The Knowledge, Attitude, and Behaviors regarding Organ Donation among Individuals Aged over 60

Organ transplantation is the most important treatment method to increase the survival and life quality of people suffering from organ failure. Although there have been many medical and technical developments in organ transplantation in the last 20 years, the number of patients requiring organs increases day by day. In developed countries, 20% of transplantations are performed with organs taken from living donors, and 80% are performed with organs taken from cadavers. However, the situation is exactly opposite in our country, and 88.9% of organs are obtained from living bodies and 11.1% are obtained from cadavers. In records of Turkish Health of Ministry, it was stated that 25.382 patients waited for organ transplantation and 4.264 of them underwent organ transplantation in 2014. Also, it was reported that 22.4% of families of people whose brain death occurred in intensive care units permitted for organ donation in 2014. The most important step for organ transplantation is providing the organ. The fact that some organs may only be obtained from cadavers indicates the importance of cadaveric transplantation. The opinion of individuals regarding organ donation and transplantation is affected by many factors Acta Medica Mediterranea, 2016, 32: 231