How does the ICU work with families of potential organ donors?

When patients are identified as potential organ donors, the intensive care unit (ICU) staff follows designated protocols and works closely with the families of these patients while demonstrating an overarching sense of compassion and respect. Many of the organs that are appropriate for donation come from patients who were in the ICU. Since the circumstances surrounding organ donation in the ICU can be a sensitive topic for families, the ICU team knows that they need to provide emotional support and respect when navigating related discussions. 

When the ICU team initially identifies a patient who fits the criteria for organ donation, they will contact an organ procurement organization or OPO. The OPO is responsible for evaluating the patient’s medical history and determining if they are appropriate for organ donation. Since the OPO has to evaluate the appropriateness of each organ donor, the ICU team needs to contact the OPO before any discussions are shared with the patient’s family. This prevents the possibility of asking a family about organ donation and moving forward with the process only to later determine that the patient isn’t a suitable donor. 

If the OPO determines that the patient is a suitable donor, the ICU team will begin to introduce the topic of organ donation to the family and discuss it further. Providing accurate information and education about organ donation can be crucial in order to get written permission for donation from the family. The ICU team will discuss the potential benefits of organ donation, its potential to save lives, and also answer common questions about the implications of donation, such as concerns surrounding conducting an open casket funeral after the donation process is complete. During this period, the team’s focus is to ensure that the family understands the donation process and the significance of making a decision. 

Throughout this process, the ICU team will provide emotional support to the family and respect their wishes. If the family agrees to the organ donation, the team will collaborate with the OPO to ensure that procedures, logistics, and other aspects of the process are taken care of. If the family has any cultural or religious beliefs in relation to organ donation, the ICU team will also ensure that these beliefs and values are respected and maintained to the fullest extent. 

Sources

“Deceased donor organ donation”. Nursing 2020 Critical Care. https://journals.lww.com/nursingcriticalcare/fulltext/2018/07000/deceased_donor_organ_donation__the_critical_care.5.aspx 

“Views on organ donation: donor families”. Health Talk. https://healthtalk.org/experiences/organ-donation/views-organ-donation-donor-families/