The topic will be discussed this afternoon at the Ordem dos Médicos (OM) in the context of the Maastricht III Clarification Day, an event organized by the Committee for the Regulation of Organ Harvesting from Donors in Controlled Cardio-Circulatory Arrest (Maastricht III) of the OM.
“The aim of this committee is to fill a gap that exists in organ donation in Portugal, specifically in its regulation. In practically the entire western world, there is this type of organ donation known as the Maastricht category 3, which makes a very significant contribution to organ donation in various countries,” explained Eduardo Sousa, coordinator of the OM working group.
The intensivist noted that Maastricht III is incorporated into end-of-life care, meaning good end-of-life care practices.
“Every day, in intensive care units, there are unfortunately situations that do not go well. There are cases where treatment did not succeed, and the patient’s condition continues to deteriorate. Medical teams then conclude that all therapeutic efforts are futile. This is communicated to the family, and normally these treatments are suspended, leading to the patient’s death. These situations can be directed towards organ donation,” noted Sousa.
Eduardo Sousa mentioned that a document is being prepared, to be completed by the end of June, which will modify the current directives and include other Maastricht categories in organ donation.
Currently, in Portugal, organ harvesting, including kidneys, liver, lungs, heart, or pancreas, can only be performed on donors where death occurs from circulatory causes not controlled by the medical team, such as unsuccessful cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
Once finalized, this text will be presented to the National Council of Ethics for the Life Sciences (CNECV) and submitted to the Ministry of Health for review.
Despite more than 2,000 people waiting for transplants, Sousa described Portugal as an exemplary country regarding organ donation.
“In the last two years, we have reached the highest numbers ever in terms of organ donation in Portugal. Therefore, it is currently very challenging to improve these figures. What we need to do is explore this Maastricht category 3 donation path,” Sousa added.
OM president Carlos Cortes emphasized that this is a discussion that has been ongoing for over a decade and is already practiced in several European countries such as Spain, the United Kingdom, France, and Belgium, as well as in Canada and the United States.
“There is a need to find technical models that allow for more and viable organs. Maastricht III will further enhance organ donation in Portugal for those in need,” he stressed.
