A Study Of The Ethical Principles Of Organ Distribution After The Death Of Citizens

With the advances of surgical technique,the development of immunosuppressive therapy and improvement of maintaining the function of organ,the survival rate of recipients after organ transplantation has been greatly escalated.Organ transplantation has become an important strategy for patients with organ failure.However,low rate of organ donation after citizen’s death and short supply of available transplantable organs were still problems for organ transplantation in China.How to improve organ donation rate has been a critical issue.Same important is as scare health resources,how to allocate the organs donated after citizen’s death,and whether the allocation is the best use and fair.This paper will focus on the organ application issue.This paper first conducts ethical analysis of current practices of organ allocation from international perspective,including the allocation of organ by the ability to pay,merit,geography,age and medical benefit or net benefit.On the basis of this analysis the paper discusses the ethical principles of organ allocation,argues that the ethical principles of organ allocation should include utility,justice and respect for person,and proposed the resolution of conflict between these principles.Finally the paper discusses the ethical issues in the criteria of organ allocation(including priority putting on region,waiting time,medical urgency,children,second transplantation and unhealthy life styles in mainland China.