Attitude of personnel in hospital cadaveric organ transplant-related units faced with living kidney donation in a hospital with a living kidney donor transplantation program.
BACKGROUND
The attitude of health care personnel is fundamental for the procurement of organs, especially when they are based in transplant-related services. The objective of this study is to assess the attitude of hospital personnel in transplant-related services toward living kidney donation in a hospital with a cadaveric and living solid organ transplant program.


METHODS
A random sample was taken and stratified by type of service and job category (n = 330) in transplant-related services (procurement units, transplant units and follow-up units). The attitude toward cadaveric organ donation was evaluated using a validated psychosocial questionnaire. Student's t test, chi(2) test, and logistic regression analysis were applied for statistical analysis.


RESULTS
The questionnaire completion rate was 94% (n = 309). Most respondents (87%, n = 268) are in favor of related living kidney donation. However, only 17% (n = 53) of respondents are in favor if this donation is unrelated. Of the rest, 4% (n = 12) of respondents would not accept a donated living kidney organ and the remaining 9% (n = 29) are undecided. Only two variables are significantly related to attitude towards living kidney donation: age (p = 0.013) and a willingness to receive a donated living organ on the part of the respondent, if a transplant organ were needed (p < 0.001). Both variables persist as significant independent variables in the logistic regression analysis. There is also a close relationship between attitude toward living kidney donation and attitude toward living liver donation (p < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
The personnel in donation and transplantation units tend to have a favorable attitude towards living kidney donation making them a key element in the current promotion of living kidney donation. Moreover, the youngest workers in these units are those who tend to be more in favor, thus offering a promising future for this type of kidney donation which is becoming more of a necessity given the cadaveric organ deficit.
Ríos
A
A
Coordinación Regional de Trasplantes de la Comunidad Autónoma de Murcia, Consejería de Sanidad, Murcia, Spain.
Ramírez
P
P
Martínez
L
L
García
J A
JA
Montoya
M J
MJ
Lucas
D
D
Parrilla
P
P
D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002102:Cadaver; D005260:Female; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000523:psychology* / Q000639:trends; D019520:Living Donors / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010564:Personnel, Hospital / Q000523:psychology* / Q000639:trends; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement / Q000639:trends