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Show The Daily Utah Chronicle, Tuesday, January 21, 19U Page Three SPECIAL REPORT Many waift for organs but donate UNIFORM DONOR CARD not-enoug- by Debbie Eldredge Milne Associate Editor at critical times that certain patients could . be donors." To donate a vital organ such as a heart, liver or kidney a patient must be brain dead but still have a heartbeat, Quist said. Medical officials may hesitate to approach family members about donations at that time even though brain death is irrever- ; Although recent medical advances have made organ transplantations more successful than ever, a vital ingredient is often missing the donor. Of some 20,000 Americans each year who could donate organs young or middle-age- d patients classified as brain of dead only 2,500 actually do, according to Science magazine. In the meantime, thousands of others remain handicapped or even die because donors are scarce. As many as 15,000 Americans are currently waiting for some Kind of transplant, says Sonya Brandman, life-dea- th she argues. Mary Jayne Davis, director of the University Lion's Eye Bank, agrees. She says the problem is not that people don't want to donate organs. The problem is nobody asks them. She estimates between 75 and 80 percent of families are willing to donate the eye corneas of a deceased loved one when approached by med'cal officials. "Others don't vehemently oppose it," she said. "They just don't want to be bothered." These figures are probably accurate for all kinds of donations: A recent Gallup poll showed 70 percent of Americans were willing to give up their own organs after death. So how can medical officials persuade more people to donate? Senate Bill 44, currently under debate in the Utah Legislature, might be a remedy. If passed, it would require a hospital director of communication for the American Council on Transplantation. The problem is just as real in Utah. At LDS Hospital 30 patients are waiting for kidney transplants, and three are waiting for livers, said Ruth Quist, kidney transplant coordinator. The University Hospital reports that 19 patients are waiting for kidneys. Ten patients are waiting for heart donations in conjunction with LDS, the Veteran's Administration and the University Hospital. The need for organs has drastically increased since the FDA approved cyclosporinc, a new drug that prevents rejection and has "revolutionized the field of organ transplantation," according to Science. official to discuss possible organ or tissue But the drug cannot work without the needed organs and tissues. Quist believes the shortage is caused by medical officials' ignorance. "Many are not donation with family members whenever a death occurs. "As far as I'm concerned," Davis said, would probably be a solution because "this donation in the involved willing to get process or aren't aware of who is able to most people will say yes."' Utah Driver License. Services has a donate," she said. "They just sort of forget ; ., ef donor In the hope that I nay help others, t hereby make this anatomical gift, if medically acceptable, to take effect upon ray death. The words and marks below indicate ray desires. I give: , any needed organs or parts only the following organs or parts (a) (b) sible. "You can imagine how a nurse or doctor would feel," she said. "It's a hard thing to ask, especially when a family is faced with situation." this However, that question must be asked, ., Print or type nam Specify the oreon(i) or port(t) for the purposes of transplantation, therapy, medical research or education; I -- my body for anatomical study if needed. gver (c) limitations or special wishes, if any ; , ; . As survival rates for transplants have increased, so has the number of people waiting for organs to become available. The above statistics are from the American Council on Transplantation, Datclle Human Affairs Research Centers and Health Care Financing Administration. The donation of eyes, skin, bones and tendons can drastically improve the quality of life for the handicapped or disfigured. For example, donating a simple eye cornea (the "crystal clear window in front of the iris") can correct serious sight disorders, including blindness, Davis said. Skin donations can help the severely burned, and tendon and bone samples can correct serious knee or back injuries. The different strategy it encourages people to make their own donations. A current television advertisement tells drivers how to get donor labels placed on their licenses. Still others argue a massive campaign must be launched to educate the general public about organ and tissue donations. If more people understood the resulting good, they would be willing to donate. A vital organ, obviously, can save someone's life. Anne Earley, a nurse at St. Mark's Hospital, has seen patients suffer on dialysis because they desperately need a new' kidney. "A lot of times these people are miserable and just waiting to die," she says. "Transplants change their lives possibilities arc endless. The key, some argue, is to remember the success stories. The American Council on Transplantation claims 50,000 Americans benefited from some kind of transplant last year. they really do." Misconceptions about organ donations still linger by Marva Bickle City Editor While organ transplantation has progressed from pure experimentation to a viable operation, there are still a life-savi- ng number of misconceptions about such procedures. The transplant success rate is supris-ingl- y good. Of the 346 heart transplants performed in the United States in 1984, 80 percent survived at least one year. For kidney transplants, the figure was 91 percent; and for liver transplants, the figure was 65 percent. Karin Engstrom, coordinator of the Intermountain Transplant Center at the University of Utah Health Sciences Center, said the drug cyclosporine, released for general use in 1984, was the . main impetus for the overall improvement in transplant survival rates. And because of increased survival rates, there are more patients than ever waiting for organs to become available. This, in turn, means more donors are needed to match the need for organs. The need, however, is not being met. And this is probably due to a variety of reasons. One explanation, said Engstrom, is that people aren't being asked! When a person dies, it's difficult for the hospital to ask the grieving family about organ donation. Because the transplant operation must take place shortly after a person's death, the hospital must speak with the family at what seems like very bad time. a Consequently, the family is often not asked at all. People Heart 1981 1982 1983. 1984 62 103 172 346 Avg. Gwr $ 57,000 Survival Waiting Rate (approx.) 80 100 110,000 Kidney Liver Pancreas Corneas 4,885 5,358 6,112 26 62 164 6,968 308 ' 35 61 87 25,000 30,000 91 $135,000 238,000 65 $ $ $ 18,500 21,250 24,000 $ 30,000 40,000 4,000 7,000 8,000 96 35-4- 0 (90 success rate) 300 30 4,000 organs are to be transplanted after death. A person can give any needed organs or parts, give only the organs or parts he or she This is where Senate Bill 44, which is before the Utah Legislature, could be a benefit. Engstrom said it requires the hospital to ask the family of a deceased person about organ donation. Oregon, California, and New York have all passed "required request" laws. Engstrom said that when families are asked in a sensitive and thoughtful manner, very few say no to organ donation. Families should be an important element in any decision about organ donation because they have the final say. "We only remove organs with the consent of the family," said Engstrom. This is why it is crucial for people who have feelings about being organ donors to make their wishes known to their families. Engstrom said there have been several cases where the deceased patient has signed an organ donor card granting the hospital permission to remove organs upon death, but the hospital has not done so because the family was against the idea. Dr. Edward Nelson, surgeon at the U. Health Sciences Center, also stresses the importance of discussing any decisions regarding organ donation with family specifies or give the entire body for anatomical study. But there are still a number of people who have reservations about donating organs for transplantation. Engstrom said many reservations stem from misconceptions about the process. For instance, some worry that removing transplant organs would leave the donor disfigured and not fit for burial. But this is not true. is done just like any a sterile made as incisions are room. The operating inconspicuous as possible and would not Transplantation other surgical operation in interfere with burial arrangements. Even if the donor were to donate skin, there would be no noticeable marks. When transplant teams remove skin from donor, they take only a thin layer of skin from a large part of the body such as the torso. Transplant skin is used as a temporary patch for burn victims. Also, Engstrom says many people are concerned that their families will have to pay for the transplant. This is also not true. The families never have to pay a cent it is the transplant center that pays. On the other hand, many people wonder if they can be paid for donating an organ. The answer to this is also no. Utah State law prohibits payment for donation of body members. "The 'Uniform Organ Donor Card' is not a binding legal document. It's just a message for the people left behind an indication of your wishes," said Nelson. If someone wants to be an organ donor, he urges them to have a card. But just as important, a person should make his or her wishes known to family members because transplant doctors will not override the relatives' wishes even if the donor has a signed card. Donor cards, available at hospitals and transplant centers, are to be filled out and signed by the person wishing to be a donor but must also be signed by two witnesses. organs. Some people are concerned that their treatment in a hospital will suffer if they are The donor should carry the card at all times. .';,, On. t the card, the donor specifies which a , declared organ donors. However, transplant teams are only called in once the doctor has declared the patient dead. Once an organ has been removed, it will be tissue typed and matched up with a patient on a waiting list. The organ will be given to the person who is in the greatest need and would most likely benefit from that particular organ. |
