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Ethical Issues in Organ Donation from Brain-Dead Donors

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The Brain-Dead Organ Donor

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Abstract

Organ donation and transplantation are value-laden enterprises. The relative scarcity of transplantable organs is commonly presumed to be the source of ethical dilemmas in transplantation. Accordingly, considerable emphasis has been placed on increasing the availability of organs for transplantation. The focus on supply and demand misses the fundamental human questions that necessarily shape our understanding of the donation and transplantation of organs, especially from deceased donors. The moral language of transplantation and the public policy framework for organ donation in the USA highlight some of the values underlying organ donation and transplantation practice and policies: gift, altruism, autonomy, and stewardship. Ultimately, donor organs are gifts unlike most other gifts, and they necessarily require an elaborate social context (including organ recovery and sharing infrastructure, as well as the expertise of transplant teams) to realize their value as gifts. The social context of transplantation points to the intersection of donor autonomy and the communal values informing transplant policies. This chapter examines ethical issues arising in the context of organ donation and transplantation generally, and specifically those associated with various proposals to increase the supply of transplantable organs, primarily through a critical analysis of the values shaping transplantation, as suggested by our moral language.

Note: This chapter builds on some of the themes originally presented in Fox MD. Directed donation: a critical examination of the values underlying organ donation and allocation policy. Thesis (Ph.D. in Religion)—Vanderbilt University; 1997.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Despite my contention that no harm can be done to the cadaveric donor, I recognize that the deceased is owed a measure of dignity and respect.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Oklahoma School of Community Medicine, Tulsa, OK, USA

    Mark D. Fox M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H. & Ricky T. Munoz J.D., M.S.W.

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  1. Mark D. Fox M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H.
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  2. Ricky T. Munoz J.D., M.S.W.
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mark D. Fox M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Tampa VA Medical Center, Surgery, University of South Florida, Bruce B. Downs Blvd 12901, Tampa, 33612, Florida, USA

    Dimitri Novitzky

  2. Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institu, Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Lothrop Street 200, Pittsburgh, 15213, Pennsylvania, USA

    David K C Cooper

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Fox, M.D., Munoz, R.T. (2013). Ethical Issues in Organ Donation from Brain-Dead Donors. In: Novitzky, D., Cooper, D. (eds) The Brain-Dead Organ Donor. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-4304-9_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-4304-9_5

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