Deceased-donor organ transplantation: knowledge and attitudes among health care professionals managing critically ill patients in Karachi

Objectives: Adequate knowledge and positive attitudes of health care professionals regarding deceased-donor organ transplants lead to higher donation consent rates. This study assessed the knowledge and attitudes of health care professionals toward this issue in the light of recent organ transplant legislation in Pakistan. Materials and Methods: Health care professionals in critical care areas of 2 hospitals in Karachi were selected (n=243) and asked to complete a questionnaire regarding their knowledge and attitudes toward deceased-donor organ transplants. Results: In all, 58.8% of the participants were physicians and 41.2% were nurses; 91.4% correctly identified brain death; 51.5% expressed support for deceased-donor organ transplants; 56.8% had concerns of religious rulings against deceased organ donation; 67.5% felt that a government body could not run such a system fairly; 56.4% of the respondents would consider receiving a deceased-donor organ if needed, but only 35.3% would donate after their own death. Only 42.7% and 37% were willing to approach patients and families for consent for a deceased-donor organ transplant, respectively. Most of those unwilling felt that the patient could refuse, become upset and aggressive, and lose trust in the health care professionals. Conclusions: Before implementing a deceased-donor organ transplant system in hospitals, health care professionals should attend a training program regarding their concerns. This would increase motivation when approaching patients/patients’ families for consent, thus increasing deceased-donor consent rates