Medical abbreviations are useful in a medical setting to reduce the length of medical terminologies and also to enhance the ease of use. Medical abbreviations are shortened forms of medical terms and are mostly used by clinicians.
In medical science, there are hundreds of medical abbreviations and in this article, I will be writing about one of the medical abbreviations used during Renal Transplant which is the DDRT Medical abbreviation.
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What does the DDRT Medical Abbreviation Mean?
The Medical Abbreviation DDRT, popularly used during renal transplant stands for ‘DECEASED DONOR RENAL TRANSPLANT‘.
The major organ of the renal system is the kidney, so the term renal in this word is also synonymous with the kidney. A Deceased donor kidney transplant is a medical term used when the kidney of a recently deceased person (recently dead person) is removed with the consent of the family members or relatives and with legal approvals and then transplanted into a patient whose remedy is to get a kidney transplant.
In many developed countries where they practice kidney transplants, the medical personnel ensures that necessary consents and legal approvals are made before they carry out the transplant and the donated kidney is preserved with necessary chemicals and they ensure the kidney is connected to a machine that supplies oxygen and nutrients.
According to research, in 2017 the largest percentage of kidney transplants performed by most medical centers in the United States are deceased donor kidney transplants while living donor transplants takes below 30 percent and this is due to the availability of living donors.
Why Kidney Transplant?
According to WHO (World Health Organization), People living with Kidney disease have toxic wastes in their bloodstream that need to be removed through dialysis but people living with end-stage kidney diseases like Kidney failure require a kidney transplant.
In most cases, a kidney transplant is highly preferred because kidney transplants reduce the chances of recurrence or regeneration of the disease while a kidney transplant provides a better and faster recovery than treatment.
In comparison, with having periodical or annual treatment (dialysis), kidney transplant enhances;
- A faster recovery
- It also reduces the risks of having complications that might eventually lead to an untimely death
- It reduces the cost of treatment i.e. kidney transplant is only done once while treatment is done periodically
How Long Does A Deceased Donor Kidney Transplant Last?
Kidney received from a deceased donor have expiring dates due to the former condition of the donor and some likely complications during preservation and that’s the major reason why a kidney donated from a living donor tends to last longer than a kidney from a deceased donor.
According to research, the average life span of a kidney from a deceased donor is 10 to 13 years while the average lifespan from a living is 13 to 15 years.
Factors to consider before having a Deceased Donor Kidney Transplant
No matter how the patient (donor died) the kidney must be carefully examined before transplantation to avoid unnecessary complications after the transplant.
One of the major tests that must be done is to carry out an autopsy on the deceased patient. This will reveal the cause of death of the deceased donor and if there’s any cause relating to the kidney, the transplant should be aborted immediately. Outlined factors include;
- Choose a transplant center: Immediately after a proper diagnosis from a medical doctor, you will be given the opportunity to choose a transplant center because kidney transplants are done in a transplant center. It is very important you consider the following factors in choosing a transplant center.
- The total number of deceased donor renal transplants done yearly. This is different from a living donor transplant because the pre-surgical procedures are different.
- It is also very important that you check their survival rate
- Their pre and post-transplant procedures, the pre-transplant procedures are done before the transplant to ensure is the patient and the deceased kidney is medically fit while the post-transplant procedures are done after the transplant
- Evaluation: This is one of the major pre-surgical (transplant) procedures that must be done before a deceased donor renal transplant can be done and if anything, suspicious is found e.g. low PVC, high blood pressure, etc. the transplant will be aborted immediately. The clinical evaluation or assessment is majorly done to check the compatibility of the kidney and also if the patient is medically fit for a transplant and the test or assessments done includes
- The body vitals: These tests show the physiological state of the body and these tests include; temperature, pulse, blood volume, the blood supply to various body organs, etc.
- Tissue typing: These must be compatible with the recipient
- Blood typing. Etc.
Risks Associated with Deceased Donor Renal Transplant
Some major risk factors during kidney transplant especially a deceased donor renal transfer are due to complications during the transplant or errors during the evaluation tests, likely risk factors include;
- Hemorrhage: This is a situation whereby there is excessive bleeding during the transplant and can lead to stroke or even death
- Infection or cancer can be transferred if procedures are not strictly followed
- Stroke or heart attack
How To Find A Deceased Donor
This is one of the majorly asked questions, but this depends on the medical center or the transplant center.
Deceased donors are usually gotten from registered organizations or associations responsible for a kidney transplant, all you need is just to register for a kidney transplant in a registered clinic or a transplant center and get all the necessary consent approved and the medical center or transplant center will take it from there.
The following agencies provide support in various forms to ensure people are in the highest possible health:
- National Kidney Foundation in Nigeria
- The Health Resources and Service Administration in the United States
- World Health Organizations (WHO) etc.
Conclusion
A kidney transplant is sometimes not the cure for all kidney disease because some kidney disease tends to regenerate after having a transplant and there is a high chance of getting infected especially in cases such as a deceased donor renal transplant, so it is very important you make a personal decision with careful considerations of the various outcomes before having the transplant and it is also important you stay away from anything that can cause further damage to the kidney.
Learn more about medical abbreviations and terminologies using Stedman’s Medical Dictionary.
Also, Read; What Does ADR Medical Abbreviation Stand For
Wow, very educative.
Keep up the good work