Organ Donation/transplantation

Question 1

Why is deceased organ donation important?

Answer 1

3 people die every day waiting for a transplant

Living donation does not provide enough organs

Desirable to increase rates of deceased donation

Question 2

Organ donation presents ethical and legal issues, these can affect:

Answer 2

Potential organ donors
Potential organ recipients
Relatives
Medical staff
Wider community

Question 3

Diagnosis of death, issues…

Answer 3

Currently no statutory definition of death in the UK

need to have ‘living organs’ in ‘good condition ‘… but donor needs to be dead

Dying is a process - involves irreversible changes to the brain, resulting in irreversible loss of consciousness and irreversible loss of capacity to breathe

Question 4

Consent and organ donation.. what counts as consent?

Answer 4

Consent is an absolute requirement

HTA states appropriate consent must be obtained before organs used

Joining the organ donor register can count as appropriate consent

Question 5

Explain some difficulties with consent in organ donation?

Answer 5

It may not be clear whether patient wanted to be a donor or not

There may be disagreements amongst family members

How informed was the consent?

Question 6

Difficulties with best interest…

Answer 6

Changing the way a person dies … some benefits of DBD rather than DCD

Retrieval of organs before patient is dead - is this in best interests?

Question 7

How does diagnosis of death affect the organ donation process?

Answer 7

Affects which organs can be donated - potential no heart donation in DCD

The quality of organs when they are received

Question 8

Explain treatment to facilitate donation

Answer 8

Certain interventions may be necessary e.g. blood tests, temporary continued ventilation, place of withdrawal of treatment

In case of DCD they are still alive

Falls under MCA - if patient wishes to be organ donor then treatment to facilitate can be considered in their best interests

Question 9

Human tissue act refers to…

Answer 9

Anatomical exam

Determining cause of death

Public display

Transplantation

Education/training relating to human health

Question 10

HTA 2004 is a legal framework which…

Answer 10

Regulates the use, storage and removal of human tissue in England, Wales and NI

Question 11

Human tissue act established a regulatory body - human tissue authority - what is the function of the human tissue authority?

Answer 11

Issue codes of practice

Issue licenses and inspect establishments

Approve living organ and tissue donation

Regulates activity involving: removal, storage, use and disposal of human tissue

Question 12

Human tissue act is founded on 4 principles

Answer 12

Consent

Dignity

Quality

Honesty and openness

Question 13

Human tissue act code of practices

C

E

Answer 13

Code of practice C = concerns anatomical examination

Code of practice E = concerns research