The “Dead Donor Rule” (DDR) lies at the heart of current organ procurement policy. [10] It is not a legal statute; rather, it reflects the widely held belief that it is wrong to kill one person to save the life of another. On those grounds, an organ donor must already be dead before vital organs are removed.
Rather, “it is an ethical norm that has been formulated in at least two ways: 1. organ donors must be dead before procurement of organs begins; 2. organ procurement itself must not cause the death of the donor.
The dead donor rule states that vital organ should not be taken / transplanted from the living that will likely kill the owner. They should only be taken from the deceased.
In Australia the law which allows deceased organ and tissue donation says that a person has died where brain function or circulation of blood in that person's body has permanently stopped. In DCD, organ donation occurs after death where the circulation of blood has permanently stopped.
Organ donation is only possible when the donor has died in a hospital. Organs need a supply of oxygen-rich blood to remain suitable for transplantation. Donors are put on artificial respiration to keep their heart beating, so that oxygen-rich blood continues to circulate through their body.
Tissues such as cornea, heart valves, skin, and bone can be donated in case of natural death but vital organs such as heart, liver, kidneys, intestines, lungs, and pancreas can be donated only in the case of 'brain death'.
This is generally 60 minutes. If the patient survives longer than that, excessive organ ischemia occurs rendering the patient an unsuitable donor.
In practice (regardless of where the deceased is), the next of kin's views will generally take precedence over the consent or wishes of the deceased, even if the deceased had consented to donation e.g. on the Australian Organ Donor Register.
Certain conditions, such as having HIV, actively spreading cancer, or severe infection would exclude organ donation. Having a serious condition like cancer, HIV, diabetes, kidney disease, or heart disease can prevent you from donating as a living donor.
Only an individual who has sustained either: (1) irreversible cessation of circulatory and respirator functions; or (2) irreversible cessation of all functions of the entire brain, including the brain stem, is dead. A determination of death must be made in accordance with accepted medical standards.
The “Dead Donor Rule” (DDR) lies at the heart of current organ procurement policy. [10] It is not a legal statute; rather, it reflects the widely held belief that it is wrong to kill one person to save the life of another. On those grounds, an organ donor must already be dead before vital organs are removed.
Kidney donations are possible from people who have recently died. This is known as deceased donation. Deceased kidney donation is the most common type of kidney donation. On average, approximately 70 in 100 kidney transplants are from deceased donors.
Cadaveric Donors
Also called non-living or deceased donors (preferred term), are those who donate their organs or tissue after they have died.
The primary obstacle for organ donation from executed prisoners is that they do not die (brain-death) on life support, as is typical for most organ donors. The most common method of execution in the United States is a three drug protocol to cause sedation, respiratory and circulatory arrest.
One donor can donate and save up to eight lives by donating organs after death. The organs that can be donated include the heart, intestines, kidneys, liver, lungs and the pancreas.
Living Organ Donation
An individual of 18 years or more can donate some of his/her organs even when he/she is alive. The living donor can donate his/her organs either to 'near related people' or 'other than related'.
Almost everyone can donate organs and tissue. While age and medical history will be considered, don't assume you are too young, old or unhealthy to become a donor. You need to be aged 18 years or over to legally record your consent on the Australian Organ Donor Register.
For example, thoracic organs like the heart and lungs, can only remain viable for transplant after being outside of the body for four to six hours, while the liver can function for up to 12 hours and kidneys up to 36 hours.
Organs are usually transplanted because the recipient's original organs are damaged and cannot function. The brain is the only organ in the human body that cannot be transplanted.
Many people wonder if their family can override their decision to be an organ, eye and tissue donor after death. In short, the answer is no.
Smoking is considered a risk to the potential donor. Because smoking damages the lungs, it may put the donor at a higher risk of developing pneumonia after surgery. Potential donors should be honest with the transplant center about smoking habits to ensure that the donation and transplant are successful.
Currently, the United States (US) uses the “donation model”, a consent model for deceased organ recovery that prioritizes the rights of the individual (or of the surrogate decision maker) over the needs of society by requiring authorization or explicit consent prior to deceased organ and tissue recovery.
The brain and nerve cells require a constant supply of oxygen and will die within a few minutes, once you stop breathing. The next to go will be the heart, followed by the liver, then the kidneys and pancreas, which can last for about an hour. Skin, tendons, heart valves and corneas will still be alive after a day.
Hearts can be kept alive for 24 hours after death, scientists have shown in a breakthrough which could help solve the organ donation crisis. Currently, hearts must be transplanted within a critical four-hour window, after which too much damage has occurred for the organ to be useful.