Ethics of Organ Transplantation and Allocation

Ethical Issues in Organ Transplantation & Allocation

Nora Jones

Jacksonville State University

Ethical Issues in Organ Transportation & Allocation

ESLD not only affects the liver but it causes patients to have more cognitive damage; stress because of the illness on the family and social; or more comorbid conditions such as substance abuse, depression, and anxiety. In the United States, chronic liver disease is the 12th leading cause of death and the 7th leading cause of death in people between the ages of 25 and 64 years (Kung, Hoyert, Xu, & Murphy, 2005).

The mother with Hepatitis B is the patient chosen to receive the liver transplant. Because the new organ will allow more time to see the children grow up. There is a chance for reinfection of the new liver, with a medication regimen the recipient will increase her survival rate. Having the family support will also ensure the she will adhere to taking care of the new liver. There is no evidence that the recipient abuses drugs or alcohol. She will get the better use of the liver and the family will benefit as well.

Chronic infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a common cause of advanced liver disease, including end-stage liver disease. Liver transplantation is generally regarded as the treatment of choice for decompensated cirrhosis (Keeffe 2000). People with Hepatitis B diagnoses are living longer after receiving the new transplanted liver.  There is a chance for reinfection but that is the chance that is taken. Given the research on drugs, healthy eating and life styles, life expectancy has greatly increased. The overall survival of patients transplanted for HBV-related cirrhosis now exceeds 85 percent at one year and 75 percent at five years. Furthermore, rates of transplantation for HBV-related end-stage liver disease have dropped substantially, with a 47 percent decrease in liver transplantation waiting list registrations between 1999 and 2006 (Liver Transplant, 2004).

ESLD medication is very expensive which adds stress on the family’s finances, life style changes, more anxiety. Lamivudine along with hepatitis B immune globin (HBIg) has shown to reduce the hepatitis B recurrence in patients. Lamivudine has a potential role for the treatment of patients with hepatitis B related ESLD for prophylaxis in patients undergoing liver transplantation, and in the treatment of recurrent HBV infection after transplantation (Keeffe 2000). According to Keeffe (2000) the use of Lamivudine also decreases the need for transplantation.

According to Kant, it is only through dutiful actions that people can be moral (Butts &Rich 2013, page 19). Rules are set for recipients to follow, in order to receive the donated organ. The recipient must stop drinking immediately, take all prescribed medication and adhere to a diet specific to their disease. The liver must have up to 3 tumors max, size does not exceed 3cm and age. Access to organs have been a challenge for most people needing transplantation. The list is longer than the supply, people are dying waiting for an organ to come available.