Questions when registering a tissue donor

Do you want to register a tissue donor? Go through the questions asked by the NTS Organ Center in advance and collect the data.

Check the contraindications

These are the most important contraindications:

A hematological disorder (also in the past) such as leukemia, (non-) Hodgkin, Kahler, myelodysplastic syndrome, and polycythemia vera
A degenerative neurological disorder of unknown origin such as all forms of dementia, Parkinson's, MS, and ALS
BMI > 40

With these 3 contraindications, tissue donation cannot take place.

Questions for a potential tissue donor

None of the 3 contraindications? Then go through the questions below with the surviving relatives. You can also retrieve them from the medical record.

Do this before you call the NTS and register the donor.

Download questionnaire

Questions about medical record

Was there sepsis or another infection at the time of death?
Briefly describe the course of the illness leading to death (if known) and the cause of death.
What is the medical and social history?
- Is there any reason to suspect that the patient was at risk of an STD in the last 4 months?
Medication use?
Height/weight (or estimate based on build)?
Was there any blood loss? If yes: has the patient received infusions and/or transfusions for this in the past 48 hours? If yes: when was blood drawn for the first infusion/transfusion?

Questions for the next of kin

Was there a history of alcoholism (complications)?
Was there any drug use in the last 4 months? Also ask: what, when, and how?
Has the patient traveled outside the Netherlands in the past year? Ask for dates and exact locations.

Tissue-specific questions

Eye tissue: eye diseases/eye surgeries (e.g., vision correction via laser)?
Skin: examine the front and back of the patient for skin conditions or skin abnormalities (e.g., tattoos, BCC, seborrheic keratosis, nevi, steroid-induced skin, pressure ulcers, fluid overload, or visible ribs)?
Other tissues: autoimmune diseases, connective tissue diseases, valve disorders, and bone diseases?

View: checklist for examination

Practical questions

Is there any objection to research on tissues that may be rejected after retrieval (transplant-oriented research)?
Do the next of kin wish to receive a letter with information about which tissues were retrieved? If yes, note name and address details.
Who is the (primary) GP (contact details)?
Do the next of kin wish to have the deceased returned sooner than usual? The usual duration is a maximum of 28 hours.
In case of a home death: what are the contact details of the funeral director (so NTS can coordinate the retrieval)?