Medicolegal aspects of donor safety evaluation

Current Italian statutes concern the safety of organ donors. The law of April 1, 1999 (no. 91), established the fundamental principles for a new structure for organ transplants in Italy and, therefore, for the quality of transplanted organs. The Ministry of Health decree of February 8, 2002, defined organ conditions that preclude the utilization of an organ and identified conditions for suitability of non-optimal organs for some types of transplants or for some recipients. Guidelines from the National Transplant Center establish risk levels, criteria for absolute exclusion, and standard procedures for the evaluation of donor risk and organ suitability for transplant. This article also examines the levels of responsibility of various professionals involved in the harvesting-transplant process.