Ethically Increasing the Supply of Transplantable Organs

Aaron Spital

doi:10.7326/0003-4819-146-7-200704030-00014

Letters |3 April 2007

Ethically Increasing the Supply of Transplantable Organs

Aaron Spital, MD

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TO THE EDITOR:

In his recent editorial (1), Childress adeptly summarized recent Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommendations (2) for increasing the supply of transplantable organs. According to the IOM report, we should continue to rely on public goodwill but should work harder to stimulate it through education, creation of donor registries, and improvement in techniques for obtaining consent. In my opinion, with the notable exception of encouraging donation after cardiac death, the IOM's recommendations are somewhat disappointing because they do not differ fundamentally from previous suggestions. We need a new approach to organ procurement—not more of the same.

Let's start with the relevant facts. First, the list of patients waiting for organ transplants is very long and is growing. Second, many patients will die while waiting. Third, transplantation would prevent many of these deaths. Fourth, many more usable cadaveric organs are available than are recovered. Finally, the major barrier to organ procurement is the many families that refuse to allow organ recovery from a recently deceased loved one. The result is a deadly link—wherein requiring consent leads to a loss of lives that could have been saved were consent not necessary.

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2007 American College of Physicians

Letters |3 April 2007

Ethically Increasing the Supply of Transplantable Organs

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Letters |3 April 2007

Ethically Increasing the Supply of Transplantable Organs

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