Table 4 Respondents’ attitudes of the different elements in the DCD

I feel that the DCD donation process is “eerier” than the brain death donation process

47.6

65.3

17.2

20.4

2.60(1.06)

2.32(1.26)

I feel that it is easier for me to “let go” of a brain-dead patient than a DCD patient

46.2

49

23.4

42.9

2.69(1.08)

2.93(1.43)

I feel less comfortable with the death criteria for DCD than for brain death

58.6

61.2

12.4

12.2

2.39(0.92)

2.34(0.90)

I feel comfortable talking with family members about withdrawal of life support

53.1

55.1

20

34.7

2.57(1.11)

2.73(1.28)

I feel comfortable with the DCD process

22.7

12.2

30.3

44.9

3.07(0.90)

3.51(1.00)

I feel perfectly comfortable talking with family members about DCD

43.4

46.9

24.8

32.7

2.74(1.07)

2.83(1.16)

I feel that donation after brain death is not consistent with my religious or spiritual beliefs

18

12.3

46.9

59.2

3.36(0.93)

3.71(1.09)

I feel that DCD is not consistent with my religious or spiritual beliefs

14.5

14.3

46.2

61.2

3.39(0.92)

3.71(1.17)

In DCD cases, I feel perfectly comfortable giving full comfort measures to the patient

21.4

18.3

33.1

46.9

3.11(0.89)

3.38(0.97)

I feel less comfortable with the process of DCD than with donation after brain death

29.6

26.5

28.3

49

2.95(1.04)

3.30(1.14)

I feel that staffing demands for DCD cases are too high and burdensome for the intensive care unit

40.7

48.9

16.5

26.5

2.73(0.92)

2.69(1.08)

I feel that OPO requestors should speak to families about the DCD option when the family is considering life support withdrawal

37.5

44.9

35.9

30.6

3.05(1.08)

2.77(1.21)

I feel that the time of continuous Pulselessness or Asystole before declaring death is too short

49

34.7

24.1

34.7

2.64(1.08)

3.00(0.97)

I feel that DCD cases are more difficult and less predictable than donation after brain death cases

41.4

42.9

21.4

30.6

2.76(1.00)

2.85(1.08)

I feel that DCD cases are more stressful for critical care staff than donation after brain death cases

40.7

34.7

24.2

30.6

2.71(1.00)

2.85(1.09)

I feel that death is declared too soon in DCD cases

35.9

26.5

24.1

32.6

2.84(0.99)

2.97(0.98)

I feel that our hospital should not allow DCD

19.3

16.3

42

61.2

3.33(1.11)

3.61(1.23)

I feel that a family’s decision about DCD should be part of end-of-life care, just like withdrawal of mechanical ventilation

54.5

63.3

17.3

16.3

2.53 (0.97)

2.36 (1.07)

I feel that a problem with DCD is that the health-care team has to “watch” patients take their last breath

31

34.6

30.7

47

3.02 (0.96)

3.14 (1.27)

I feel that transplant outcomes using DCD organs are just as good as those for organs recovered after brain death

33.1

32.7

14.5

18.4

2.77 (0.78)

2.85 (0.86)

I feel that DCD “trivializes” the patient’s death and gives the death less meaning

32.4

24.5

31

36.7

2.90 (1.08)

3.14 (1.08)

I feel that DCD is less stressful for families than donation after brain death

29

26.5

37.3

44.9

3.08 (1.07)

3.30 (1.06)

I feel that DCD is psychologically less difficult than donation after brain death

32.4

28.5

27.6

40.8

2.93 (0.96)

3.26 (1.09)

I feel that most families find comfort in DCD

31

28.5

30.4

40.8

3.22 (2.68)

3.18 (1.11)

I feel that DCD allows something positive to come out of the patient’s death

14.4

4.1

49.7

73.5

3.46 (0.98)

3.95 (0.95)

I feel that a family should be able to refuse DCD, even if the deceased was a registered organ donor

28.2

32.6

35.1

36.7

3.14 (1.04)

2.97 (1.12)

I feel that cultural issues are not adequately considered in DCD cases

40

38.8

15.8

18.4

2.71 (0.92)

2.77 (0.91)

I feel that the OPO cares only about the number of organs recovered

31

36.8

23.4

18.4

2.93 (0.90)

2.85 (0.95)

I feel that the OPO is trustworthy

12.5

6.1

55.2

67.3

3.62 (0.82)

3.87 (1.01)

I feel that “circulatory death” was developed solely for the purpose of increasing organ donation

20.7

26.5

37.2

38.8

3.23 (0.99)

3.12 (1.23)

I feel that the DCD policy at my medical center is implemented consistently

18

18.3

29.6

36.8

3.13 (0.83)

3.34 (1.03)

I feel that the health-care team is playing an active role in killing the patient in DCD cases

17.3

24.5

32.5

40.8

3.22 (0.89)

3.36 (1.23)

I feel that at the time of organ recovery in DCD cases, I am not sure that the patient is truly dead

17.2

16.3

49.6

62.7

3.44 (1.07)

3.75 (1.10)

I feel that with DCD we are hastening the patient’s death

17.2

18.4

45.6

57.2

3.40 (1.04)

3.63 (1.16)