Engaging Northern Ireland secondary school students on organ donation and kidney transplantation awareness

World Kidney Day 2012: The Global Role of Kidney Transplantation

Organ Trafficking: Global Solutions for a Global Problem

Over the decade between 2003 and 2012, the UK has seen major changes in how organ donation and transplantation is delivered. The number of deceased organ donors has increased from 709 (12.0 per million population [pmp]) to 1,164 (18.3 pmp); this increase has been predominantly a result of an increase in donors after circulatory death (DCD) (from 1.1 pmp to 7.9 pmp) while the numbers of donors after brain death (DBD) has remained broadly stable (around 10.5 pmp). The donor population has become older (from 14% 60 years or over to 35%) and heavier (from 14% with body mass index >=30 kg/m2 to 23%). Despite these changes in demographic factors, the number of organs retrieved from DBD donors has risen from a mean of 3.6 to 4.0 per donor and for DCD donors from 2.2 to 2.6. The number of transplants in adults in 2012 was 2,709 (967 DBD, 708 DCD, and 1,034 living) for kidney alone, 246 pancreas (including 172 kidney and pancreas), 792 (611 DBD, 142 DCD, 36 living, and 3 domino) for liver, 136 for heart only, and 179 (145 DBD and 34 DCD) for lung only. Median waiting times to transplant for adult patients were 1,167, 339, 141, 293, and 311 days, respectively. The proportion of adult non-urgent registrants in 2009 (2007 for kidneys) who were removed from the waiting list or died awaiting a graft within 1 year was 3% for kidneys, 6% for pancreas, 19% for liver, 27% for heart, and 24% for lung. Outcomes after solid organ transplants are improving; for adult patients grafted between 2003 and 2005, 5-year graft survival for kidney is 84% (DBD), 87% (DCD), and 92% (living donor), for simultaneous kidney and pancreas 72%, and for pancreas alone 50% (DBD). Five-year patient survival for liver is 77% (DBD) and 68% (DCD), heart 67%, and lung 52% (DBD). Although rates of organ donation and transplantation have increased in the UK, this has been almost solely because of a rise in DCD donation. Although donor age and weight is increasing, graft survival has generally improved. Despite a recent fall in the number of patients on the transplant waiting list, there remains a significant gap between the need for transplantation and the number of organs available from deceased and living donors. The implementation of a new strategy following the recommendations of the Organ Donation Task Force in 2008 has had a major impact in bringing together clinicians involved in both organ donation and transplantation, and these changes and clinical enthusiasm have been instrumental in achieving success. With an emphasis on the need to increase the family consent rate for organ donation, which has failed to show any improvement over the last 5 years, a new UK strategy for organ donation and transplantation, introduced in 2013, will further increase organ transplantation in the UK.

Targeting Inequities in Kidney Transplantation

End-stage kidney disease in the USA: possible solutions

World Kidney Day: An Idea Whose Time Has Come

Saving lives is more important than abstract moral concerns: financial incentives should be used to increase organ donation.

Little is known about factors that influence attitudes and beliefs about organ and tissue donation among health science college students. To assess health sciences college students' knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about organ donation and to determine if an educational session increases awareness and influences their attitudes and beliefs related to organ donation. Quantitative quasi-experimental study with semistructured questions administered to a convenience sample. School of health sciences in a large, urban, multicultural community college in Ontario, Canada. 240 health sciences' college students from 6 academic programs: bachelor of nursing from first and fourth year, practical nursing, paramedic, funeral services, and occupational therapy/physical therapy assistant. An educational session and 7-minute audiovisual presentation on organ donation. The educational session included a 20-minute PowerPoint presentation addressing statistics of organ and tissue need and donation; types of donation--deceased (brain-dead), live, and tissue; clarification on the criteria for brain death; donor cards; family consent, including clarification that the family member has the ultimate decision to sign it and the importance of communicating one's wishes to one's family; and religious beliefs and common myths and misconceptions. Of 235 students who completed the postintervention survey, 86% (n = 202) were more aware of organ donation, and 85% (n = 199) were more aware of living donation. Awareness of the need for family consent for donation increased significantly (from 52% to 96%, P < .001). The percentage of participants willing to donate their organs increased from 52% to 63% (n = 26, P < .01). Among the 20% of participants (n = 47) who responded that they would not donate their organs, the predominant rationale was "fear." Educational sessions in the health sciences curriculum can increase awareness of organ and tissue donation.

Clinical practice guidelines for the provision of renal service in Hong Kong: Potential Kidney Transplant Recipient Wait-listing and Evaluation, Deceased Kidney Donor Evaluation, and Kidney Transplant Postoperative Care.

Little is known about factors that influence attitudes and beliefs about organ and tissue donation among health science college students. To assess health sciences college students' knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about organ donation and to determine if an educational session increases awareness and influences their attitudes and beliefs related to organ donation. Quantitative quasi-experimental study with semistructured questions administered to a convenience sample. School of health sciences in a large, urban, multicultural community college in Ontario, Canada. 240 health sciences' college students from 6 academic programs: bachelor of nursing from first and fourth year, practical nursing, paramedic, funeral services, and occupational therapy/physical therapy assistant. An educational session and 7-minute audiovisual presentation on organ donation. The educational session included a 20-minute PowerPoint presentation addressing statistics of organ and tissue need and donation; types of donation--deceased (brain-dead), live, and tissue; clarification on the criteria for brain death; donor cards; family consent, including clarification that the family member has the ultimate decision to sign it and the importance of communicating one's wishes to one's family; and religious beliefs and common myths and misconceptions. Of 235 students who completed the postintervention survey, 86% (n = 202) were more aware of organ donation, and 85% (n = 199) were more aware of living donation. Awareness of the need for family consent for donation increased significantly (from 52% to 96%, P < .001). The percentage of participants willing to donate their organs increased from 52% to 63% (n = 26, P < .01). Among the 20% of participants (n = 47) who responded that they would not donate their organs, the predominant rationale was "fear." Educational sessions in the health sciences curriculum can increase awareness of organ and tissue donation.

Summary of the Third International Workshop on Clinical Tolerance.

Impact of the Educational Resource One Life … Many Gifts on Attitudes of Secondary School Students Towards Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation

Donor evaluation in the era of HIV-positive organ transplantation: The importance of the infectious diseases specialist.

Organ Transplantation in Syria.

Simultaneous en-bloc pancreas and kidney transplantation from a small pediatric donor after circulatory death.