All About Organ Transplants By: Erica Rosmus

Background: The Immune System Cells, tissues, and organs that work to keep foreign invaders away Leukocytes fight bacteria, parasites, fungi, and viruses located in the lymphoid organs (thymus, spleen, bone marrow) Lymphocytes B (military intelligence) &T (soldiers)

Who can get an organ transplant? An organ transplant is a last resort for someone dying of organ failure Must be willing to go through transplant surgery Those in greater need for an organ are moved to the top of the list

Organ Transplantation Process First steps: get on waiting list, find donor If the HLAs match up, the organ can be transplanted into the recipient Possible risks: rejection of organ weight gain gout rare cases: HIV/Aids, cancers Many patients struggle emotionally on how to thank their donor

How to Become an Organ Donor Organs that can be transplanted: liver kidney (most common) pancreas heart lung intestine Register with your state! Get typed! Driver’s license Will

Ethical Problems Very few- religions widely accept organ donation Some religious individuals believe they need to be whole in order to be resurrected by Jesus- do not believe in organ donation Payment against the law

Finding Matches: Tissue Typing Process of cross-matching donor tissue with a recipient’s tissue We receive Human Leukocyte Antigens from our parents- located on short arm of chromosome six Test to see if patient’s antibodies will attack donor’s antigens and vice versa cells vs. serum (liquid part of blood that has antibodies)

Statistics Everyday, 18 people die because they did not receive an organ donation in time More than 100,000 men and women are currently waiting for an organ Every ten minutes a name is added to the waiting list 90% of Americans say they support organ donation, but only 30% know the steps to becoming a donor The average wait for a kidney is 4 years ~50% of patients on the waiting list need a kidney

Would YOU ever donate your organs?