Organ Donation and Advanced Directives

(Following Excerpt from The Sharing Network for page " Fast Facts ")

Organ donation occurred in only .0025% of all deaths in the United States.
In 1999, there were 21,692 organ transplants performed in the United States. More than 4,600 were living donated transplants.

By gender, 61% of Americans waiting for donated organs are male; 39% are female.

African-Americans, who represent 12% of the national population, receive more than 20% of all kidney transplants. Because of specific medical conditions, including diabetes and high blood pressure, African-Americans suffer a disproportionately high rate of End Stage Renal Disease (kidney failure). There are currently more than 15,000 African Americans waiting for kidney or kidney-pancreas transplants nationwide.

Survival rates for organ recipients continue to rise. The one year survival rate for kidney recipients is 97%, for heart recipients, 83%, for liver recipients, 81%, and for pancreas recipients, almost 92%. Between 1988 and 1995, one year survival rates for lung recipients increased by almost 34%.

Campus Resources :

• University Hospital
• Studies in progress

For more instant information on this topic please see links below :

Advanced Directives:

•  Advanced Directives at University Hospital

•  U.S. Living Will Registry

Organ Donation:

•  Organ Donation.GOV

•  The Sharing Network for page " Fast Facts "

•  The Sharing Network for page " Becoming a donor "