The Pros And Cons Of Donor Organs

ORGANS NEEDED

The increasing need for additional organ donors in the United States and worldwide is one that has earned a great deal of trepidation. According to the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN), a network that connects all professionals included in the United States transplant and donation system, there are more than 120,000 people in the United States alone in need of an organ transplant that would save their lives. There are currently more than 77,000 people on the active waiting list. Every day approximately twenty-two people die while waiting for a transplant. As of Friday, April 22nd, 2016 there have been 2,553 transplants and 1,193 donors. A travesty considering the fact that a single organ donor can save up to eight lives.

This position paper discusses the ethical issues encompassing organ donations which stem from the massive organ shortage. There should be incentives regulated by the government to help decrease the organ shortage and save lives that are lost each day.

Donor Organs

There are essentially two types of organ donations, heart beating and non-heart beating. Organs are either obtained from patients that are considered brain dead or after cardiac death (DCD).

Over ninety countries worldwide currently regard brain death as an acceptable standard for death. At present, efforts

Twenty percent of the world’s kidney transplants are Trafficked (Mendoza, R. L., 2011). With an increase in incidence of diabetes and hypertension, patients are rapidly progressing to End Stage Renal Disease where both kidneys are unable to function. This organ shortage is expected to increase exponentially in the very near future. Some countries are developing medical tourism programs, where patients can be offered inexpensive and timely access to healthcare not available in their own country. This helps to stimulate their economy in the process (Mendoza, R. L.,