Ethical Controversies in Organ Donation

A review of the literature

The lecture duration is 49min.

1 CPD Point, 1 CEU, 1 CME credit approval pending.
Accredited by CPDUK, CBRN and Provider Pending.

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George Skowronski
Associate Professor of Intensive Care Medicine, Australia
Lecture Summary

Traditional ideas around the meaning of death have been altered irrevocably by technological advances from the mid-20th century. Modern definitions of death are problematic both technically and conceptually and have been subjected to numerous legal challenges, especially in the USA. Studies by a number of groups, including our own, suggest that family decisions about organ donation place the most importance on prognosis and consent, rather than the presence of death. Some authors have suggested that, contrary to what is assumed, principles such as the ‘Dead Donor Rule’ serve mainly to provide comfort for participating doctors, and are ethically unnecessary. Organ donation and the diagnosis of death remain ethically controversial in the 21st century.

Target Audience

Critical Care Doctors
Experienced or advanced Critical Care Nurses

Learning Objectives:

Upon completion of this activity, you should be able to:

  • Understand the ethical pitfalls surrounding the diagnosis of death in the context of organ donation
  • Understand the basis of some of the main legal challenges to the concept of brain death
  • Recognise the ethical limitations of the ‘Dead Donor Rule’ in organ donation
  • Understand that the main considerations for families contemplating organ donation are prognosis and consent rather than the presence of death

None.