South Carolina Code 44-43-365. Search of South Carolina Organ and Tissue Donor Registry; examination to ensure medical suitability of part; minor donors; removal of part
(B) A procurement organization must be allowed reasonable access to information in the records of the South Carolina Organ and Tissue Donor Registry to ascertain whether an individual at or near death is a donor.
Terms Used In South Carolina Code 44-43-365
- Anatomical gift: means a donation of all or part of a human body to take effect after the donor's death for the purpose of transplantation, therapy, research, or education. See South Carolina Code 44-43-305
- Decedent: means a deceased individual whose body or part is or may be the source of an anatomical gift. See South Carolina Code 44-43-305
- Decedent: A deceased person.
- Document of gift: means a donor card or other record used to make an anatomical gift. See South Carolina Code 44-43-305
- Donor: The person who makes a gift.
- Donor: means an individual whose body or part is the subject of an anatomical gift. See South Carolina Code 44-43-305
- Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
- Hospital: means a hospital licensed, accredited, or approved under the laws of this State and includes a hospital operated by the United States or the State or its subdivisions, although not required to be licensed under state law. See South Carolina Code 44-43-305
- Minor: means an individual who is under eighteen years of age. See South Carolina Code 44-43-305
- Part: means an organ, an eye, or tissue of a human being. See South Carolina Code 44-43-305
- Person: means an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, limited liability company, association, joint venture, public corporation, government or governmental subdivision, agency, or instrumentality, or any other legal or commercial entity. See South Carolina Code 44-43-305
- Physician: means an individual authorized to practice medicine or osteopathy under the law of any state. See South Carolina Code 44-43-305
- Procurement organization: means an eye bank, organ procurement organization, or tissue bank. See South Carolina Code 44-43-305
- Prospective donor: means an individual who is dead or near death and has been determined by a procurement organization to have a part that could be medically suitable for transplantation, therapy, research, or education. See South Carolina Code 44-43-305
- Refusal: means a record created under § 44-43-330 that expressly states an intent to bar other persons from making an anatomical gift of an individual's body or part. See South Carolina Code 44-43-305
- Technician: means an individual determined to be qualified to remove or process parts by an appropriate organization that is licensed, accredited, or regulated under federal or state law. See South Carolina Code 44-43-305
- Tissue: means a portion of the human body other than an organ or an eye. See South Carolina Code 44-43-305
(C) When a hospital refers an individual at or near death to a procurement organization, the organization may conduct any reasonable examination necessary to ensure the medical suitability of a part that is or could be the subject of an anatomical gift for transplantation, therapy, research, or education from a donor or a prospective donor. During the examination period, measures necessary to ensure the medical suitability of the part may not be withdrawn unless the hospital or procurement organization knows that the individual expressed a contrary intent.
(D) Unless prohibited by law other than this article, at any time after a donor’s death, the person to which a part passes under § 44-43-350 may conduct any reasonable examination necessary to ensure the medical suitability of the body or part for its intended purpose.
(E) Unless prohibited by law other than this article, an examination under subsection (C) or (D) may include an examination of all medical and dental records of the donor or prospective donor.
(F) Upon the death of a minor who was a donor or had signed a refusal, unless a procurement organization knows the minor is emancipated, the procurement organization shall conduct a reasonable search for the parents of the minor and provide the parents with an opportunity to revoke or amend the anatomical gift or revoke the refusal.
(G) Upon referral by a hospital under subsection (A), a procurement organization shall make a reasonable search for any person listed in § 44-43-340 having priority to make an anatomical gift on behalf of a prospective donor. If a procurement organization receives information that an anatomical gift to any other person was made, amended, or revoked, it promptly shall advise the other person of all relevant information.
(H) Subject to Sections 44-43-350(I) and 44-43-405, the rights of the person to which a part passes under § 44-43-350 are superior to the rights of all others with respect to the part. The person may accept or reject an anatomical gift in whole or in part. Subject to the terms of the document of gift and this article, a person that accepts an anatomical gift of an entire body may allow embalming, burial, or cremation, and use of remains in a funeral service. If the gift is of a part, the person to which the part passes under § 44-43-350, upon the death of the donor and before embalming, burial, or cremation, shall cause the part to be removed without unnecessary mutilation.
(I) Neither the physician who attends the decedent at death nor the physician who determines the time of the decedent‘s death may participate in the procedures for removing or transplanting a part from the decedent.
(J) A physician or technician may remove a donated part from the body of a donor that the physician or technician is qualified to remove.