Should drug abusers and alcoholics get livers?

[Country_Gal]

I was reading about the death of Lou Reed. He ruined his liver through drug and alcohol abuse, then got a liver transplant last June, at age 70. Apparently it didn’t go well because he died.

I guess a lot of organ transplant recipients in some way contributed to their predicaments, but the drug and alcohol abuse especially irritates me, especially since Medicare foots the bill.

 

[HerrZJA]

No lung transplants for lung cancer patients, either. They were probably smokers.

Or stomach transplants for people with ulcers, since their stress was a contributing factor.

Or medication for people who are overweight, since they should have known better in the first place.

Ephesians 4:32 ESV

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

 

[KendraDZ1902]

No lung transplants for lung cancer patients, either. They were probably smokers.

Or stomach transplants for people with ulcers, since their stress was a contributing factor.

Or medication for people who are overweight, since they should have known better in the first place.

Ephesians 4:32 ESV

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

I thought the same thing when I read the title.

 

[robwar]

the main issue with receiving an organ such as a heart or liver is that there has to be a perfect match. It’s easy to think that this guy shouldn’t have gotten a liver because of his abuse in the past when maybe they have stopped and are cleaned up per say. Likewise, how do you know that medicare footed the bill, do you have access to that information? Do to the demand for critical organs, it is hard to judge this.

 

[Country_Gal]

Hi, I’m just bringing up the general ethical question, not Mr Reed’s individual case. I’m not privy to specifics regarding him, other than he wrecked his liver with drugs and booze

 

[Country_Gal]

Celebrities do seem to get preferential treatment with organ transplants, by the way. At 70 Mr Reed was in a riskier category, being 70 when the operation was done. As we know, his outcome was poor.

 

[KendraDZ1902]

Celebrities do seem to get preferential treatment with organ transplants, by the way. At 70 Mr Reed was in a riskier category, being 70 when the operation was done. As we know, his outcome was poor.

I don’t know if they get preferential treatment, per se. I think it is illegal to pay to skip to the head of the line, but they do get public sympathy. I’m sure there have been cases of where celebs have received direct donation.

It seems like you are trying to change the subject of giving organs to people who have wore out theirs by abuse.

 

[Country_Gal]

I don’t know if they get preferential treatment, per se. I think it is illegal to pay to skip to the head of the line, but they do get public sympathy. I’m sure there have been cases of where celebs have received direct donation.

It seems like you are trying to change the subject of giving organs to people who have wore out theirs by abuse.

You don’t have to discuss celebrities and organ transplants if you don’t want to. This is a discussion that may possibly encompass other aspects of organ transplantation ethics, it happens.

Apparently Mr Reed also had Hep C from IV drug use. Hepatitis is usually a contraindication for a transplant.

Yes, many times celebrities go to the front of the line with organ transplants. Dick Cheney was a recent example.

 

[DeniseNY]

Yes, many times celebrities go to the front of the line with organ transplants. Dick Cheney was a recent example.

politico.com/news/stories/0312/74448.html

Did he?

 

[Country_Gal]

politico.com/news/stories/0312/74448.html

Did he?

Interesting. Thanks for sharing. I thought that younger people got priority in the system, and that being 70 or older lowered your prognosis, therefore put you lower on the list.

 

[KendraDZ1902]

You don’t have to discuss celebrities and organ transplants if you don’t want to. This is a discussion that may possibly encompass other aspects of organ transplantation ethics, it happens.

Apparently Mr Reed also had Hep C from IV drug use. Hepatitis is usually a contraindication for a transplant.

Yes, many times celebrities go to the front of the line with organ transplants. Dick Cheney was a recent example.

"Myth 1 - Celebrities or wealthy people get transplanted faster than others.

All patients awaiting transplant are on the same national transplant waiting list, which is blind to celebrity status, income, and race or ethnicity. Organs are given to patients based on the severity of illness, match with the donor, and time on the waiting list. Yes, some celebrities have gone on the transplant waiting list and received transplants quickly, and so have thousands of non-celebrity patients who never make it into the national news. Media attention focused on famous people who receive transplants tends to magnify the misperception that celebrities get special treatment."

I got this from organtransplants.org

Being at the front of the line has a lot to do with the severity of illness, I would imagine.

 

[robwar]

"Myth 1 - Celebrities or wealthy people get transplanted faster than others.

All patients awaiting transplant are on the same national transplant waiting list, which is blind to celebrity status, income, and race or ethnicity. Organs are given to patients based on the severity of illness, match with the donor, and time on the waiting list. Yes, some celebrities have gone on the transplant waiting list and received transplants quickly, and so have thousands of non-celebrity patients who never make it into the national news. Media attention focused on famous people who receive transplants tends to magnify the misperception that celebrities get special treatment."

I got this from organtransplants.org

Being at the front of the line has a lot to do with the severity of illness, I would imagine.

thanks for the correct info! finding a match is also the big key here. I don’t know anything about Mr. Reed but if he had quit drugs and his abuse was in the past doesn’t mean that now he shouldn’t get a transplant if there was a match. What we don’t have as info in this situation is that if the liver could have been matched to someone else instead of Mr Reed. That usually isn’t the case.

 

[Country_Gal]

"Myth 1 - Celebrities or wealthy people get transplanted faster than others.

All patients awaiting transplant are on the same national transplant waiting list, which is blind to celebrity status, income, and race or ethnicity. Organs are given to patients based on the severity of illness, match with the donor, and time on the waiting list. Yes, some celebrities have gone on the transplant waiting list and received transplants quickly, and so have thousands of non-celebrity patients who never make it into the national news. Media attention focused on famous people who receive transplants tends to magnify the misperception that celebrities get special treatment."

I got this from organtransplants.org

Being at the front of the line has a lot to do with the severity of illness, I would imagine.

I hope that is true. My suspicions is that there are instances of favoritism, life being what it is.

One thing that disturbs me about the organ transplantation industry is the recent loosening of standards of brain death.

“Brain Death” as Criteria for Organ Donation is a “Deception”: Bereaved Mother

 

[Country_Gal]

Dad rescues ‘brain dead’ son from doctors wishing to harvest his organs – boy recovers completely

According to the Daily Mail newspaper, a young British man owes his life to an insistent father who would not allow his son’s organs to be removed from his body, despite assurances from four doctors that his son could not recover from the wounds he had suffered in a recent car accident.

Today, the 21-year-old with “brain damage” is studying accounting at a local university. “‘My impression is maybe the hospital weren’t very happy that my father wanted a second opinion,” he told the Mail.

 

[robwar]

Dad rescues ‘brain dead’ son from doctors wishing to harvest his organs – boy recovers completely

that should be an entire thread on it’s own.

 

[HerrZJA]

I agree with Robwar. That has nothing to do with the present question.

 

[Country_Gal]

I agree with Robwar. That has nothing to do with the present question.

You guys are pretty strict about not exploring a general topic

In my book, a discussion (that I started) can explore other aspects of the subject matter, and lead down on to other other related topics. Just like a regular conversation.

 

[KendraDZ1902]

You guys are pretty strict about not exploring a general topic

In my book, a discussion (that I started) can explore other aspects of the subject matter, and lead down on to other other related topics. Just like a regular conversation.

I totally understand about leading down related topics in regular conversation, but this is a forum and it tends to get chaotic when you can have a few dozen conversing.

 

[robwar]

You guys are pretty strict about not exploring a general topic

In my book, a discussion (that I started) can explore other aspects of the subject matter, and lead down on to other other related topics. Just like a regular conversation.

Reread the rules and then start another thread with that link. This isn’t a book and when threads get derailed they either get very boring or very nasty. Your second topic is important so there was nothing wrong with the suggestion to start another thread. Sometimes, when the conversation isn’t going our way, it is a deflection technique to go after another topic which is what I kinda suspect with this thread.

 

[Country_Gal]

Reread the rules and then start another thread with that link. This isn’t a book and when threads get derailed they either get very boring or very nasty. Your second topic is important so there was nothing wrong with the suggestion to start another thread. Sometimes, when the conversation isn’t going our way, it is a deflection technique to go after another topic which is what I kinda suspect with this thread.

OMG, okay, just have them shut down the thread then. I happen to be interested in medical ethics and sorry I brought up the subject. Good grief… Sorry if I didn’t make a more general title. There are a lot of facets of organ donation that are interesting.