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Published on: November 19, 2017
Brain death - too flawed to endure, too ingrained to abandon
1Department of Medical Ethics, Anesthesia, and Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Summary
The concept of brain death is questioned for its incoherence in organ transplantation. Alternatives to the dead donor rule are ethically justifiable but unlikely to be adopted, with immunology advances possibly making brain death obsolete.
Area of Science:
- Medical Ethics
- Neuroscience
- Transplantation Medicine
Background:
- The concept of brain death underpins organ transplantation practices.
- Current medical systems justify organ removal from brain-dead patients who still exhibit circulation and respiration.
- This practice raises ethical questions regarding the definition of death and donor viability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To critically examine the concept of brain death.
- To explore alternatives for organ transplantation if brain death is abandoned.
- To propose future resolutions for the ethical dilemmas surrounding organ donation.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual analysis of the definition of death.
- Ethical evaluation of the dead donor rule and its alternatives.
- Discussion of potential future technological impacts on the concept of brain death.
Main Results:
- The concept of brain death is found to be incoherent and counterintuitive.
- Abandoning brain death requires either redefining death or reconsidering the dead donor rule.
- Alternatives to the dead donor rule are ethically justifiable and potentially publicly acceptable.
Conclusions:
- New definitions of death are problematic.
- Alternatives to the dead donor rule, while ethically sound, face adoption challenges.
- Technological advancements, particularly in immunology, may render the concept of brain death obsolete.
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