Shortage of donation despite an adequate number of donors: a professional attitude?

BACKGROUND: A major problem in the field of transplantation is the persistent shortage of donor organs and tissues for transplantation. This study was initiated to (1) chart the donor potential for organs and tissue in The Netherlands and (2) to identify factors influencing whether donation is disc...

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Main Authors: Ploeg, R, Niesing, J, Sieber-Rasch, M, Willems, L, Kranenburg, K, Geertsma, A
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: 2003
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author Ploeg, R
Niesing, J
Sieber-Rasch, M
Willems, L
Kranenburg, K
Geertsma, A
author_facet Ploeg, R
Niesing, J
Sieber-Rasch, M
Willems, L
Kranenburg, K
Geertsma, A
author_sort Ploeg, R
collection OXFORD
description BACKGROUND: A major problem in the field of transplantation is the persistent shortage of donor organs and tissues for transplantation. This study was initiated to (1) chart the donor potential for organs and tissue in The Netherlands and (2) to identify factors influencing whether donation is discussed with next of kin. METHODS: A registration form was constructed to obtain information at time of death of patients about the demographic characteristics, diagnosis, and medical suitability for donation. A prospective study was conducted among 11 hospitals in The Netherlands that gathered 4,877 filled-in forms equaling 8% to 10% of the people dying in a hospital in The Netherlands per year. RESULTS: In the year of the study, organs were retrieved from 22 donors and tissues from 264 donors in the 11 hospitals. The organ potential is estimated at a maximum of 38.7 per million population per year. A mere 5% of the physicians got a 100% score on criteria and contraindications for donation. Factors of influence on receiving consent for donation were the will of the donor, using a protocol, giving verbal information to the relatives, and presence of the partner of the deceased patient. For 26% of the potential tissue donors and 69% of the potential organ donors, donation was discussed with the relatives. Consent for tissue donation was obtained in 27%, and consent for organ donation was obtained in 60%. CONCLUSIONS: In The Netherlands, when taking into account current refusal percentages, 320 to 360 organ donations and 5,800 tissue donations could be effectuated if organ donation is posed to all possible donors. For this, knowledge of medical criteria and contraindications for donation by the physicians and their willingness to discuss donation with next of kin must be improved.
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spelling oxford-uuid:6bd382ed-5bf2-4e0a-a7ab-2ad474ef5c742022-03-26T19:06:40ZShortage of donation despite an adequate number of donors: a professional attitude?Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:6bd382ed-5bf2-4e0a-a7ab-2ad474ef5c74EnglishSymplectic Elements at Oxford2003Ploeg, RNiesing, JSieber-Rasch, MWillems, LKranenburg, KGeertsma, A BACKGROUND: A major problem in the field of transplantation is the persistent shortage of donor organs and tissues for transplantation. This study was initiated to (1) chart the donor potential for organs and tissue in The Netherlands and (2) to identify factors influencing whether donation is discussed with next of kin. METHODS: A registration form was constructed to obtain information at time of death of patients about the demographic characteristics, diagnosis, and medical suitability for donation. A prospective study was conducted among 11 hospitals in The Netherlands that gathered 4,877 filled-in forms equaling 8% to 10% of the people dying in a hospital in The Netherlands per year. RESULTS: In the year of the study, organs were retrieved from 22 donors and tissues from 264 donors in the 11 hospitals. The organ potential is estimated at a maximum of 38.7 per million population per year. A mere 5% of the physicians got a 100% score on criteria and contraindications for donation. Factors of influence on receiving consent for donation were the will of the donor, using a protocol, giving verbal information to the relatives, and presence of the partner of the deceased patient. For 26% of the potential tissue donors and 69% of the potential organ donors, donation was discussed with the relatives. Consent for tissue donation was obtained in 27%, and consent for organ donation was obtained in 60%. CONCLUSIONS: In The Netherlands, when taking into account current refusal percentages, 320 to 360 organ donations and 5,800 tissue donations could be effectuated if organ donation is posed to all possible donors. For this, knowledge of medical criteria and contraindications for donation by the physicians and their willingness to discuss donation with next of kin must be improved.
spellingShingle Ploeg, R
Niesing, J
Sieber-Rasch, M
Willems, L
Kranenburg, K
Geertsma, A
Shortage of donation despite an adequate number of donors: a professional attitude?
title Shortage of donation despite an adequate number of donors: a professional attitude?
title_full Shortage of donation despite an adequate number of donors: a professional attitude?
title_fullStr Shortage of donation despite an adequate number of donors: a professional attitude?
title_full_unstemmed Shortage of donation despite an adequate number of donors: a professional attitude?
title_short Shortage of donation despite an adequate number of donors: a professional attitude?
title_sort shortage of donation despite an adequate number of donors a professional attitude
work_keys_str_mv AT ploegr shortageofdonationdespiteanadequatenumberofdonorsaprofessionalattitude
AT niesingj shortageofdonationdespiteanadequatenumberofdonorsaprofessionalattitude
AT sieberraschm shortageofdonationdespiteanadequatenumberofdonorsaprofessionalattitude
AT willemsl shortageofdonationdespiteanadequatenumberofdonorsaprofessionalattitude
AT kranenburgk shortageofdonationdespiteanadequatenumberofdonorsaprofessionalattitude
AT geertsmaa shortageofdonationdespiteanadequatenumberofdonorsaprofessionalattitude