Organ donation

-Automatic translation

Organ donation is when the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, pancreas, or bowel are removed from dead people and transplanted into patients where specific organs are severely dysfunctional or completely non-functional. It can also be mentioned that the sight of the visually impaired can be improved by transplanting corneas from dead people. In some instances, organ donations are from living people. It is common for transplanted kidneys to come from living donors, usually close relatives of patients. In rare cases, a portion of the liver from a healthy living donor is removed for transplantation.

-Automatic translation

Brain death, where the heart and blood circulation are still functioning, is usually a prerequisite for being able to use organs for transplantation. The organs can then be removed before blood circulation stops and the organs are damaged.

In most cases, brain death is caused by bleeding into the brain or blockage of blood vessels in the brain. Drowning and severe head injuries, for example, due to an accident, can cause permanent and incurable damage to the brain.

-Automatic translation

Yes. When blood flow to the brain stops completely, widespread damage occurs. Such a condition is called brain death. The brain stops working and the person is considered dead according to the law.

In most cases, people die when they stop breathing and the heartbeat stops, thereby stopping all blood flow.

In rare cases, complete cerebral infarction can occur in patients on ventilators without the heart immediately stopping. It is possible to keep blood circulation and breathing going for a while. Death is then confirmed by a detailed clinical examination of the central nervous system and other tests according to specific procedures.

Brain death can be confirmed by a careful careful neurological examination carried out according to strict guidelines and procedures, see point 4. Angiograms are sometimes used to confirm that blood flow has stopped.

-Automatic translation

Once complete brain infarction has been confirmed, the patient is declared dead, and then all treatment is usually stopped. If, on the other hand, an organ is to be removed for transplantation, treatment is continued until the organs have been removed.

To determine brain death, strict international criteria must be met. Two detailed neurological examinations are performed by two different doctors at least two hours apart. An Apnea test is also performed. If there is any doubt, angiography is also performed. A person is declared dead when he meets all the criteria for brain death.

-Automatic translation

Once complete cerebral infarction has been confirmed, the patient is declared dead, and all treatment is stopped.

If an organ is removed for transplantation, however, treatment is continued until the organ has been removed. After that, all treatment, e.g. ventilator treatment, is stopped.

-Automatic translation

Annually, 25-30 patients require organ transplants in Iceland, and the number has increased in recent years. The main reason for this is, among other things, the increased frequency of chronic diseases that can lead to organ failure. People of all ages can become so seriously ill that their heart, liver, lungs, or kidneys require an organ transplant. In end-stage renal failure, another treatment is available: dialysis. A kidney transplant may still be the preferred option in many cases. Each organ donor can potentially save the lives of several patients. However, organ donation is still not possible except in rare cases.

-Automatic translation

The success rate of organ transplantation is reasonable in most cases. In addition to saving lives, the organ transplant recipient's quality of life can also increase. Many individuals live normal lives with transplanted organs, work, and exercise. There are several examples of women with transplanted organs having children.

-Automatic translation

Organs from deceased organ donors in Iceland are transported to Sweden and transplanted into patients at the Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Gothenburg. The organs belong to Scandiatransplant, a Nordic organ exchange organization, of which Iceland is a member. If a suitable organ recipient is not found in Gothenburg, a European organ bank is searched for a suitable organ recipient. Icelanders also benefit from this collaboration as we are both donors and recipients of organs in the international cooperation of nations.

-Automatic translation

No, the oldest organ donor in Iceland was 85 years old, while the youngest was a few months old. Factors other than age as such come into consideration when evaluating potential organ donors. A child's organ is a valuable gift, and it can be noted that a child's kidney and lungs can be transplanted into adults with excellent results.

-Automatic translation

Yes.

-Automatic translation

Rules stipulate a priority list that a transplant hospital sets up and relies on without the organ donor being able to have any influence on it. It is evaluated who is in the greatest need of an organ at any given time. In addition, blood groups and tissue classification must always be taken into account when organ recipients are selected.

-Automatic translation

Those who do not use computers or do not have access to computers can seek the help of a general practitioner or health care nurse to record their decision. Those who have already registered that they do not want to donate their organs upon death, either on landlaeknir.is or on Heilsuvera.is, don't need to register again if they still have the same opinion. However, the registration must be changed if they have changed their mind and want to donate an organ.

You can record the following on Heilsuvera - My pages:

• I do not authorise organ donation.

• My authority to donate an organ does not cover the following organs:

-Automatic translation

Parents are the closest relatives of children under 18 in the sense of the law on organ donation. The text of the law, however, refers to the next of kin (in the singular) and not to relatives (in the plural). If parents disagree on their child's possible organ donation, who decides?

For an organ donation to be possible, all immediate family members must agree. If the parents disagree, there will be no organ donation. The common understanding is that in addition to the presumed consent, all relatives must agree to organ donation for it to take place.

-Automatic translation

Then the organs are not donated. The common understanding is that all close relatives must agree to organ donation for it to take place.

-Automatic translation

No, only the organs that can be used for transplantation are removed, nothing else. Organ donation is like surgery, the organs are removed, and the body is closed with full respect for the donor. Organ donation does not delay the funeral of the deceased.