[Donors of cadaver kidneys. Reactions of relatives illustrated by a questionnaire study]

Fifteen relatives of 11 patients from whom kidneys were removed after death with the object of transplantation were interviewed, three or more years after the death of the patient. The object of the investigation was to illustrate whether the procedure hitherto employed in Denmark, in which the relatives are asked for their permission for removal of the organs, is satisfactory. The authors were particularly interested to know how the surviving relatives experienced the decision to give permission for removal of the kidneys from their relative. The most important conclusion of this investigation is that the majority of the relatives were satisfied afterwards with the permission they had given and found that this decision had made an otherwise tragic situation meaningful.