Comparison of Different Organ Storage Techniques for Transplantation: Experimental Study - Abstract
Objectives: The aim is to compare techniques of storage organs for transplantation. The ideal range of temperature is between 2 and 6 oC.
Methods: Six storage techniques were tested: 1- Standard: set of plastic bags filled with preservation solution and immersed in a thermal box (34 liters) filled with cubed ice; 2- Standard + plastic pot: plastic pot wrapping bags before immersion in ice; 3- Standard + metal box: metal box involving bags before immersion in ice; 4- Standard + crushed ice: Crushed ice instead of cubes; 5- Standard + ice bar: Ice bars instead of cubes; 6- High volume box: Standard in a 50 liter cooler. Variables: a) Temperature inside de plastic bags, the box and the room; b) time to reach the lower temperature; c) time of the temperature within the ideal range. One-way ANOVA was used to compare means, with Tukey’s post hoc test and 5% of significance.
Results: Each assay was repeated ten times. All groups presented mean temperature inside the bags bellow the expected range, although the group 5 was higher than 2 (p=0.014) and 6 (p=0.006). The group 5 also presented higher temperature inside the box than group 1 (p=0.03), 2 (p=0.007), 4 (p=0.016) and 6 (p=0.001). There was no difference between the groups regarding to neither room temperatures (p=0.106) nor the time to reach the nadir of temperature (p=0.395). The time within the ideal range of temperature were higher in group 5 when compared to group 2 (p=0.027) and 6 (p=0.026).
Conclusions: Storage in thermal box, regardless of the technique, results in temperatures below the ideal range most of the time. Technical variations do not significantly impact on temperature inside the organ packaging, although using of bar ice leads to a closer approximation of the ideal range.