11.1 The NOTIFY database as a reference for unusual donor suitability questions

As the database has grown along with the participation with health care professionals, it has become more and more apparent that the information available to transplant coordinators and practitioners would be a valuable resource for addressing donor suitability issues. Although the well-known risks of donor derived infections and malignancies can be addressed through well-designed questionnaires used to interview either living donors or families and next of kin of deceased donors, each donation event can present with unique challenges to those who must make quick decisions, often in the middle of the night when access to experts is limited. In addition, the rare occurrences, which have been captured in the database, can provide insight to the eligibility of the donor. In the short time that the system has been in development, it has already been utilized in that regard.