Table 3 Respondents’ knowledge of the different elements in the DCD
DCD knowledge Item (correct Answer per policy) | % Correct | |
|---|---|---|
Nurses | Physicians | |
Non-heart beating donor refers to an individual who has sustained a cardiac arrest and has died(T) | 62.8 | 69.4 |
Non-heart beating individuals are generally not considered candidates for organ donation for transplant(T) | 72.4 | 69.4 |
In conventional organ donation, organs for transplant are retrieved from a brain-dead donor following controlled cardiac arrest in an operating room(T) | 76.6 | 71.4 |
People who experience sudden death at the scene, in transit, or in emergency rooms are potential non-heart beating donors(T) | 61.1 | 55.1 |
Non-heart beating donors are classified based on where death occurs and duration of ischemia to facilitate reporting and interpreting transplant outcomes(T) | 78.6 | 81.6 |
Donor hearts are scarcer than any other solid organ for transplant(F) | 50.3 | 34.7 |
The determination of death can be made by the critical care physician, the transplant team, or the official representative of the organ procurement organization(F) | 22.1 | 18.4 |
Death is declared after the irreversible cessation of circulation and respiration(T) | 84.8 | 85.7 |
An official representative of the organ procurement organization is allowed to participate in the decision to withdraw life support(F) | 27.6 | 30.6 |
Family members are allowed to be present at the time life support is withdrawn until death(T) | 84.8 | 93.9 |
Brain death criteria must also be fulfilled before organ recovery begins(F) | 24.1 | 16.3 |
After life support withdrawal, death must occur within 60 min, after which all organ recovery efforts must be stopped(F) | 40 | 65.3 |
In some instances, organs can be recovered even if circulation does not irreversibly stop(F) | 55.2 | 51 |
Life support can only be withdrawn in the operating room(F) | 60.7 | 53.1 |
Five minutes of continuous pulselessness or Aystole must occur before organ recovery can begin (T) | 65.5 | 57.1 |
In some instances, postmortem procedures such as Reintubation or chest tube insertion may be performed(T) | 60 | 73.5 |
A patient must be on a ventilator to be considered for donation after circulatory death(T) | 60 | 51 |
Consent of the patient or appropriate surrogate is required for any premortem procedures and/or medications(T) | 79.3 | 87.8 |
All costs from the time of donation consent/authorization until organ procurement is the responsibility of the organ procurement organization(T) | 86.2 | 85.7 |
Only the kidneys and liver can be recovered and successfully transplanted(F) | 93.1 | 93.9 |