title: Pro/con debate: in patients who are potential candidates for organ donation after cardiac death, starting medications and/or interventions for the sole purpose of making the organs more viable is an acceptable practice.
abstract: Several hospitals have been developing programmes for organ donation after cardiac death. Such programmes offer options for organ donation to patients who do not meet brain-death criteria but wish to donate their organs after withdrawal of life-support. These programmes also increase the available organ pool at a time when demand exceeds supply. Given that potential donors are managed in intensive care units, intensivists will be key components of these programmes. Donation after cardiac death clearly carries a number of important ethical issues with it. In the present issue of Critical Care two established groups debate the ethical acceptability of using medications/interventions in potential organ donors for the sole purpose of making the organs more viable. Such debates will be an increasingly common component of intensivists' future practice.
authors: Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, National University Hospital, 5 Lower Kent Ridge Road, Singapore 119074, Singapore. phua_jason@yahoo.com.sg
authors: Jason
authors: J
authors: Phua
authors: Tow Keang
authors: TK
authors: Lim
authors: David A
authors: DA
authors: Zygun
authors: Christopher J
authors: CJ
authors: Doig
mesh_terms: D001926:Brain Death / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003643:Death; D006801:Humans; D016414:Resuscitation Orders / Q000941:ethics*; D014021:Tissue Preservation / Q000941:ethics* / Q000379:methods*; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement / Q000941:ethics* / Q000379:methods*; D019737:Transplants / Q000941:ethics*