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Do people accept brain death as death? A study in Brazil.

BACKGROUND: Although the term brain death has been clinically and legally accepted as a death criterion, few data are published about public attitudes and beliefs concerning this topic. OBJECTIVES: To examine public understanding of brain death and how the term brain death affects decisions about or...

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Published in:Progress in Transplantation Vol. 17; no. 1; pp. 63 - 68
Main Authors: Tessmer CS, da Silva AR, Barcellos FC, Araujo CL, da Costa JD, Bohlke M
Format: research tables/charts Journal Article
Published: Sage Publications Inc. Mar2007
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
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      dt: Mar2007
      vid: 17
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      pub: Sage Publications Inc.
      place: Thousand Oaks, California
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        atl: Do people accept brain death as death? A study in Brazil.
      aug:
        au:
          Tessmer CS
          da Silva AR
          Barcellos FC
          Araujo CL
          da Costa JD
          Bohlke M
        affil: Federal University of Pelotas, Brazil.
      sug:
        subj:
          Attitude to Death Brazil
          Brain Death
          Adult
          Aged
          Brazil
          Chi Square Test
          Data Analysis Software
          Descriptive Statistics
          Epidemiological Research
          Interviews
          Logistic Regression
          Middle Age
          Pilot Studies
          Questionnaires
          Sample Size
          Structured Questionnaires
          Urban Areas
          Human
          Adult: 19-44 years
          Aged: 65+ years
          Middle Aged: 45-64 years
      ab: BACKGROUND: Although the term brain death has been clinically and legally accepted as a death criterion, few data are published about public attitudes and beliefs concerning this topic. OBJECTIVES: To examine public understanding of brain death and how the term brain death affects decisions about organ donation. METHODS: Population-based cross-sectional study, with individuals aged 20 years or older in the urban area of Pelotas, State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The instrument used was a structured questionnaire, completed in individual interviews. chi2 and t test were used in the univariate and logistic regression in multivariate analysis. RESULTS: Of 3159 participants, 80.1% would authorize organ donation from a relative who had previously declared a willingness to do so. However, when the words 'brain death' were used as death, only 63% would authorize organ donation. When the subject had not been discussed, only a third of the participants would authorize the donation of a relative's organs. CONCLUSIONS: When the term death was substituted with brain death, the willingness to donate decreased by 20%, suggesting that some individuals do not understand or accept the term brain death. Increasing comprehension about the concept of brain death and adopting educational strategies are essential to obtain higher rates of organ donation in developing countries.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        research
        tables/charts
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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