Attitudes Toward Organ Donation Among Relatives of the Patients Who Are Being Followed Up in Intensive Care and Dialysis Units.

INTRODUCTION: This study sought to investigate attitudes toward organ donation (OD) among the relatives of patients who are being followed up in intensive care units (ICU) and dialysis units.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted with relatives of the patients who were being followed up in hemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD) units and Neurosurgery, Neurology, Anesthesia, and Reanimation ICUs of Adana Numune Research and Training Hospital. A questionnaire investigating sociodemographic data and knowledge level about OD and an attitude scale about OD was applied with face-to-face interviews.

RESULTS: A total of 111 subjects (50 from ICU, 61 from HD and PD units) participated in the study. Mean age was 42.7 ± 13.4 years, 63 (56.8%) were female, 84 (75.7%) were married; education level was low for 49 (44.1%), moderate for 41 (36.9%), and high for 21 (18.9%) subjects; 53 (47.7%) patients were waiting for OD. It was found that sufficient knowledge was low, OD was not unfavorable according to religious beliefs, they knew little about the fact that OD is legally available, and promotions about OD are insufficient in our country. Mean score of Attitudes Toward Organ Donation Scale was 58.6 ± 11.2, and was lower among females (55.7 ± 11.7) compared to males (t = 3.177, P = .002).

CONCLUSIONS: Education and promotion activities would decrease the refusal rate, which is the main obstacle against OD from cadavers, a procedure that has quite low rate in our country. Organ transplantations may increase with providing sufficient knowledge about the laws concerned and general considerations.