Organ donation after cardiac death in children: acceptance of a protocol by multidisciplinary staff

Abstract

Background: Organ donation after cardiac death is increasingly implemented, with outcomes similar to those of organ donation after brain death. Many hospitals hesitate to implement a protocol for donation after cardiac death because of the potential negative reactions among health care providers.

Objectives: To determine the acceptance of a protocol for donation after cardiac death among multidisciplinary staff in a pediatric intensive care unit.

Methods: An anonymous, 15-question, Likert-scale questionnaire (scores 1-5) was used to determine the opinions of staff about donation after brain death and after cardiac death in a pediatric intensive care unit of a tertiary-care university hospital.

Results: Survey response rate was 67% (n = 60). All physicians, 89% of nurses, and 82% of the remaining staff members stated that they understood the difference between donation after brain death and donation after cardiac death; staff supported both types of donation, at rates of 90% and 85%, respectively. Staff perception was the same for each type of donation (ρ = 0.82; r = 0.92; P < .001). The 20 staff members who provided care directly to patients who were donors after cardiac death considered such donation worthwhile. However, 60% of those providers offered suggestions to improve the established protocol for donation.

Conclusions: The multidisciplinary staff has accepted organ donation after cardiac death and has fully integrated this kind of donation without reported differences from their acceptance of donation after brain death.