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Organ Donation Terms

According to the U.S. Government Information on Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation, 77 people receive organ transplants each day. Though thousands of lives are saved every year, many people die waiting for a transplant. A number of myths exist about organ donation, though the subject remains a very sensitive one because human lives are at stake. If you want to become familiar with this matter, you will need to be aware of some key terms.

  1. Sensitive Terms

    • For many years, people both in and out of the medical profession used phrases like "harvest organs" and "body parts" when referring to specifics of organ donation. In 2005, the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations changed some of these words and phrases to reflect the sensitivity of donor recipients and families. Organs are now "recovered" and "donated" instead of "harvested." "Body parts" should be referred to as "organs and tissues." "Deceased donor" should be used in place of "cadaver."

    Legal Terms

    • Deciding to be an organ donor is a very serious decision; it is even more serious to families when they must determine if a loved one on life support will be an organ donor. This is why it is important to understand the legal terminology associated with organ donation. "Informed consent" occurs when two parties reach a conclusion with a clear comprehension of what will happen. Families must understand what medical procedures will have to be done on their loved one's body in the event they decide to make him or her a donor. A "waiting list" is a list of all people in the U.S. who are waiting for organs. This list is available through the United Network for Organ Sharing, which brings medical workers and organ recipients together.

    Medical Terms

    • Each organ that is preserved must be specifically matched with a potential recipient. "Cross-matching" is a test that doctors perform to determine if blood type is compatible between donor and recipient. Once the transplant is done, the organ can be "rejected" by the body. In this case, the body views the organ as a foreign entity and protects itself from germs. Rejection can be "acute," which happens very quickly, or "chronic," which happens over time. To try and counteract this, doctors often give recipients "anti-rejection medicine," which limits the body's ability to reject a new organ.

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