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Links:
Death To Dust: What Happens To Dead Bodies? Death To Dust: What Happens To Dead Bodies?
Grave Words: Notifying Survivors About Unexpected Deaths Grave Words: Notifying Survivors About Unexpected Deaths

The Gravest Words Video The Gravest Words Video
Teaching Slides on Death Not Teaching Slides on Death Notification

Death Investigation: The Basics Death Investigation: The Basics
Ethics In Emergency Medicine Ethics In Emergency Medicine
Pocket Protocols for Notifying Survivors about Sudden Unexpected Deaths Pocket Protocols for Notifying Survivors about Sudden Unexpected Deaths

A Sample Protocol to Use When Speaking With Survivors.

(Many more protocols, with much more detail, are included in Grave Words: Notifying Survivors About Unexpected Deaths Galen Press, Ltd., Tucson, AZ, 1999. 342 pages, and Pocket Protocols: Notifying Survivors About Sudden Unexpected Deaths Galen Press, Ltd., Tucson, AZ, 1999. 65 pages.z0

Table 7-1: Discussing Organ and Tissue Procurement with Survivors

Notify

  • Ensure that medical personnel have advised them of the death or the hopelessness of the situation. If the same clinician will both notify them and request organ/tissue donation, separate the events emotionally and in time.

Meet

  • Meet the family as soon as the possibility of "brain death" has been raised.

Support

  • Help the family gather the support (clergy, other family, friends) they need. .

Understand Death

  • Be sure that survivors understand that the patient is or will soon be dead—especially if the patient is dead by brain criteria ("brain death").

Visitation

  • Allow survivors (includng children) to visit with the decedent's body as soon and as often as possible.

The Situation

  • Talk to survivors about their perception of the accident or illness and how the patienfs death may affect th~m incividually and as a family.

Organ Donation

  • Introduce the subject of tissue and organ donation. Asking "Did s/he ever mention organ donation?" may be enough.

Agreement

  • Even if they immediately agree to or request organ and tissue donation, make certain that the person has the legal right to agree. Continue supporting the family even after they have agreed to the donation.

Information

  • Provide answers to survivors' questions about donation and the aftermath. Repeat information as needed for clarification or as new people arrive to assist the family. (See chapter 27.)

Discuss

  • Encourage survivors to discuss donation, even after they have made a decision.

Paperwork

  • Complete the regional- and institutional-specific paperwork necessary for the donation (or documenting the refusal). But do not overburden survivors with the paperwork. Make it as simple as possible for them and get as much information as possible from secondary sources (medical records, license) or other people (friends, minister).

More Information

  • Give survivors as much information as they want about the process of donation, organ and tissue distribution, and subsequent possibilities for funerary rites. (See chapter 27.)

Good-byes

  • Help survivors say good-bye to the patient before the donation.

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