…ease, pulmonary disease, and high spinal cord injury.” (See Steinbrook, R, Organ Donation After Cardiac Death, N Engl J Med 357;3, p. 212, July 19, 2007.) It’s difficult to escape the conclusion that the 2012 proposal language has been manipulated to avoid flagging disability groups that represent people who are now classified as potential DCD candidates. At the same time, the language encourages institutions to tap into “currently unrealized dono…
…gan Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) on the topic of “Living Organ Donation by Persons with Certain Fatal Diseases Who Meet the Criteria to Be Living Organ Donors”. The organ transplant program saves lives, including some of our organization’s grassroots advocates. Its goals are of unquestionable significance. In order to function effectively though, it needs to have strong public trust and support. The safety of potential donors sho…
…body was flooded with drugs and the antiseptic Betadine in preparation for organ donation. Although the surgeon involved was later acquitted of criminal charges (7), there was evidence that the actions of the transplant team hastened Mr. Navarro’s death. This simply cannot be tolerated. The line between organ donation and organ euthanasia must never be blurred. Disabled people are vulnerable to pressures to stop treatment for life threatening cond…
…provide end-of-life care, especially when our patients are candidates for organ donation. In this article, I’ll explore two basic issues: how death is defined and who makes decisions for potential organ donors who haven’t made their wishes known. First, let’s look at some basic ethical principles. Examining your values Nurses must consider respect for life and bodily integrity in light of the procedure for recovering organs. Nursing is primarily…
…ion may examine persons on life-support to determine their eligibility for organ donation without their knowledge or consent, even though they are neither terminal nor near death. The organ procurement organization is not required to condition eligibility for organ donation on assurances that a conscious patient’s decision to have life-support withdrawn is informed and voluntary and not a product of clinical depression or other factors that can be…
