Attitudes toward xenotransplantation--patients waiting for transplantation versus the general public.
The aim of this study was to survey attitudes toward xenotransplantation and to investigate whether there is a difference in attitudes between patients awaiting a kidney transplantation and the general public. A questionnaire was sent to randomly selected members of the public aged 18-75 (n = 1000) and to all patients of the same age group waiting for kidney transplants in Sweden in 1998 (n = 460). Among the public, 60 % expressed a positive attitude toward receiving an animal kidney graft with the same degree of risk as a human kidney graft, compared with 66 % for the patients. The proportion in favour of receiving a heart remained 60 % for the public, but rose to 70 % for the patients. If a human heart was not available, 61 % of the public were for the use of an animal heart, compared with 73 % in the patient group. A majority of the respondents would accept a transplant from an animal, provided the result and risk of infection were the same as with a human transplant. A greater proportion of patients had a positive attitude to receiving a xenotransplant than did the general public. A life threatening situation marginally increased the positive proportions.
Omnell Persson
M
M
Department of Nephrology and Transplantation, Malmö University Hospital, Lund University, 205 02 Malmö, Sweden. marie.omnell-persson@kir.mas.lu.se
Persson
N H
NH
Ranstam
J
J
Hermerén
G
G
D000818:Animals; D001294:Attitude to Health; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000523:psychology; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D010865:Pilot Projects; D013337:Students, Medical; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013552:Swine; D014019:Tissue Donors / Q000600:supply & distribution; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous; D014850:Waiting Lists