title: Factors influencing refusal by relatives of brain-dead patients to give consent for organ donation: experience at a transplant centre.
abstract: To analyse the reasons for family refusal for donating the organs of their deceased relatives, 33 families were approached and interviewed as a part of the consent process. Thirty of these refused and their reasons for refusal were documented. In 83%, the principle reason for refusal to give consent was the non-acceptance of brain death. Superstitions relating to being reborn with a missing organ (that had been donated) in 40% or that tampering with the body would not free their dead relatives from the cycle of life-death-rebirth in 26% were next most frequently voiced. A delay in funeral (23%), lack of consensus within family members (17%), fear of social criticism (10%), dissatisfaction with the hospital staff (10%) and being unaware of their deceased relatives' wishes (6%) were the other reasons cited.
authors.affiliation: Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Sharma
mesh_terms: D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology; D001926:Brain Death; D005190:Family / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D033181:Information Dissemination; D016377:Organ Transplantation / Q000208:ethnology*; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D012068:Religion and Medicine; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D020458:Third-Party Consent; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement