Serious questions remain in the medical community about how to define death for organ transplant purposes.
A group of doctors is asking that others in the profession stop harvesting organs after the heart has stopped because in several cases, the heart can be restarted. Writing in Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, the eight doctors reiterate the standard that ought to be followed.
"That has come up primarily because of the issue of trying to get organs for donation after a patient has been declared dead in accordance with the family's preference and the patient's preference," explains Dr. Nick Yates of the Christian Medical Association (CMA). "But we obviously need to know that the patient, according to the [Donation after Cardiac Death] rule, has been declared dead prior to trying to harvest or obtain the organs."
The problem is deciding at which point a person is deceased. There have been allegations of harvesting organs too soon, and even though Dr. Yates cannot verify whether that does happen, he recognizes that "the suspicion is there." But as a physician, he hopes "doctors and patients have a good working relationship, so with the best of ability, one can define when the patient is dead."
He agrees there is a need for a clear definition for all involved, and that is why medical organizations are working to accomplish that.
Contact: Charlie Butts
Date Published: September 25, 2010
