RICHMOND, Va.-New statistics from the United Network for Organ Sharing bring both good news and bad news.
While the number of living organ donors in the United States continued to rise from 1998 to 1999, the same period saw a 19% increase in the number of patients who died while awaiting an organ transplant.
UNOS (www.unos.org) released preliminary data on April 18. All of the following data represent changes that occurred from 1998 to 1999.
* The number of living donors rose more than 5%, from 4391 to 4627. Living liver donation more than tripled, from 56 to 173.
* The preliminary number of cadaveric donors increased slightly, from 5802 to 5812, but UNOS said the 1999 number is likely to grow as more data become available.
* The number of patients who died while waiting for an organ transplant grew from 5034 to 6012, or 19%. The number of patients waiting for an organ transplant grew 12%, from 60,656 at the end of 1998 to 67,755 at the end of 1999.
* The preliminary number of organ transplants increased from 21,255 to 21,990, or more than 3%, which UNOS said was the largest one-year increase since 1995.
* The number of transplants increased for all organs except the heart. The number of heart transplants fell to 2185, the lowest level since 1992.
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