New data challenge the common practice of levothyroxine administration in potential heart donors after brain death to preserve heart function and make more hearts available for transplantation.
Washington University in St. Louis physician Raj Dhar, MD, co-led a study that showed that the long-standing practice of treating deceased organ donors with thyroid hormone does not help preserve heart function, may cause harm and should be discontinued.
A trial randomizing brain-dead donor hearts to levothyroxine administration or saline has returned results challenging conventional wisdom on the topic, with data indicating thyroid hormone administration may provide no significant benefit.
Doctors managing deceased organ donors routinely treat the donors' bodies with thyroid hormones in a bid to preserve heart function and increase the quantity and quality of hearts and other organs available for transplantation.