PubMed Health⌕ Search

SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “Directed Tissue Donation”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 199 records · Page 11Linked to original sources

Examining the potential exploitation of UNOS policies.

The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) waiting list was designed as a just and equitable system through which the limited number of organs is allocated to the millions of Americans in need of a transplant. People have trusted the system because of the belief that everyone on the list has an equal opportunity to receive an organ and also that allocation is blind to matters of financial standing, celebrity or political power. Recent events have revealed that certain practices and policies have the potential to be exploited. The policies addressed in this paper enable those on the list with the proper resources to gain an advantage over other less fortunate members, creating a system that benefits not the individual most in medical need, but the one with the best resources. These policies are not only unethical but threaten the balance and success of the entire UNOS system. This paper proposes one possible solution, which seeks to balance the concepts of justice and utility.

Advertising↗

Preimplantation genetic diagnosis: the ethics of intermediate cases.

According to the current guiding principle regarding preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), the technique should focus on the diagnosis of genetic defects which (may) affect the health of this particular potential child--the so-called 'medical model'. I argue in favour of a more permissive view, also allowing PGD of characteristics which may be relevant for the health of 'third parties'. Two cases are analysed: PGD/HLA typing in order to save a sib, and PGD/sex selection in order to prevent the birth of healthy female carriers of X-linked recessive disorders, who are at high risk of conceiving affected sons. While these cases are at odds with the medical model stricto sensu, they do have a link with health problems. In the first case, the health benefit hoped for is intrafamilial, in the second case the health benefit is transgenerational. These cases illustrate that the traditional dichotomy between the medical model on the one hand and the 'designer' or autonomy model on the other hand is simplistic--they represent an intermediate category.

Chromosomes, Human, X↗

Umbilical cord blood for use in transplantation.

Bone marrow transplantation has rapidly progressed over the last two decades offering cure and prolonged disease-free survival for patients suffering from certain hemato-oncological malignancies or metabolic disorders. However, bone marrow transplantation is limited by the paucity of major histocompatibility loci antigen (HLA)-matched donors, and the morbidity and mortality due to graft-versus-host disease. Recently it has been shown, that umbilical cord blood represents a unique source of transplantable hematopoietic progenitor cells. Currently, human umbilical cord blood from a newborn sibling has been used successfully for hematopoietic reconstitution of approximately 40 children with congenital or malignant diseases. Establishment of umbilical cord blood banks might alleviate some of the problems associated with bone marrow transplantation. The developments in this field which have occurred during the last decade, as well as the importance of cooperation between the obstetric and transplantation staff, are discussed in this review. Certain ethical problems remain surrounding the issue of using human umbilical cord blood for allogeneic transplantation which must be addressed.

Aborted Fetus↗

Improving utilization of deceased donor kidneys by matching recipient and graft survival.

Younger renal transplant recipients often outlive their allografts, whereas older recipients often die before their allograft fails. Thus, our aim was to assess the utility of matching recipient and graft survival to improve allocation of deceased donor kidneys. We reviewed the records of 49,206 patients (United Network for Organ Sharing, 1995-2002). Donor grafts were stratified by Deceased Donor Score (DDS). We observed a disparity between recipient survival and renal graft survival which contributed to an annual gap between supply and demand of renal transplants. Utilization of DDS and distribution of marginal kidneys to older recipients would improve allocation.

Adolescent↗

Why nondocumented residents should have access to kidney transplantation: arguments for lifting the federal ban on reimbursement.

Current U.S. legislation restricts reimbursement for organ transplantation for nondocumented residents, which makes it difficult for many immigrants, including children, to access the transplants they need. In this article, we offer moral, economic, and legal reasons that nondocumented immigrants deserve the same access to kidney transplantation as do legal residents. We argue that the current reasoning for such a ban is based on unjustified fears and unsupported assumptions, which are not a solid basis for determining eligibility for lifesaving therapy for the neediest members of our society.

Directed Tissue Donation↗

Money talks, money kills -- the economics of transplantation in Japan and China.

Japan and China have long resisted the Western trend of organ transplantation from brain-dead patients, based on a 'Confucian' respect for integrity of ancestors' bodies. While their general publics continue to harbor grave doubts about such practices, their medical and political elites are hastening towards the road of organ-harvesting and organ-marketing, largely for economic reasons. This report illustrates the ways that economics is motivating brain-death legislation in Japan and criminal executions in China.

Brain Death↗