant. 8. Donor lifestyle factors, including smoking, drinking, drug use, and sexual history, had no significant effect on renal allograft survival. 9. The duration of donor hospitalization (from admission to the time of procurement) had no effect on renal allograft survival. 10. Donor cardiac arrest (in either the field, hospital, or operating room) had no significant effect on renal allograft survival.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)