Guidelines Donation after euthanasia

Tissue donation may include eye tissue, bone and tendon tissue, heart valves, certain major blood vessels, and skin.The procedure for tissue donation after euthanasiaproceeds otherwise as with any other death.

The euthanasia can simply take place at home. The tissue donation that may subsequently follow is only possible in a hospital (in the case of bone, cartilage, and tendon tissue donation) or a funeral home (in the case of skin, heart valve, blood vessel, or eye tissue donation). The NTS coordinates with the funeral home if additional transport is required for this. Once the donation procedure is completed, the deceased can be laid to rest at home or in a funeral home. There are no costs for the family regarding the donation or any additional transport.

1. Check the donor registration

Ask the patient whether he/she is registered in the Donor Register. If the patient wants to donate tissue but is not registered with consent or is unsure about the registration, ask the patient to update their registration in the Donor Register (via DigiD).

2. Make an assessment of medical fitness

Legally speaking, the NTS is only allowed to assess whether someone is actually suitable to donate tissues after death.

When to apply?Registering a tissue donor with the NTS can be done even before the euthanasia. Do this no more than one day prior to the euthanasia. After the death of the potential donor, the physician must then contact the NTS once again via071 - 579 57 95for communicating the date of death, time, and a number of additional details.

The final acceptance of the tissue donor depends on potential contraindications. As a physician, make a preliminary assessment yourself and call the NTS in case of doubt.

Registration questionnaire

Review the questions asked by the NTS during registration. You can discuss this questionnaire with the patient. During the official donor report, an NTS employee will go through this list with you. Questions? Please feel free to contact the NTS via071 - 579 57 95.

Tissue donor registration questionnaire

3. Report the expected death to the public prosecutor

Tissue donation after an unnatural death may only take place with the permission of the public prosecutor. Report the date and time to the Public Prosecution Service prior to the expected death in order to make the donation procedure proceed as smoothly as possible.

Call the organ center of the NTS071 - 579 57 95(available 24 hours a day) to register the donor for tissue donation. The NTS employee will go through the questionnaire for registering tissue donors.

The public prosecutor releases the body. The deceased must then be transported to the funeral home as soon as possible.

• Ensure the body is refrigerated within 6 hours.
• Report the funeral director's details to the NTS. The NTS will make arrangements with the funeral director regarding the tissue retrieval procedure.
• If additional transport of the deceased is necessary to a hospital or mortuary where the tissue retrieval procedure takes place, the NTS will also make these arrangements.

Furthermore, it is important that it is always clear who the deceased is in the hospital, mortuary, or funeral center. This can be done, for example, by putting a wristband on them with their name and date of birth.

The retrieval procedure starts as soon as possible, but no later than 24 hours after death. This depends on the number of retrieval procedures at that time. After a maximum of 30 hours, the surviving relatives can have the donor back.