Giving the Gift of Life

By Gaines, Kaye K

Every day in so many ways, we care for our patients, our families, our co-workers, and ourselves. We readily share kindness, compassion, and knowledge with others. Many of us encounter life and death situations regularly as we care for our patients. More than a few of us have faced those same situations ourselves due to illness or trauma. One of the most valuable acts of kindness and compassion any of us can perform is to become an organ donor. It’s a simple act, but it may not be a simple decision. Here are a few thoughts about organ donation. As of April 10, 2007, there were 95,931 people on the United States organ transplant waiting list. A new name is added to the list every 10 minutes. Each day, approximately 80 people receive the organ transplant that gives them a second opportunity for a healthy life, but 18 others will die while waiting for a donated organ. In 2006, a total of 5,423 people died waiting for an organ transplant.

Organ Sharing Network

The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN), which is a national organ sharing system that guarantees fairness in the allocation of organs for transplant, was established in 1984. The nonprofit United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) operates the OPTN and maintains a central computer containing the names of all patients waiting for kidney, heart, liver, lung, intestine, pancreas, and multi-organ transplants. UNOS is staffed 24 hours a day to coordinate appropriate placement of donated organs.

In 2006, 28,931 total transplants were performed:

* 17,092 kidney transplants.

* 6,650 liver transplants.

* 462 pancreas transplants.

* 954 kidney-pancreas transplants.

* 175 intestine transplants.

* 2,192 heart transplants.

* 31 heart-lung transplants.

* 1,405 lung transplants.

In addition to these organs that can be transplanted, tissue donation including heart valves, bone, skin, corneas, and connective tissues can be used in many other life-giving medical procedures. Contrary to popular opinion that organs crisscross the continent, 80% of donated organs are transplanted in the same geographic area where they are donated. The vast majority of organ transplants are successful with 5-year survival rates ranging from 50% to 95% (depending on organs and pretransplant disease state of the transplant recipient).

Acceptable organ donors can range in age from newborn to 65 years or older, depending on the organ or tissue type and health of the organs. There is no “mandatory retirement age” for organ donation. It is estimated that about 12,000 people die each year who meet the criteria for organ donation, but less than half that number become organ donors. Each organ donor and tissue donor saves or improves the lives of as many as 50 people. More than a million people benefit from tissue transplants every year.

More than 95% of all American adults approve of organ donation as a viable and life-giving practice. Most religious denominations approve of organ and tissue donation as representing the highest humanitarian ideals and the ultimate charitable act. Yet, there remains a critical shortage of organ donors.

Be a Card-Carrying Donor

It is not complicated or difficult to become an organ donor. All states have some form of the Uniform Anatomical Gift Act that provides individuals 18 years of age or older the right to donate organs and tissue for transplantation. A Uniform Donor Card should be signed and witnessed and/or the “organ donor” designation should be on the donor’s driver’s license. It is very important for potential organ donors to alert family members of the decision to be an organ donor. Most donor organizations request the family’s consent even if there is a signed donor card. Resistant family members can often block organ donation.

Are you already an organ donor? If not, give serious thought to giving the gift of life to as many as 50 people by signing a Uniform Donor Card. Make time to discuss organ donation with family and friends. Take time to talk with your patients when appropriate about organ donation. Remember that by the time you read this, more than 96,000 people will be waiting for a transplant and hoping for a second chance.

Kaye K. Gaines, MSN, ARNP/FNP

Editorial Board Member

Additional Readings

Lifeline of Ohio. (2007). Organ and tissue donation information: Statistics. Retrieved April 10, 2007, from http:// www.llifelineofohio.org/8615 .cfm

Mayo Clinic. (2007). Organ donation: Don’t let myths stand in your way. Retrieved April 6, 2007, from http://www.mayoclinic.com/ health/ organ-donation/FL00077

National Kidney Foundation. (2007). 25 facts about organ donation and transplantation. Retrieved April 6, 2007, from http:// www.kidney.org/news/ newsroom/printfact.cfm?id=30

Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) (2007). Donation and transplantation. Retrieved April 10, 2007, from http:// www.optn. org/about/donation/whoCanBeADon or.asp

OPTN (2007). U.S. transplantation data. Retrieved April 10, 2007, from http://www.optn.org/data

The Gift of a Lifetime. (2007). Understanding donation: The organ transplant waiting list. Retrieved April 10, 2007, from http://www. organtransplants.org/understanding/ unos/

United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) (2007). Organ donation and transplantation: U.S. transplantation data. Retrieved April 10, 2007, from http://www.unos.org/data/default.as p?displayType=usData

Copyright Anthony J. Jannetti, Inc. Jun 2007

(c) 2007 Urologic Nursing. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.