What is Transplant Ethics?
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The field of transplant ethics is a specialty within the practice of clinical ethics. The goals of transplant ethics are to promote the integrity of transplant medicine, and the welfare of living donors and organ recipients. Because organs are very scarce and a precious gift, transplant ethics aims for organ allocation to those with the capacity to benefit from it.
There are many ethical dilemmas and complex situations that can arise during transplant and organ donation. Examples of transplant dilemmas include the following:
--Ethics assessment of fulminant patients;
--Transplantation for those who are uninsured or underinsured;
--Assessment of patients expressing ambivalence about pursuing transplant;
--Assessment of patients with compliance problems;
--Assuring that living donations are without coercion and conflict of interest;
--Assessments of those who are non-residents/foreign nationals or those with mental health issues, or those presented for re-transplantation;
--Policy matters such as organ tourism (issues relating to treating patients who have obtained organs in foreign countries), internet solicitation of living donors, and extended criteria organs (e.g., organs from older donors).
Additionally, the ethicist can work wtih cardiac teams and patients who are considering permanent or bridge use of ventricular assist devices.
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Educational Events
Looking for the current or archived issues of my Ethics Newsletter? You can find them at http://twitter.com/AskTheEthicist
Feb 13 - 16, 2012: "Transplant Ethics" (Dr. Bramstedt presents medical student educational sessions at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine). Vallejo, CA
June 6, 2012: "Sold to the Highest Bidder". Dr. Bramstedt presents at the American Transplant Congress Annual Meeting in Boston. (This is part of the sunrise symposium, "They Supply Them and You Buy Them: Where are We with Transplant Tourism?")
July 14, 2012: "Harms and Responsibilities Associated with Battery-Operated Implants (BOI): Who Controls Post-Mortem Explantation?" (Dr. Bramstedt presents at the annual meeting of the Australasian Association of Bioethics & Health Law in Auckland, New Zealand)
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Asking for help: This web site is educational and intended to inform patients, donors, and families about some of the key issues in transplantation and living donation. If you are a patient, potential organ donor, someone who has donated, or a caregiver and you need ethics advice, please request an ethics consult from your hospital ethicist. If you have been a live donor or are a potential donor, you can also seek guidance from the Donor Advocate at your transplant center. In the USA, the availabilty of a Donor Advocate/Donor Advocate Team is a Federal requirement for all transplant centers.
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| Click on the card to register to be a donor in Australia |
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| Organs for Strangers |
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