NOTE: Free essay sample provided on this page should be used for references or sample purposes only. The sample essay is available to anyone, so any direct quoting without mentioning the source will be considered plagiarism by schools, colleges and universities that use plagiarism detection software. To get a completely brand-new, plagiarism-free essay, please use our essay writing service.
One click instant price quote
The debate regarding the ethical issues about organ donation and transplantation has been present for many years. This is primarily due to the unique exchange that must occur. No other treatment so intimately involves the public. People must donate their organs or tissues to make the treatment possible.
The question that remains is why are people not donating their organs? One of the main reasons people do not donate organs is distrust of the medical profession. People are afraid that physicians will declare the patients death prematurely for the sole purpose of retrieving their organs. This may be due to the lack of knowledge regarding the procedure used to protect potential donors. Many individuals do not understand that a physician must declare the patient brain dead before the organs can be retrieved. Declaring a patient brain dead is not an easy process.
Knowing about and understanding the difficulty of declaring brain death may help potential donors realize that physicians do not randomly make these decisions. for the purpose of retrieving organs. The following criteria for the decision of brain death must be met: 2. Exclusion of reversible conditions, such as hypothermia (core temperature below 96. 8 F), drug intoxication or metabolic imbalances. 3. Clinical examination of the patient reveals the absence of cerebral function (speaking, facial interaction), no spontaneous movements (except those originating from the spinal cord), no response to stimulation, no brain stem reflexes (pupil reaction to light, blink response, gag or cough reflex, swallowing), and apnea (lack of spontaneous respiration). 4. All findings remain unchanged for six hours and the patient is reevaluated.
So as you can see, the decision to halt a life is not an easy one. In order to donate organs, an abundance of blood supply must be maintained to the organs. Several procedures must be done to ensure the proper environment for the organs. Their vital signs, oxygen level in the blood, fluid intake and hourly urine output are monitored continuously. Because the hypothalamus of a brain dead patient no longer regulates body temperature, it must be maintained artificially through the use of warming blankets, warming lights, warmed IV fluids and keeping the room temperature at 70 - 80 degrees F. Proper ventilator settings must be maintained to ensure adequate oxygen.
If cardiac arrest should occur, all measures of full resuscitation are taken. With all of these measures taken to ensure the proper functioning of organs, it is impossible for a patient to receive poor care. Before the transplantation process may begin, proper consent must be obtained. This can be done through two methods. The consent process is not started until the physician has declared brain death and the family has been informed.
Consent can be obtained first, by the signature on a donor card, living will or a drivers license. If these documents are not available, consent must be obtained from the next of kin. Although hospitals, organ procurement organizations and the federal government have tried to make donation easy and reliable, individuals are still unsure about donating their own organs. This due to the lack of misleading information given to the public. We all need to inform the public that the thoughts most of us have about organ donation are myths. The medical profession and the public needs to encourage others to give the gift of life by signing organ donor cards and by letting their wishes be known.
Bibliography:
Free research essays on topics related to: medical profession, organs, brain dead, brain death, organ donation
Research essay sample on Organ Donation Brain Dead
