Key points:

1. remember the trigger – GIVE – GCS <5; Intubated, Ventilated, End of life care
2. Acute intracerebral catastrophe (eg bleed) is the most likely ED scenario wherein donation may be considered
3. patient’s wishes regarding donation can be unknown to their family and must be broached sensitively
4. discussions regarding donation may be appropriately deferred to the ICU team or the on-call Donation co-ordinator (phone number found via ICU) to maintain separation between ED care-givers and the Donation team
5. Brain death testing is usually deferred to ICU
6. Donation after circulatory death is an extremely unlikely ED outcome
7. observe the fewer absolute contraindications to donation eg. active malignancy, HIV, age > 80