Organ Procurement Considerations in Trauma

The article "Organ Procurement Considerations in Trauma" discusses the following area of organ procurement, which included the area of organ distribution, criteria for organ donors, brain and cardiac death, and consent for organ donation, evaluation of the potential organ donor, management of the potential organ donor, and organ procurement.

Due to the high demand of patients awaiting organ donation, organization (OPO) have been created to better maintain the increasing number of registered donors and better coordinate the donation process. Typically all organ donors are admitted to the hospital due to an illness or accident. Most donors are victims of severe head trauma, brain aneurysms or strokes. When all medical resources for life saving support has been exhausted, and the patient is no longer responding to treatment, a physician will implement a series of test to determine if brain death has occurred. If brain death has been identified, the client may be eligible for organ harvesting if previous consent has been obtained and if the client's medical history permits. Possible contraindications for organ donations include age older than 80, HIV infection, active metastatic cancer, prolonged hypotension or hypothermia, or sickle cell anemia. The client will also undergo further evaluation for donation. General screening is based on the organ is eligible for donation. Screening includes: basic laboratory values, ABO blood typing, HLA typing, blood cultures, sputum gam stain, and urinalysis (Geibel, 2011, pp. 3). If the client is still eligible for organ harvesting, the client will be manages in an intensive care unity to preserve the donor's hemodynamic state, to protect the organs, and to avoid complications that would resist the client for donation. The article further discusses the steps in organ procurement in the brain dead client.

Although no ethical considerations were discussed in this article, the issue of terminating mechanical ventilation in the brain dead patient may arise. It is imperative the client's family be provided with education in order to make an informed decision. It is also necessary that the nurse remain sympathetic and nonjudgmental care when dealing with the client's family.

I found this article to be very beneficial. The topic of organ procurement is typically not discussed and prior to this assignment I have limited knowledge on this topic. After reading this articles I have a better understanding and feel better equipped to address this issue in the future.

Clinical presentation and prioritizing treatment was not discussed within this article.

References

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