Table 2.6

Deceased Donor Characteristics, 1995 to 2004

Heart Donors

Mechanism of Death Year
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
Total 2,491 2,462 2,426 2,448 2,316 2,283 2,276 2,223 2,120 2,096
Drowning 11 11 12 29 22 14 20 12 11 23
Seizure 20 17 17 23 15 15 9 18 17 13
Drug Intoxication 24 30 20 35 29 25 47 41 55 57
Asphyxiation 73 74 65 65 63 58 59 47 45 49
Cardiovascular 32 42 41 45 74 73 91 84 78 90
Gunshot/Stab 519 486 439 408 370 374 367 356 359 348
Blunt Injury 933 970 992 973 900 898 922 913 869 870
SIDS 9 3 9 5 1 3 3 4 5 4
Intracranial Hemorrhage/Stroke 722 728 733 754 722 746 677 667 589 567
Natural Causes - - - 2 8 14 18 17 26 21
Other 145 86 88 95 106 63 63 64 66 53
Unknown 3 15 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 0.4% 0.4% 0.5% 1.2% 0.9% 0.6% 0.9% 0.5% 0.5% 1.1%
Seizure 0.8% 0.7% 0.7% 0.9% 0.6% 0.7% 0.4% 0.8% 0.8% 0.6%
Drug Intoxication 1.0% 1.2% 0.8% 1.4% 1.3% 1.1% 2.1% 1.8% 2.6% 2.7%
Asphyxiation 2.9% 3.0% 2.7% 2.7% 2.7% 2.5% 2.6% 2.1% 2.1% 2.3%
Cardiovascular 1.3% 1.7% 1.7% 1.8% 3.2% 3.2% 4.0% 3.8% 3.7% 4.3%
Gunshot/Stab 20.8% 19.7% 18.1% 16.7% 16.0% 16.4% 16.1% 16.0% 16.9% 16.6%
Blunt Injury 37.5% 39.4% 40.9% 39.7% 38.9% 39.3% 40.5% 41.1% 41.0% 41.5%
SIDS 0.4% 0.1% 0.4% 0.2% 0.0% 0.1% 0.1% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2%
Intracranial Hemorrhage/Stroke 29.0% 29.6% 30.2% 30.8% 31.2% 32.7% 29.7% 30.0% 27.8% 27.1%
Natural Causes - - - 0.1% 0.3% 0.6% 0.8% 0.8% 1.2% 1.0%
Other 5.8% 3.5% 3.6% 3.9% 4.6% 2.8% 2.8% 2.9% 3.1% 2.5%
Unknown 0.1% 0.6% 0.4% 0.6% 0.3% - - - - 0.0%


Source: OPTN/SRTR Data as of May 2, 2005.

(%) = 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 organsare presented in Section 3, Deceased Donor Organ Recovery and Disposition.