You Decide Ethics Week 2

Hospital XYZ September 11, 2012

Memorandum for Record:

Organ donation is a valuable and honorable service that a dying person and/or families of the recently deceased can contribute to society. When an organ becomes available, it is very important to find the best suited candidate quickly; this is why there are tissue samples taken and tests run to find the most biologically-suitable match. Sometimes, there are cases when there is more than one person suitable. When these cases arise, the decision-making process becomes more difficult. As the Lead Surgeon of Hospital XYZ, it is my job to decide which candidate is best suited to receive an organ donation.

In the case of this donated heart, we have three candidates that meet the biological suitability requirements. While each may have a compelling personal story, there is, unfortunately, only one person that can ultimately receive the heart. My decision has been made based on the following criteria: the acuity of the patient’s current condition, the patient’s life expectancy after transplant, and the patient’s overall health and potential for complications or organ rejection.

Jerry, a fifty-five-years-old male, is currently hospitalized and in the ward awaiting a heart. Although Jerry’s heart damage is self-inflicted from steroid use in his twenties, this was before the dangers of steroid use were well known. If Jerry receives this heart, he has a high chance to live another ten to fifteen years.

Lisa is a 12-year-old girl who has had health issues all her life due to various viral infections and a lupus-like immune deficiency. Her heart was damaged last year when she was suffering with pneumonia and actually stopped beating. If she does receive this heart, Lisa’s chances of making it to her twenties are very low.

Ozzie, a thirty-eight-year-old man, was referred to us from a local charity that assists the homeless in receiving health care. His heart condition results from drug abuse, and he has...