Informed consent: what the patient heard.

Unlabelled: Transplant Psychiatrist: "Why is it important to take (routine) medications after transplantation?" Transplant candidate: "To protect the liver." Doctor: "How?"

Patient: "I don't know." Doctor: "Think about it for a moment.

Pretransplant depression, antidepressant use, and outcomes of orthotopic liver transplantation.

Depression is a common problem among patients awaiting organ transplantation, but little is known about the impact of depression and its treatment on the outcomes of liver transplantation. In this retrospective cohort analysis, we studied all patients over 18 years of age who underwent liver transplantation during a 5-year period (2004-2008) at a single center. Among 179 recipients, 65 patients had depression, as defined by a health care provider assessment, before transplantation.

Psychiatric care of patients undergoing organ transplantation.

Transplantation provides life-saving therapy to critically ill patients with end-stage organ failure. We found that the specialized knowledge of mental health clinicians and physicians, committed to the evaluation and management of transplant recipients, is essential for the optimal care of these patients who require a life-long regimen of immunosuppressive medication and dependency on the transplant team. Critical issues requiring psychiatric input are frequently encountered in the following areas (1) patient selection and informed consent; (2) recognition and pretransplant treatment of psychiatric disorders; (3) substance or alcohol abuse; (4) compliance with medical regimens; (5) posttransplant psychosis; and (6) immunosuppressive/psychiatric drug-drug interactions.

Regulating the sale of human organs: a discussion in context with the global market.

Purpose Of Review: Insufficient availability of human organs for transplantation has given rise to a flourishing global market. This review addresses current thinking and practical considerations regarding legalization of organ sales.

Recent Findings: Increasing competition for human organs has led to egregious human rights violations.

The market of human organs: a window into a poorly understood global business.

The global demand for human organs has set the stage for an exploding and poorly understood global business in human organs. Whenever there is demand for a product, the opportunity for business arises. The form that a business takes is dependent on a complex network of inputs and outputs, each affecting the others.