Avaliação da Política Nacional de Transplantes no Ceará: atuação da Central Estadual e das Comissões Intra-hospitalares

Abstract

In recent decades, the transplants have had a profound impact on the care of end-stage patients with several kinds of diseases. In Brazil, public policies regarding people who need transplants require thorough assessments. This research aimed to evaluate the performance of the Organ Notification, Harvesting and Distribution Center of the State of Ceará (CNCDO) and Intra-hospital Commission on Organ and Tissue Donation for Transplant (CIHDOTTs) from Fortaleza, instances considered decisive in the operationalization of the National Transplant Policy in the State of Ceará. The research was conducted by using secondary and primary data, both quantitative and qualitative, developed from July 2010 to February 2011. The president of CNCDO was interviewed. It was applied a form to be filled out by 12 coordinators of CIHDOTTs and structured observations were accomplished in three CIHDOTTs. The following results had been highlighted: CIHDOTTs with reduced teams and nurse predominance; CNCDO overloaded and performing activities which belong to the CIHDOTTs; CIHDOTTs working essentially in an active search for potential donors; the family members refusal is largely responsible for the non-confirmation of a significant number of donations; it was identified fragility in campaign, qualification and joint planning actions between CNCDO and CIHDOTTs; CNCDO and CIHDOTTs resent greater support from health professionals and hospital managers and also the lack of equipment and appropriate physical space; the great expenditure of energy of CNCDO and CIHDOTTs result in an insignificant number of effective donations; there are difficulties in the process of identifying likely potential donor, delay in the diagnosis of brain death and in the beginning of the hemodynamic maintenance of the possible donor. The indication that greater results are obtained from the campaigns which favor the regional language confirms the initial assumption that educational initiatives, due to their immediate impact on the population, has the potential to leverage the transplant process. We conclude that human, structural and technological factors pose serious obstacles to the implementation of the National Transplant Policy in the State of Ceará, with little significant impact on the sole waiting list in the country. We suggest actions on several fronts: to redirect the dissemination campaigns towards approaches which are more culturally related to the region and closer to people; to offer more frequent courses to raise awareness and to improve the skills of health professionals; to develop strategies to raise awareness of professionals and managers regarding the noble task of CNCDO and CIHDOTTs; to employ more professionals and train them to perform the detection and diagnosis of brain death faster and to ensure the accomplishment of the hemodynamic maintenance efficiently