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Article: Knowledge and Attitudes Toward Brain Stem Death Among University Undergraduates

TitleKnowledge and Attitudes Toward Brain Stem Death Among University Undergraduates
Authors
Issue Date2009
PublisherElsevier Inc. The Journal's web site is located at http://www.elsevier.com/locate/transproceed
Citation
Transplantation Proceedings, 2009, v. 41 n. 5, p. 1469-1472 How to Cite?
AbstractBackground: Withdrawal of life support and organ procurement for transplantation are the main implications of a diagnosis of brain stem death (BSD). Various factors may impact this important decision-making process. The present study sought to investigate the knowledge and attitudes about BSD among university undergraduates as a "well-informed" subgroup of our local population. Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was administered to a sample of nonmedical university undergraduate students in Hong Kong. Results: The subjects' overall knowledge of BSD was unsatisfactory. Only 24% of subjects knew that BSD was the equivalent of legal death in Hong Kong. Among subjects who agreed to withdraw life support treatment from themselves upon the diagnosis of BSD, 30% and 24% refused to do so for their family members or a stranger, respectively. Subjects who agreed to withdraw life support showed significantly better knowledge about BSD than did those who did not agree. Concerns about doctors' inclination to diagnose BSD to save resources and extract organs for transplantation were not observed to negatively affect subjects' decisions about life support withdrawal. Conclusion: The level of knowledge is an important factor affecting an individual's decision concerning withdrawal of life support therapy upon the diagnosis of BSD. Adequate explanation and counseling are important to facilitate family members in coping with this important end-of-life issue. © 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Persistent Identifierhttp://hdl.handle.net/10722/59991
ISSN
2023 Impact Factor: 0.8
2023 SCImago Journal Rankings: 0.318
ISI Accession Number ID
Funding AgencyGrant Number
Department of Community Medicine
Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine
University of Hong Kong
Funding Information:

We thank Dr Sarah McGhee, Department of Community Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, the University of Hong Kong for her support and guidance, and Terry Chan, Christina Cheng, Eric Cheung, Shirley He, and Kendrick Shih for their advice in the preparation of the manuscript.

References

 

DC FieldValueLanguage
dc.contributor.authorLeung, KKHen_HK
dc.contributor.authorFung, COYen_HK
dc.contributor.authorAu, CCen_HK
dc.contributor.authorChan, DMKen_HK
dc.contributor.authorLeung, GKKen_HK
dc.date.accessioned2010-05-31T04:01:32Z-
dc.date.available2010-05-31T04:01:32Z-
dc.date.issued2009en_HK
dc.identifier.citationTransplantation Proceedings, 2009, v. 41 n. 5, p. 1469-1472en_HK
dc.identifier.issn0041-1345en_HK
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10722/59991-
dc.description.abstractBackground: Withdrawal of life support and organ procurement for transplantation are the main implications of a diagnosis of brain stem death (BSD). Various factors may impact this important decision-making process. The present study sought to investigate the knowledge and attitudes about BSD among university undergraduates as a "well-informed" subgroup of our local population. Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was administered to a sample of nonmedical university undergraduate students in Hong Kong. Results: The subjects' overall knowledge of BSD was unsatisfactory. Only 24% of subjects knew that BSD was the equivalent of legal death in Hong Kong. Among subjects who agreed to withdraw life support treatment from themselves upon the diagnosis of BSD, 30% and 24% refused to do so for their family members or a stranger, respectively. Subjects who agreed to withdraw life support showed significantly better knowledge about BSD than did those who did not agree. Concerns about doctors' inclination to diagnose BSD to save resources and extract organs for transplantation were not observed to negatively affect subjects' decisions about life support withdrawal. Conclusion: The level of knowledge is an important factor affecting an individual's decision concerning withdrawal of life support therapy upon the diagnosis of BSD. Adequate explanation and counseling are important to facilitate family members in coping with this important end-of-life issue. © 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.en_HK
dc.languageengen_HK
dc.publisherElsevier Inc. The Journal's web site is located at http://www.elsevier.com/locate/transproceeden_HK
dc.relation.ispartofTransplantation Proceedingsen_HK
dc.titleKnowledge and Attitudes Toward Brain Stem Death Among University Undergraduatesen_HK
dc.typeArticleen_HK
dc.identifier.emailLeung, GKK: gilberto@hkucc.hku.hken_HK
dc.identifier.authorityLeung, GKK=rp00522en_HK
dc.description.naturelink_to_subscribed_fulltext-
dc.identifier.doi10.1016/j.transproceed.2008.10.096en_HK
dc.identifier.pmid19545658en_HK
dc.identifier.scopuseid_2-s2.0-67249111811en_HK
dc.identifier.hkuros160552en_HK
dc.relation.referenceshttp://www.scopus.com/mlt/select.url?eid=2-s2.0-67249111811&selection=ref&src=s&origin=recordpageen_HK
dc.identifier.volume41en_HK
dc.identifier.issue5en_HK
dc.identifier.spage1469en_HK
dc.identifier.epage1472en_HK
dc.identifier.isiWOS:000267449100006-
dc.publisher.placeUnited Statesen_HK
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridLeung, KKH=26648933400en_HK
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridFung, COY=35093992200en_HK
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridAu, CC=35093719600en_HK
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridChan, DMK=54680521900en_HK
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridLeung, GKK=35965118200en_HK
dc.identifier.citeulike5341759-
dc.identifier.issnl0041-1345-

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