title: Brain death and tissue and organ transplantation: the understanding of medical students.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the level of knowledge of medical students about transplantation and brain death.
  
  
  METHODS
  An anonymous self-administered questionnaire answered by medical students from the first through the sixth year that was based on information from the Associação Brasileira de Transplante de Órgãos e Tecidos, the Registro Brasileiro de Transplantes and the resolution that defines the criteria for brain death.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 677 medical students asked, 310 (45.8%) agreed to answer the questionnaire. In total, 22 (7.0%) subjects were excluded. Of the students who participated, 41.3% reported having already attended a class on organ transplantation and 33% on brain death; 9.7% felt able to diagnose brain death (p<0.01); only 66.8% indicated the kidney as the most transplanted solid organ in Brazil.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The level of knowledge of medical students at this institution regarding brain death and transplantation is limited, which may be the result of an inadequate approach during medical school.
authors.forename: Flávio Pola
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: dos Reis
authors.forename: Bruno Henrique Pinto
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.forename: Lucas Lopes
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Pimenta
authors.forename: Arnaldo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Etzel
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001926:Brain Death; D001938:Brazil; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016377:Organ Transplantation; D013337:Students, Medical; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014019:Tissue Donors; D055815:Young Adult