CTP Organ Recovery & Procurement Logistics 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary role of a procurement coordinator during the organ recovery process?
- Perform the surgical organ recovery
- Coordinate timing and communication between the donor hospital, OPO, and transplant centers (Correct answer)
- Administer immunosuppressive drugs to the donor
- Evaluate HLA compatibility between donor and recipient
Correct answer: Coordinate timing and communication between the donor hospital, OPO, and transplant centers
The procurement coordinator's primary function is to synchronize logistics among the donor hospital, OPO, and receiving transplant centers to minimize ischemia time.
Question 2: Which organization manages the national organ waiting list and allocation policies in the United States?
- American Society of Transplant Surgeons (ASTS)
- United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) (Correct answer)
- Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO)
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
Correct answer: United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS)
UNOS operates the OPTN under contract with HRSA and is responsible for managing the national transplant waiting list and setting allocation policies.
Question 3: Cold ischemia time in organ procurement is defined as the period from:
- Donor cardiac arrest to surgical incision
- Organ cooling/flushing with preservation solution to reperfusion in the recipient (Correct answer)
- Brain death declaration to organ recovery
- Operating room entry to organ packaging
Correct answer: Organ cooling/flushing with preservation solution to reperfusion in the recipient
Cold ischemia time begins when the organ is cooled by flushing with preservation solution and ends when blood flow is restored in the recipient.
Question 4: For urgent long-distance organ transport in the US, which method is most commonly used to maintain scheduling control and minimize transit time?
- Ground ambulance
- Commercial airline
- Chartered aircraft (Correct answer)
- Helicopter
Correct answer: Chartered aircraft
Chartered aircraft are preferred for long-distance organ transport because they offer flexible scheduling and minimize delays compared to commercial flights.
Question 5: What is the generally accepted maximum cold ischemia time for a kidney to preserve acceptable transplant outcomes?
- 6–12 hours
- 12–18 hours
- 24–36 hours (Correct answer)
- 48–72 hours
Correct answer: 24–36 hours
Kidneys can typically tolerate 24–36 hours of cold ischemia, though outcomes are best with shorter times; this is longer than heart or liver tolerance.
Question 6: After brain death is declared, what is the correct first step in organ procurement logistics?
- Contact the recipient transplant center directly
- Begin organ preservation with flush solution immediately
- Notify the Organ Procurement Organization (OPO) (Correct answer)
- Schedule the operating room for recovery
Correct answer: Notify the Organ Procurement Organization (OPO)
The OPO must be notified first after brain death declaration because they coordinate all subsequent procurement, allocation, and logistical activities.
Question 7: Which document must accompany an organ during transport to ensure proper chain of custody and correct delivery?
- Donor's medical insurance information
- Organ-specific transport label with unique identifier and match data (Correct answer)
- Recipient's personal identification documents
- Surgical team license credentials
Correct answer: Organ-specific transport label with unique identifier and match data
Each organ must travel with a transport label containing a unique identifier and match data to ensure accurate tracking and verification throughout the chain of custody.
CTP Organ Recovery & Procurement Logistics 1
What is the primary role of a procurement coordinator during the organ recovery process?