Regulation on organ and tissue donation: the thoughts of the professionals working in intensive Care Units

Abstract

Objective: Assess the knowledge of health professionals on the legislation of organ donation. Methods: The study was composed by a survey on the knowledge of doctors and nurses working in intensive care units (ICU) of hospitals integrating the OPO/EPM (Organ Procurement Organization/Escola Paulista de Medicina) on organ donation in Brazil. The sample was consisted by 40 ICU health professionals (18 nurses, 22 doctors) in a Sao Paulo City’s public hospital. The research instrument was composed by closed question questionnaires based on the Brazilian legislation. Results: 83.3% of nurses x 86.4% of doctors asserted to have acquired their knowledge on transplants in the College; they are aware that the donation is consented (77.7% nurses x 81.8% doctors), but 55.5% of nurses think is mandatory to have such will registered in a notary's office; 100% are aware that the encephalic death - ED diagnosis is mandatory to donation; all doctors and 94.5% of nurses are aware what ED means; 91.0% of doctors and 88.9% of nurses are aware on who must perform the ED diagnosis; 40.9% of nurses x 38.8% of doctors had identified apperceptive coma as the major element to the clinical examination in ED patients; 61.1% of nurses and 72.7% of doctors asserted to be aware that the notification is mandatory in cases of encephalic death. Conclusion: Results show that the professionals have partial knowledge on the encephalic death diagnosis, type of donation, responsibility on the notification, and only 25% professionals have already made a notification.