Organ Donation

[Georgiadude]

I'm a former paramedic and simply put, yes it is possible for the organs to be donated. In the U.S. it is the next of kin that must give permission for the donation to happen. It doesn't matter what the donor has chosen to do. It's the next of kin's decision. Even if you have chosen on your driver's license. The next of kin must give permission. There have been some changes in a few states but I'm not entirely sure which ones.


It also depends on how the person ended their life. In general terms the donor must be "brain dead" for the donation to happen. I can remember 3 incidents where the family of a suicide chose to donate the organs. One was a early 20's male that hung himself. We responded and resuscitated him however due to the lack of oxygen his brain had died. Another was a 19 y/o male that ran a hose from the exhaust into his car. His father found him but it was too late. His brain began to swell from the carbon monoxide and soon died. The third was another young male. I don't remember his age. He shot himself in the head with a small caliber handgun. Again he survived the initial incident but his brain died. All of these happened in the 1990's.

I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have. Just pm me and I will reply.

Steven.

 

[KaraBulut]

Georgiadude is correct.

One of the most effective means of becoming an organ donor is to cause irreversible, fatal injury to your brain- either through blunt trauma (eg motor vehicle accident) or penetrative trauma (eg. gunshot wound). In these instances, just about any organ can be donated.

On the other hand, if you consume a toxic substance (eg. overdose) then you can still donate tissue- skin, bone, corneas, etc- but other organs are evaluated on a case by case basis.

In terms of consent, if you have signed a blanket consent to donation or live in a place that recognizes implied consent for donation, your organs can be taken if you meet criteria for "brain death". If your family consents to donation, then donation can be made upon declaration of brain death or post-mortem.

 

[Nomenclature]

Is it true that openly gay men aren't allowed to donate organs? I know gays can't donate blood due to the increased HIV risk.

 

[KaraBulut]

Gay men are allowed to be donors- it is not a specific exclusion.

During the organ matching process, a "social history" is prepared by the organ donation coordinator. Some donors are classified as "high risk" based upon the social history. This is disclosed to the physician who will be doing the transplant for the recipient. The physician makes the decision whether to accept donation from a "high risk" donor.

Part of the protocol Before organs are transplanted, there's a full battery of tests done on the donor to test for syphilis, HIV, CMV, EBV, HSV, HBV and other blood-borne infections. HIV is considered a disqualification for donation.

 

[evanrick]

Americans should protest organ donation until there is universal access to health care for all citizens. This is the single reason I would not be an organ donor, there is no justice for all.

 

[justright25]

Evanrick, you are suggesting that more should die just because some are dieing. Life is not fair but there is no reason to let countless other innocents die just because some are not as lucky or have made bad choices. In my experience, most people that cannot reasonably afford healthcare, qualify for government assistance. Those that don't have any coverage, don't obtain out of choice.

 

[Georgiadude]

Americans should protest organ donation until there is universal access to health care for all citizens. This is the single reason I would not be an organ donor, there is no justice for all.

Wtf?????

so we should let people die as a means of protest???? Yeah. that makes sense. if that truly is your reasoning you really need to do some soul searching. Organ donation and universal access aren't even in the same league. Aside from that. I personally know of 3 people that received either organs or bone marrow transplants that DID NOT have any type of insurance. They needed the transplant and they got it.

There are much better ways to state your opinion than letting people die.

Steven.

 

[KaraBulut]

There may be confusion about equal access issues with organ donation.

A large percentage of organ recipients are older and too sick to work. Fortunately, there are public assistance and charity programs that cover many of the costs of donation. Medicare does cover costs for kidney transplants, for example.

It is true that many poor and minority people do not receive transplants. This has to do with the tissue matching requirements for donation. The sad truth is that a disproportionate number of people on the transplant waiting list are from minority ethnic groups. It's also true that minorities donate organs less often than non-minorities, so the avaialble pool of minority donors means that many minority candidates on the waiting list die before a compatible organ becomes avaialble.