Table 2.6

Deceased Donor Characteristics, 1997 to 2006

Heart Donors

Mechanism of Death Year
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
Total 2,426 2,447 2,316 2,284 2,276 2,223 2,120 2,096 2,220 2,275
Drowning 12 29 22 14 20 12 11 23 19 16
Seizure 17 23 15 15 9 18 17 13 21 23
Drug Intoxication 20 35 29 25 47 41 55 57 43 57
Asphyxiation 65 64 63 58 59 47 45 49 60 69
Cardiovascular 41 45 74 73 91 84 78 91 109 102
Gunshot/Stab 439 408 370 375 367 356 359 347 418 413
Blunt Injury 992 973 900 898 922 913 869 871 895 949
SIDS 9 5 1 3 3 4 5 4 9 9
Intracranial Hemorrhage/Stroke 733 754 722 746 677 667 589 567 550 549
Natural Causes - 2 8 14 18 17 26 21 16 22
Other 88 95 106 63 63 64 66 52 80 66
Unknown 10 14 6 - - - - 1 - -
Total (%) 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
Drowning 0.5% 1.2% 0.9% 0.6% 0.9% 0.5% 0.5% 1.1% 0.9% 0.7%
Seizure 0.7% 0.9% 0.6% 0.7% 0.4% 0.8% 0.8% 0.6% 0.9% 1.0%
Drug Intoxication 0.8% 1.4% 1.3% 1.1% 2.1% 1.8% 2.6% 2.7% 1.9% 2.5%
Asphyxiation 2.7% 2.6% 2.7% 2.5% 2.6% 2.1% 2.1% 2.3% 2.7% 3.0%
Cardiovascular 1.7% 1.8% 3.2% 3.2% 4.0% 3.8% 3.7% 4.3% 4.9% 4.5%
Gunshot/Stab 18.1% 16.7% 16.0% 16.4% 16.1% 16.0% 16.9% 16.6% 18.8% 18.2%
Blunt Injury 40.9% 39.8% 38.9% 39.3% 40.5% 41.1% 41.0% 41.6% 40.3% 41.7%
SIDS 0.4% 0.2% 0.0% 0.1% 0.1% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.4% 0.4%
Intracranial Hemorrhage/Stroke 30.2% 30.8% 31.2% 32.7% 29.7% 30.0% 27.8% 27.1% 24.8% 24.1%
Natural Causes - 0.1% 0.3% 0.6% 0.8% 0.8% 1.2% 1.0% 0.7% 1.0%
Other 3.6% 3.9% 4.6% 2.8% 2.8% 2.9% 3.1% 2.5% 3.6% 2.9%
Unknown 0.4% 0.6% 0.3% - - - - 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.