Organ and Tissue Donation Trivia Quiz

Answer: Cornea

There are many organs and tissues that can be transplanted. Organs that can be transplanted include: heart, kidney, lungs, liver, pancreas. Tissues that are commonly transplanted are corneas (the glassy front parts of the eyes), bones, tendons, skin, blood vessels and heart valves. Whole hands have been transplanted and even faces.

The brain has never been transplanted and is very unlikely to be transplanted, ever.

Answer: Organ donation occurs immediately after death, tissue donation can occur up to 24 hrs post-death.

Organs have a blood supply, so as soon as a person dies, organs start to die at that point. Therefore organ recovery must occur straight away by a medical operation where the organs are retrieved or recovered by a surgeon and then transplanted within 6-12 hours into the receiving patient.

Tissues do not have a critical blood supply and can be retrieved or recovered within 24 hours (the actual time depends on the tissue and the regulation within each country). Tissues can be recovered by specially trained scientists. Tissues can be preserved by freezing and do not need to be transplanted straight away.

Answer: False

Most countries have what are called donor registries where, when a person is allowed, they can register as an organ and tissue donor. In most but not all countries this registration is considered to be consent, but even when it is, the family will be notified and often asked for ratification.
Some countries have an opt-in system where consent must be obtained. Some countries have an opt-out system where the donor must register their objection NOT to be a donor or the family can object by not giving consent.
In some countries, even when there is a donor registration card completed, the family will be contacted and consent sought.

Answer: Blood is not circulating in the brain

In some cases a patient's heart may have stopped beating but life support systems can keep blood circulating but with brain death no blood reaches the brain. This is irreversible. The patient can never be brought back to life. This can be very difficult for the family of the patient because they look alive only they are not.

These patients have had a stroke or a head injury or an accident or disease that stops blood reaching the brain. It is these patients that became organ donors. Since the early 2000's some patients who die by their heart stopping beating can be organ donors but there are very special criteria for this to occur.

Answer: No

Usually a patient who becomes an organ donor is in an intensive care ward in a hospital and is too sick to make decisions for themselves. Usually it is the family who makes this decision at this time. There are special support teams to help the family with these decisions because they are having to face the fact that their loved one is going to die. This can be overwhelming.

With tissue donation, most patients and their families are unaware that they can donate tissues. They are contacted soon after their loved one has died and given the opportunity for their loved one to be a tissue donor. This may be confusing for the family as they may have not heard of tissue donation or they have never considered this. The person that calls them is specially trained to help the family make these decisions at a very difficult time. They are not calling to ask consent but to give the family information so they can make an informed decision about tissue donation. In Australia, the family say "yes" about 60% of the time.

Answer: No

What organs and tissues can be donated depends on the medical history of the patient. There is a strict set of conditions on what can be donated depending on this history. A patient with a systemic infection at the time of their death is unlikely to be able to donate any tissues.

In general, a person who has a solid malignancy (cancer) can donate corneas but not organs or other tissues. Each country has its own specific criteria which must be adhered to.

Answer: Every one of these checks are necessary

The organs and tissues that are to be transplanted must not cause disease in the recipient patients. Therefore extensive checks are necessary. For example blood tests can determine if the patient is HIV positive or has hepatitis, a history taken with the family member(s) can detremine if the patient has had any risky behaviour prior to death, a body exam can identify issues that might not have appeared on his/her medical history (e.g. track marks indicating IV drug use).

The medical staff must ensure that the organs and tissues are safe to transplant.

Answer: Some solace that while their loved on has died, there is comfort that they have helped other who are sick

Organ and tissue donation is a truly altruistic gift: It is actually illegal to receive any sort of financial benefit from donating. Each country prohibits this and there are declarations from such organisations as the World Health Organisation ratifying this.

In most countries donor families do not know who received the donated organ and transplanted though some receive anonymous thank you notes from grateful recipients which are handled though the hospital system.

Answer: Kidney, liver, bone tissue and heart valves

There are certain disease conditions where explanted (surgically removed) organs and tissues can be transplanted from one living patient in part to other patients.
For example;
A person having a hip replacement can donate the removed bone to make other bone products in a tissue bank.
A patient receiving a new heart may in special circumstances be able to donate the heart valves in the diseased heart.
A truly altruistic patient can donate one of their kidneys (you only need one) or part of their liver (it will grow back). These people are very special and by donating whilst alive they are putting their own health at risk.

Answer: Over a hundred

While obviously only a limited number of organs and some tissues, such as one heart, two kidneys, two corneas, can be donated, bone and skin donations can be made into many other bone and skin grafts so many many people can benefit from a single donor.
However it is not important how many organs and tissues are donated. What is important is that a patient and or his family had the courage to make a decision to donate organs and tissue so others can live when life was about to end. There is no greater gift.