Table 2.4

Deceased Donor Characteristics, 1996 to 2005

Liver Donors

Mechanism of Death Year
1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Total 4,463 4,600 4,843 4,947 4,997 5,106 5,294 5,682 6,320 6,690
Drowning 30 31 53 42 34 46 33 26 56 51
Seizure 31 26 36 20 33 37 30 47 36 43
Drug Intoxication 38 34 47 44 45 55 80 112 151 128
Asphyxiation 126 104 120 116 105 108 109 97 134 159
Cardiovascular 151 173 198 245 240 291 317 420 514 608
Gunshot/Stab 646 626 566 562 543 568 554 605 621 699
Blunt Injury 1,362 1,473 1,476 1,450 1,517 1,479 1,588 1,603 1,736 1,740
SIDS 5 6 4 3 8 2 5 8 8 10
Intracranial Hemorrhage/Stroke 1,907 1,959 2,159 2,281 2,314 2,330 2,403 2,547 2,831 2,945
Natural Causes - 1 2 17 35 53 51 81 75 78
Other 142 152 155 157 122 136 124 136 156 186
Unknown 25 15 27 10 1 1 - - 2 43
Total (%) 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
Drowning 0.7% 0.7% 1.1% 0.8% 0.7% 0.9% 0.6% 0.5% 0.9% 0.8%
Seizure 0.7% 0.6% 0.7% 0.4% 0.7% 0.7% 0.6% 0.8% 0.6% 0.6%
Drug Intoxication 0.9% 0.7% 1.0% 0.9% 0.9% 1.1% 1.5% 2.0% 2.4% 1.9%
Asphyxiation 2.8% 2.3% 2.5% 2.3% 2.1% 2.1% 2.1% 1.7% 2.1% 2.4%
Cardiovascular 3.4% 3.8% 4.1% 5.0% 4.8% 5.7% 6.0% 7.4% 8.1% 9.1%
Gunshot/Stab 14.5% 13.6% 11.7% 11.4% 10.9% 11.1% 10.5% 10.6% 9.8% 10.4%
Blunt Injury 30.5% 32.0% 30.5% 29.3% 30.4% 29.0% 30.0% 28.2% 27.5% 26.0%
SIDS 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.2% 0.0% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1%
Intracranial Hemorrhage/Stroke 42.7% 42.6% 44.6% 46.1% 46.3% 45.6% 45.4% 44.8% 44.8% 44.0%
Natural Causes - 0.0% 0.0% 0.3% 0.7% 1.0% 1.0% 1.4% 1.2% 1.2%
Other 3.2% 3.3% 3.2% 3.2% 2.4% 2.7% 2.3% 2.4% 2.5% 2.8%
Unknown 0.6% 0.3% 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.