O rgan transplantation is one of medical history’s successstories.Eventhoughthathistoryismarked by countless attempts, conquests, losses, and disillu- sions,progresshasunquestionablybeenmadeinarel- atively short time. In Brazil, the 30-year period from 1967to1997hasbeencalled“heroicandromantic.”It wasatimewhenhospitaltransplantationprogramshad few regulations and a casual regard developed toward the registration of potential recipients on transplanta- tion waiting lists, the organ retrieval processes, and criteria for distribution of the organs. 1 Although this era helped advance the science of transplantation, it raised many moral and ethical questions that ulti- mately led to legislative regulation. Since 2001, after legislative changes, organ donation in Brazil now requiresfamilyconsent,establishmentofthediagnosis of brain death, and confirmation that donation repre- sents the donor’s will. 2 Uponfamilyconsent,thehealthsysteminfrastruc- turemustbecapableofabsorbingthetechnicaldemands ofthedonationprocess.Inaddition,protocolsmustbe inplacetoensureaqualityevaluationthatyieldsreliable results,guaranteessafety,andmaintainsthehighethical standards of the process. Although these requirements haveenhancedtheintegrityofthedonationprocess,they havereducedthenumberoforgansavailablefortrans- plantation. Another important point, according to the NationalReportoftheSecretaryforHealthAssistance, 1 with the creation of the Brazilian National Transplan- tation System in 1997, 2 Brazil now has the necessary requisites regarding safety procedures related to organ andtissuedonation,forbothpatientsandtheirfamilies. Organ donation procedures: an epidemiological study Objective—Toevaluatetheimpactoforganandtissuedonationprocessesonfamily membersofdeceaseddonorsandtheprobabilitythattheywouldbeanorganor tissue donor in the future. Methods—Cross-sectional survey of 69 families of deceased donors of the organ procurement organizations of the Federal University of São Paulo. Results—Donorswerepredominantlymen(57%vs43%)withamedianageof 35.9years.Theprimarycausesofdeathwereclassifiedasnatural(65%),traumatic injury(33%),andother(1%).Ofthefamilymemberssurveyed,40%hadanele- mentary school education and 59% were unemployed. Family members expressed anunderstandingofthebraindeathdiagnosis(67%).Amongthem,74%hadno doubtaboutbraindeathandhadtimetoaskquestions.Thediagnosiswaspro- vided by the doctor responsible for the patient (89%). Family members also used funeral aid benefit (63%), perceived organ donation positively (97%), and indi- cated that they would donate again (79%). A significant relationship was found between families that took advantage of the funeral aid benefit and families that woulddonateagain(79%vs22%, P =.002). Conclusion—Theintenttodonateorgansfortransplantationmaybebasedmoreon moral and cultural factors that go beyond the family members’ knowledge about thedonationprocessperse.(Progress in Transplantation. 2010;20:88-95) Bartira de Aguiar Roza, RN, PhD, José Osmar Medina Pestana, MD, PhD, Sayonara de Fatima Faria Barbosa, RN, PhD, Janine Schirmer, RN, PhD Albert Einstein Jewish Hospital (BAR) and Federal University of São Paulo (JOMP, JS), Brazil; Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil (SFFB) Corresponding author: Janine Schirmer, RN, PhD, Federal University of São Paulo, Rua Napoleão de Barros 754, Vila Clementino, São Paulo, Brazil, CEP 04024-002 (e-mail: schirmer.janine@unifesp.br) To purchase electronic or print reprints, contact: The InnoVision Group 101 Columbia, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656 Phone (800) 809-2273 (ext 532) or (949) 448-7370 (ext 532) Fax (949) 362-2049 E-mail reprints@aacn.org 88 Progress in Transplantation, Vol 20, No. 1, March 2010