Certified Clinical Transplant Nurse (CCTN) 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

The evaluation of a Donation After Cardiac Death (DCD) donor includes obtaining a thorough medical and behavioral history. This ensures that healthcare providers understand the candidate's overall health, previous medical conditions, and any factors that may affect organ donation. A detailed assessment of the donor’s health status is crucial, as it influences recipient outcomes and the success of transplantation.

While brain imaging and psychological assessments can be important for other types of donors, they are not typically part of a DCD donor's evaluation since the focus is primarily on the factors that could compromise organ viability post-cardiac arrest. Meeting with family prior to donation is often part of the process of addressing ethical considerations, but it does not constitute part of the donor evaluation itself. Similarly, while organ viability tests are important, they are generally conducted after the cardiac death has been declared and not as part of the initial evaluation process for DCD donors. Thus, the correct answer highlights the core aspect of understanding the DCD donor's medical and behavioral history, which is essential for the safe and ethical practice of organ donation.