Report: Canadian Eye and Tissue Data Committee 2018

National System Performance data - 2018

Beginning in 2012, Canadian Blood Services, on behalf of the Eye and Tissue Data Committee (ETDC), received data submissions from all Canadian eye and tissue programs. Data definitions were established and data training delivered to the Canadian eye and tissue community.

Canadian Blood Services maintains and collates data for review by the ETDC. Each year a summary report is generated. The purpose of this report is to provide information and insights into the Canadian recovery, processing and distribution of ocular and tissue allografts across Canada.

Prospective data collection was initiated in 2012. In 2018, data was submitted from 16 eye and tissue banks and one recovery program representing a census of all Canadian eye and tissue banking activity (results were not available for select metrics for certain programs, as indicated). Data on allografts imported by Canadian tissue banks from the United States was available for the first time in 2016; however, data on allografts imported directly by Canadian hospitals from the United States is not readily available.

National results on key metrics

  • In 2018, Canadian eye and tissue banks received 53,925 deceased donor referrals for potential tissue donation, which represents a 7% increase relative to 2017; 57% of those approached consented to tissue donation, based on data from 10,082 approaches.
  • Hospitals were the referring agency for 82% of referrals for actual deceased donors in 2018, as was the case in 2017. The second largest source, accounting for 7% of referrals in 2018, was extended care facilities such as nursing homes and hospices.
  • In 2018, tissue was recovered from 4,627 deceased donors, representing a 2% increase from the previous year. Tissue was recovered from 197 living donors, a 50% decrease from 2017.
  • Results relating to ocular tissues in 2018 were generally comparable to 2017 results; there was a 2% increase in the number of donors from whom ocular tissue was recovered in 2018 (n=4,469) relative to the previous year, and a 2% increase in ocular production for transplant, with 2018 seeing the release of 4,780 corneas for transplant.

Report (available upon request)