Table 2.1

Deceased Donor Characteristics, 1996 to 2005

Deceased Donors of Any Organ

Mechanism of Death Year
1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Total 5,418 5,479 5,793 5,824 5,985 6,080 6,190 6,457 7,150 7,593
Drowning 38 34 63 48 40 56 41 31 61 56
Seizure 41 34 46 32 39 43 37 54 47 55
Drug Intoxication 57 47 70 65 66 84 107 138 188 156
Asphyxiation 156 128 150 153 138 148 141 120 158 174
Cardiovascular 208 234 258 310 332 382 409 503 623 715
Gunshot/Stab 739 695 635 621 612 632 608 644 670 758
Blunt Injury 1,641 1,685 1,709 1,653 1,760 1,718 1,805 1,792 1,910 1,949
SIDS 5 12 8 3 8 4 6 9 8 13
Intracranial Hemorrhage/Stroke 2,323 2,394 2,618 2,705 2,799 2,783 2,822 2,903 3,218 3,360
Natural Causes - 2 3 20 41 62 63 93 89 84
Other 180 194 200 200 149 167 151 170 176 225
Unknown 30 20 33 14 1 1 - - 2 48
Total (%) 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
Drowning 0.7% 0.6% 1.1% 0.8% 0.7% 0.9% 0.7% 0.5% 0.9% 0.7%
Seizure 0.8% 0.6% 0.8% 0.5% 0.7% 0.7% 0.6% 0.8% 0.7% 0.7%
Drug Intoxication 1.1% 0.9% 1.2% 1.1% 1.1% 1.4% 1.7% 2.1% 2.6% 2.1%
Asphyxiation 2.9% 2.3% 2.6% 2.6% 2.3% 2.4% 2.3% 1.9% 2.2% 2.3%
Cardiovascular 3.8% 4.3% 4.5% 5.3% 5.5% 6.3% 6.6% 7.8% 8.7% 9.4%
Gunshot/Stab 13.6% 12.7% 11.0% 10.7% 10.2% 10.4% 9.8% 10.0% 9.4% 10.0%
Blunt Injury 30.3% 30.8% 29.5% 28.4% 29.4% 28.3% 29.2% 27.8% 26.7% 25.7%
SIDS 0.1% 0.2% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.2%
Intracranial Hemorrhage/Stroke 42.9% 43.7% 45.2% 46.4% 46.8% 45.8% 45.6% 45.0% 45.0% 44.3%
Natural Causes - 0.0% 0.1% 0.3% 0.7% 1.0% 1.0% 1.4% 1.2% 1.1%
Other 3.3% 3.5% 3.5% 3.4% 2.5% 2.7% 2.4% 2.6% 2.5% 3.0%
Unknown 0.6% 0.4% 0.6% 0.2% 0.0% 0.0% - - 0.0% 0.6%


Source: OPTN/SRTR Data as of May 1, 2006.

(%) = 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.