The practice or organ transplantation is associated with several ...

[roselinechinyere27m]

The practice or organ transplantation is associated with several important bioethical issues. The ethics of transplantation primarily surround the fact that
 
  A) organ transplantation does not guarantee positive outcomes.
  B) only a small number of the organs in the body are amenable to transplantation.
  C) transplantation is a treatment of last resort.
  D) the demand for organs greatly exceeds the available supply.

Question 2

There are differing viewpoints surrounding the withholding and withdrawal of treatment. Which of the following situations constitutes the most acceptable application of the withholding and/or withdrawal of treatment?
 
  A) A competent patient expresses a desire that hydration and nutrition be discontinued.
  B) The potential benefits of a patient's antibiotic therapy exceed the likely risks.
  C) A patient's family will be forced to pay out-of-pocket for the patient's life support due to a
  lack of insurance coverage.
  D) A patient's children wish to discontinue the patient's treatment because they have lost faith
  in the care team.

[Meganchabluk]

Answer to Question 1

Ans: D
Ethical issues in organ transplantation most often surround the fact that there is a
very finite supply of available organs and a larger number of potential recipients. As a result,
difficult decisions must be made around the allocation of a valuable and scarce resource. The
fact that transplantation is a measure of last resort is less salient. The facts that transplantation
does not guarantee recovery and that only certain organs may be transplanted are not central to
these difficult decisions.

Answer to Question 2

Ans: A
Most healthcare organizations and institutions agree that a competent patient has the
right to withdraw or withhold treatment, especially when such treatment is unlikely to result in
positive outcomes. When benefits exceed risks, treatment is normally undertaken. Financial
concerns and interpersonal disputes should ideally not form the basis of such life-and-death
decisions.