Question is in the title.
Organs?
Heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, corneas.
If one is an organ donor and one is a candidate for organ donation - not the same thing; there are some illness or medications that make you ineligible to be an organ donor*, even if you want to be - AND if you make your wishes known so that we can put you on a ventilator before your heart stops beating, although your brain is dead, then you can donate eyes, corneas, lungs, heart and heart valves, liver, kidney, pancreas, intestines, skin, bone, tendons and the two huge veins in each of your legs (which they can use for cardiac bypass by flipping them around to make them work more like arteries).
There’s been an increase in organ donation after cardiac activity has stopped, but it doesn’t work well for all organs and tissues. It’s most often used for livers and kidneys, but some places will also take the pancreas, lungs and hearts. These organs tend to fail more often and more quickly than organs taken while the heart is still beating. Not every hospital will do DCD (donation after cardiac death), so it’s important that you share your decision to be an organ donor with your next-of-kin, so they can communicate with the doctors *before *your heart stops.
*Although many people who can’t be an organ donor can still donate tissue and eyes, for reasons I honestly don’t fully understand.
How about blood?
No, but I have no idea why not.
Maybe life-saving attempts have typically filled it with drugs?
Isn’t the circulation maintained in order to keep the organs alive? I’d have thought harvesting blood would risk deterioration of some of the organs. Blood is comparatively cheap in this context, I think.
My husband had been dead for too long for regular organ donation by the time they got him to the hospital, but they could still use corneas, skin, tendons, and… something. I think there were four things.
What what it’s worth your corneas get their oxygen from the air so it’s not much of surprise they’d still be ok even if your heart stopped.
I believe that spinal vertebrae ant he discs (intervertebral cartilage) are also usable.
On my license it says I am an organ donor. Isn’t that enough? I do not live near any of my family so there would be no one to give consent.
Depends on your state. In Illinois, they ask you when you get your license if you want to be an organ donor, and it’s printed on your license if you do, but it’s not the legally binding indicator. If you really want to be an organ donor, you have to go register hereor register at this website.