Ethical Dilemma in Medical Transplant - 727 Words

One of the most agonizing decisions a medical professional can make comes when viable internal organs become available for transplant, because the current system of transplant lists often necessitates a time-sensitive evaluation of several candidates to determine who should receive the desperately needed operation. The ethical dilemma presented by the activity You Decide, in which three individuals coming from vastly different circumstances are eligible to receive a heart transplant, represents an all too common situation within the medical profession, and despite the intense emotional stakes involved, the most effective and efficient decision making process is one based on careful consideration of the ethical ramifications involved. Due to the enormous pressure involved in the transplantation of vital organs, a process which must be undertaken with immediacy, medical professionals often rely on the predetermined structural boundaries of respected philosophical tenets. The utilitaria n ethical philosophy advanced by the work of Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill, each of whom argued that deciding the most morally acceptable course of action required the clinical application of logical reasoning, is epitomized by Benthams famous axiom that it is the greatest happiness of the greatest number that is the measure of right and wrong (1776). By applying the fundamental precepts of Bentham and Mills concept of utilitarianism to this morally sensitive medical dilemma, it isShow MoreRelatedThe Ethical Dilemma Of Hepatitis Sachs Disease1335 Words   |  6 Pagesindividuals are involved in conflicting decisions to progress to a solution. The ethical dilemma may conflict with acceptable morals or behaviors but to resolve the paradox a decision has to be made. D.B.’s parents are faced with an ethical dilemma when they discover their son has an incurable disease. They could allow the illness to take its course or seek a form of treatment to slow its progression. 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According to the book Law Ethics for Medical Careers, by Karen Judson and Carlene Harrison, ethics is defined as the standards of behavior, developed as a result of one’s concept of right and wrong (Judson, Harrison, 2010). With that in mind, organ transplants for inmates has become a subject in which many people are asking questions as to whether itRead MoreEthical Healthcare Issues There are questions about transplant allocation in regards to the four900 Words   |  4 PagesEthical Healthcare Issues There are questions about transplant allocation in regards to the four major ethical principles in medical ethics: beneficence, autonomy, nonmaleficence and justice. 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PeopleRead MoreOrgan Donation And The Ethical Implications1441 Words   |  6 PagesWhen an individual is in need of an organ transplant, it is typically known that they are in need of an organ that facilitates a restoration of physiological functioning and will often mean the difference between life and death. A vast majority of individuals are apprehensive about what happens to their bodies after their death. In this paper we will go through the origins and history of organ donation, the process by which organs are donated, the ethical implications behind organ donation and discussRead MoreNursing Ethical Dilemma Essay1541 Words   |  7 Pagesrelationships are what they should be. Nurses are faced with dealing with ethical dilemmas every day in practice and they need to know when to recognize it to be able to understand when it is considered to be unethical. Grey’s anatomy provides a great example of how health care workers are faced with this ethical dilemma every day in practice. This particular scenario involves a little boy who is awaiting a liver transplants and an older man who is on death row who is to die in 5 days but is alsoRead MoreEthical Aspects Of Organ Allocation1169 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿ The medical practice of organ transplantation has grown by leaps and bounds over the last 50 years. Each year the medical profession takes more risk with decisions regarding transplants, how to allocate for organs, and most recently conducting transplants on children with adult organs. â€Å"An organ transplantation is a surgical operation where a failing or damaged organ in the human body is removed and replaced with a new one† (Caplan, 2009). Not all organsRead MoreEssay On Organ Donation814 Words   |  4 Pagesnon-donors to receive organ transplants if needed even though they aren’t registered to donate their own organs. Although denying non-registered organ donors the possibility to receive transplants could motivate more people to register, thus eliminating the scarcity of available organs, the ethical and moral dilemmas in denying people life-saving procedures outweigh the arguments for the denial of transplantation; therefore, non-donors should still hold th e right to receive transplants. Many people believeRead MoreDistributive Justice and Organ Transplants Essay1181 Words   |  5 PagesThroughout history physicians have faced numerous ethical dilemmas and as medical knowledge and technology have increased so has the number of these dilemmas. Organ transplants are a subject that many individuals do not think about until they or a family member face the possibility of requiring one. Within clinical ethics the subject of organ transplants and the extent to which an individual should go to obtain one remains highly contentious. Should individuals be allowed to advertise or pay for