[Opinion and knowledge of the population of a Brazilian city about organ donation and transplantation].

OBJECTIVE: To determine the opinion and knowledge of the population of Curitiba about organ donation and transplantation.

METHODS: The opinion and knowledge about organ donation and transplantation of 1,000 subjects over 18 years of age were determined. The subjects responded to a questionnaire of 20 queries. Respondents had age, gender, social-economic, and education distributions similar to those of the Brazilian population, as defined by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE).

RESULTS: Eighty-seven percent of respondents were in favor of organ donation. There was no difference in the percentage of respondents in favor of donation in relation to gender, marital status, religion, and income. The main reasons in favor of donation were to save life, to help other persons and to donate life. The main reasons against donation were distrust towards medicine or the Brazilian transplantation organization, the existence of organ sale, and fear of body mutilation. Most respondents believed that wealthy people have a better chance to receive an organ than poor people, that sales of organs exists in Brazil, and that misdiagnosis of brain death may occur.

CONCLUSION: Most respondents are in favor of organ donation and have a good knowledge of organ donation and transplantation. The majority distrusts Brazilian organization of organ distribution and brain death diagnosis.