Development and Evaluation of a Training Program for Organ Procurement Coordinators Using Standardized Patient Methodology.

Objectives: The low rate of consent by next of kin of donor-eligible patients is a major limiting factor in organ transplant. Educating health care professionals about their role may lead to measurable improvements in the process. Our aim was to describe the developmental steps of a communication skills training program for health care professionals using standardized patients and to evaluate the results.

Incidence and diagnosis of active toxoplasma infection among liver transplant recipients in Western Turkey.

Toxoplasmosis is a serious and potentially life-threatening disease in liver transplant recipients while they are immunosuppressed. We report the clinical and laboratory findings related to active toxoplasma infection associated with 40 immunosuppressed liver transplant procedures that took place over a 12-month period at a major transplant unit in Izmir, Turkey. Twenty-seven (67.

Simultaneous air transportation of the harvested heart and visceral organs for transplantation.

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the duration for organ procurement including both heart and visceral organs and outcomes of the simultaneous transportation of the teams back to the recipient hospitals.

Patients And Methods: Between March 2005 and March 2007, 37/82 organ procurement was performed in the district hospitals and transported to our institution for organ transplantation. Combined heart and visceral organ procurement which was simultaneously transported to the recipient hospitals by one air vehicle was reviewed.

The convention and the consequences of the 8th European Donor Day in Istanbul, Turkey.

The 8th European Donor Day took place in Istanbul, Turkey, on October 14, 2006. It was jointly sponsored by the Council of Europe and the Local Health Care Directorate of Istanbul. International problems of transplantation and organ donation were discussed in the public arena by professionals in five round tables.

Variations of hepatic veins: helical computerized tomography experience in 100 consecutive living liver donors with emphasis on right lobe.

Anatomical variations in the venous system of liver are not a rarity. A prospective helical computerized tomography (CT) study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of surgically significant hepatic venous anatomic variations among 100 consecutive living liver donors. The studies evaluated the ramification pattern of hepatic veins, the presence of accessory hepatic veins, and of segment 5 or 8 veins (or both) draining into middle hepatic vein.