Table 2.4

Deceased Donor Characteristics, 1997 to 2006

Liver Donors

Mechanism of Death Year
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
Total 4,601 4,843 4,947 4,997 5,106 5,294 5,682 6,319 6,691 7,017
Drowning 31 53 42 34 46 33 26 56 51 46
Seizure 26 36 20 33 37 30 47 36 43 65
Drug Intoxication 34 47 44 45 55 80 112 151 130 197
Asphyxiation 104 120 116 105 108 109 97 134 160 159
Cardiovascular 173 198 245 240 291 317 420 514 624 605
Gunshot/Stab 626 566 562 543 568 554 605 621 704 700
Blunt Injury 1,473 1,476 1,450 1,517 1,479 1,588 1,603 1,736 1,752 1,886
SIDS 6 4 3 8 2 5 8 8 10 7
Intracranial Hemorrhage/Stroke 1,959 2,159 2,281 2,314 2,330 2,403 2,547 2,830 2,953 3,059
Natural Causes 1 2 17 35 53 51 81 75 78 83
Other 152 155 157 122 136 124 136 156 186 210
Unknown 16 27 10 1 1 - - 2 - -
Total (%) 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
Drowning 0.7% 1.1% 0.8% 0.7% 0.9% 0.6% 0.5% 0.9% 0.8% 0.7%
Seizure 0.6% 0.7% 0.4% 0.7% 0.7% 0.6% 0.8% 0.6% 0.6% 0.9%
Drug Intoxication 0.7% 1.0% 0.9% 0.9% 1.1% 1.5% 2.0% 2.4% 1.9% 2.8%
Asphyxiation 2.3% 2.5% 2.3% 2.1% 2.1% 2.1% 1.7% 2.1% 2.4% 2.3%
Cardiovascular 3.8% 4.1% 5.0% 4.8% 5.7% 6.0% 7.4% 8.1% 9.3% 8.6%
Gunshot/Stab 13.6% 11.7% 11.4% 10.9% 11.1% 10.5% 10.6% 9.8% 10.5% 10.0%
Blunt Injury 32.0% 30.5% 29.3% 30.4% 29.0% 30.0% 28.2% 27.5% 26.2% 26.9%
SIDS 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.2% 0.0% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1%
Intracranial Hemorrhage/Stroke 42.6% 44.6% 46.1% 46.3% 45.6% 45.4% 44.8% 44.8% 44.1% 43.6%
Natural Causes 0.0% 0.0% 0.3% 0.7% 1.0% 1.0% 1.4% 1.2% 1.2% 1.2%
Other 3.3% 3.2% 3.2% 2.4% 2.7% 2.3% 2.4% 2.5% 2.8% 3.0%
Unknown 0.3% 0.6% 0.2% 0.0% 0.0% - - 0.0% - -


Source: OPTN/SRTR Data as of May 1, 2007.

(%) = Percentages are calculated based on totals including missing and unknown cases.

(-) = None in category.

Includes donors of organs recovered for transplant and not used, as well as those transplanted.

Form changes on April 1, 1994 changed the way Cause of Death, Circumstance of Death, and Mechanism of Death were collected.

Not all recovered organs are actually transplanted. Data tables pertaining to the recovery and disposition of organs are presented in Section 3, Deceased Donor Organ Recovery and Disposition.