[Factors influencing the choice of nondonor families in a French organ-harvesting center]. / Analyse des raisons motivant le refus du don d'organes par les familles de patients en état de mort encéphalique dans un centre régional de prélèvement.

OBJECTIVES: Report the reasons that lead families to refuse organ donation during their close solicitation by hospital coordination. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted between 2012 and 2015, including 148 (34%) refusal of organ donation among 426 patients identified in a state of brain death. A questionnaire of the family was completed for each interview. Collected data concerned patient characteristics, cause of death, description of the interview and reasons for refusal. A descriptive statistical analysis was performed. RESULTS: The median age of patients was 50 years with a sex ratio of 1.4 men to 1 woman. The most common reason for non-donor family was the desire to maintain the integrity of the body of the patient (28%) followed by a religious order pattern (11%), brutality and suddenness of death (9%), the denial of death (6%) and early age of the donor (5%). In 39% of cases, the family said that the donor had expressed a written or oral refusal in his lifetime. CONCLUSION: A better understanding of the reasons leading to the refusal of non-donor family could provide assistance to the medical team on actions to general public with the aim to reduce the refusal rate. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4.

[Family refusal of organ donation: a retrospective study in a French organ procurement center]. / Opposition des familles aux dons d'organes: analyse rétrospective des causes de refus dans un centre régional de prélèvement.

OBJECTIVES: In France, organ donation refusal rates approach 32% of eligible brain deaths. Outright family refusal represents the primary barrier reason for declining organ donation. This retrospective study evaluated factors influencing this decision. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective chart review at Lille Hospital, France, was conducted on brain-death patients eligible for organ donation between 2010 and 2011. Data were collected regarding patient characteristics, death conditions and reasons for refusal based upon family interview. Descriptive statistic analyses were conducted to identify circumstances associated with family refusal. RESULTS: Of 227 eligible organ donors identified, 70 families (30.8%) refused organ donation. The most frequent reason for refusal was desire to keep the body's wholeness (46.3%), followed by religion (16.4%), mistrust of the medical community (13.4%), and revolt against society (6%). The most common causes of death associated with refusal were brutality and suddenness of death (44.8%), early age (23.9%), denial of death (17.9%), and the family culpability (11.9%). In 30% of cases, the family followed the deceased's wishes before his death. CONCLUSION: Family refusal remains a significant factor associated with the approximately one third of declined eligible organ donations. This retrospective analysis suggested that the most important cause for refusal was a desire to keep the body's wholeness, and the brutality and suddenness of the potential donor's death. Additional research addressing these factors, and their underlying causes, paired with measures to improve professional training and public awareness are warranted to improve organ donation rates.