Ethical, psychosocial, and public policy implications of procuring organs from non-heart-beating cadaver donors

This report will discuss the complex clinical, ethical, cultural,, and public policy implications of using NHBCDs[non-heart-beating cadaver donors]. The genesis of this report was a designed to examine the University of Pittsburgh (Pa) Medical (UPMC) policy on procuring organs after death from patients who choose forgo life-sustaining treatment. The UPMC is the first institution to the issue in a comprehensive manner by establishing a formal protocol sets standards for practice and peer review....Although no consensus regarding the advisability of using NHBCDs, we all agreed that their raises important ethical issues about the definition of death, potential of interest, and proper behavior in controlling the dying process. report summarizes those concerns. The papers by conference participants, this report draws on, are being published in the June 1993 issue of the