Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Guidelines for Conducting a Psychiatric Evaluation of the Unrelated Kidney Donor

2003; Elsevier BV; Volume: 44; Issue: 6 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1176/appi.psy.44.6.452

1545-7206

Raphael J. Leo, Beth A. Smith, DeAnna L. Mori,

Palliative Care and End-of-Life Issues

Living unrelated kidney donors have been increasingly sought out as potential resources for patients with end-stage renal disease. Several psychiatric issues must be factored into the presurgical evaluation of prospective donors. This paper describes a proposed guideline intended to assist clinicians in the psychiatric evaluation of prospective kidney donors. Topics covered in the interview include the prospective donor's stability and ability to make an informed decision, the donor's understanding of the recipient's illness and of the transplant surgery, and extenuating factors that may influence the decision to donate. While efficient and thorough, the guideline is intended to be flexible enough to address the variety of issues that can affect the prospective donor's decision to pursue surgery.