Family understanding and organ donation for transplant. A ten-year experience

The registration of cases leading up to encephalic death due to various reasons and regarded as potentially useful for organ donation for transplant at the “Arnaldo Milian Castro” University Hospital of the province of Villa Clara between January 1st, 1993 and December 31st, 2003 was reviewed. Out of a total of 222 interviews, the family consent was reached in 166. The male sex prevailed (68.18%). The age groups ranged between 33 and 44 (37.73 %). Cranium-encephalic traumas were present in 59% of the donors. The doubt surrounding the death was the main reason as to why the interviewed family members did not provide an affirmative response.