Alcoholic dies after being refused liver transplant

[Jae Onasi]

I don't think he should have received the liver, but I also don't believe anyone else with a chronic illness that kills his liver should get a donor liver before someone without that sort of illness.

 

The person who receives the organ is the one who's highest on the list who is the best match, regardless of what's caused the liver failure, be it illness or injury.

 

@Astor Kaine--I agree--starting drinking at age 13 is a big sign to me that something bad was going on at home. How in heaven's name did his parent(s) not notice he was plastered all the time?

 

@Brin_Londo5--welcome to the forums!

[Darth_Yuthura]

I have a solution that could make loads of difference, but ultimately won't be accepted because it requires going to too much effort for results that are not so apparent... physical activity.

 

Being physically active doesn't simply allow you to burn more calories per day and put on muscle mass, but it greatly improves your overall health. Statics show that the majority of illnesses can be reduced by greater physical activity. A person who eats a bad diet, but exercises intensely can virtually disregard the health risks of their diet because their metabolism is increased. The rule of thumb is that the more quickly you consume and burn off calories, the more water that flushes through your system, the more rapidly you expel toxins from your body; the better your body will function. That may sound extremely basic, but people are less prone to disease as they become more active... not eating better or less, but becoming more active.

 

That doesn't account so much for heavy metals from higher levels of the food chain, eating the same kind of food all the time, or other nutrient factors that I failed to address here. My point is that one of the reasons why some diseases are on the rise can be attributed to obesity, which can be remedied by greater physical activity and could include reduced calorie diets.

 

Now in regards to the TOPIC... The same thing can be applied to an alcoholic. I KNOW that people who drink in excess do it because they are addicted. But that is not an excuse if you should get ill and have your liver shot. That's what comes from excessive drinking, so livers should be given to people who are expected to make the greatest use of the organ. A child who could accept the organ and is expected to keep it his entire life is a greater candidate than one who is older or who has already shown that they have abused their own liver. That is reasonable enough to deny him such a donation.

[EnderWiggin]

He doesn't deserve a liver, so this isn't such a big deal to me.

 

_EW_

[Det. Bart Lasiter]

The person who receives the organ is the one who's highest on the list who is the best match, regardless of what's caused the liver failure, be it illness or injury.

 

@Astor Kaine--I agree--starting drinking at age 13 is a big sign to me that something bad was going on at home. How in heaven's name did his parent(s) not notice he was plastered all the time?

 

@Brin_Londo5--welcome to the forums!

 

I meant a chronic illness or anything else that would disqualify them from being on the list in the first place.

[Darth_Yuthura]

He doesn't deserve a liver, so this isn't such a big deal to me.

 

_EW_

 

You know, you're absolutely right. If he got a donation when someone else should have been put higher on the list, then I would raise hell, but that didn't happen. I see no issue in which needs to be addressed here.

 

I don't like it when anyone dies, but it's not like someone else actively did something to shorten his life on this planet.

[Jae Onasi]

Posts that were related pretty much to just alcoholism were moved to the new Alcoholism thread. Please carry on alcoholism discussion there. Thanks.

 

I meant a chronic illness or anything else that would disqualify them from being on the list in the first place.

This is indeed taken into account by the medical team when deciding if someone should be placed on the transplant waiting list or not. For instance, someone who currently has cancer or a chronic disease that is likely to kill them within a few months will not be placed on the list. Most of the people who need liver transplants are on the list because of some kind of chronic disease that slowly destroys the liver rather than due to injury, and a transplant can buy them many more years of good quality of life.

 

I would like to mention something--we've all noted there's a tremendous shortage of organs. If you would like to be a donor if you were to die suddenly, please let your family know your wishes. Many states even allow you to state your wishes on the back of your driver's license--I'm not sure if that's the same outside the US, too. If I were to die suddenly, I would be thrilled to know that other people could have their lives saved by me giving them my organs I could no longer use anyway.

[Astor]

I would like to mention something--we've all noted there's a tremendous shortage of organs. If you would like to be a donor if you were to die suddenly, please let your family know your wishes. Many states even allow you to state your wishes on the back of your driver's license--I'm not sure if that's the same outside the US, too. If I were to die suddenly, I would be thrilled to know that other people could have their lives saved by me giving them my organs I could no longer use anyway.

 

I don't know about driving licenses, but we do have donor cards in the UK, but i'm not sure how similar they are to the US ones.

 

Unfortunately, I don't think i'm allowed to donate due to past illness, but if I could, I most likely would.

[jrrtoken]

I don't know about driving licenses, but we do have donor cards in the UK, but i'm not sure how similar they are to the US ones.

In the U.S., organ cards are integrated into driver's licenses, so most health information usually found on organ donor cards (Blood type, etc.), are also found on driver's licenses.

Unfortunately, I don't think i'm allowed to donate due to past illness, but if I could, I most likely would.

In most states, I believe you can usually specify which organs can be donated, and to which cause. For example, I have cystic fibrosis, so I've requested that my organs be used directly for CF research, instead of being sent towards the generic organ pool, like others.

[Jae Onasi]

I don't know about driving licenses, but we do have donor cards in the UK, but i'm not sure how similar they are to the US ones.

 

Unfortunately, I don't think i'm allowed to donate due to past illness, but if I could, I most likely would.

 

You may not be able to donate all organs due to past illness, but you might be able to donate certain organs or parts of organs. Many people can donate their corneas (the clear part of the eye that sits in front of the iris, or colored part of the eye) since that tissue has no blood vessels and is less subject to problems with rejection or blood-borne diseases. All organs get tested prior to donation to avoid giving the recipient a new disease, like HIV or cancer, just to name a couple. For instance, I've had mono in the past so my organs might not be able to be donated to someone who's never had mono (though I'd have to research that to be sure), but I would be able to donate to someone who's already had that particular disease.

[Astor]

In most states, I believe you can usually specify which organs can be donated, and to which cause. For example, I have cystic fibrosis, so I've requested that my organs be used directly for CF research, instead of being sent towards the generic organ pool, like others.

 

You may not be able to donate all organs due to past illness, but you might be able to donate certain organs or parts of organs. Many people can donate their corneas (the clear part of the eye that sits in front of the iris, or colored part of the eye) since that tissue has no blood vessels and is less subject to problems with rejection or blood-borne diseases. All organs get tested prior to donation to avoid giving the recipient a new disease, like HIV or cancer, just to name a couple. For instance, I've had mono in the past so my organs might not be able to be donated to someone who's never had mono (though I'd have to research that to be sure), but I would be able to donate to someone who's already had that particular disease.

 

Thank you for the information, guys - I think that'll be something to ask my oncologist about when I see her next month.

[mimartin]

You may not be able to donate all organs due to past illness, but you might be able to donate certain organs or parts of organs.

I know this first hand. I had a blood transfusion due to illness when I was like 6 months old and I’m not allowed to donate organs, but I’m still signed up as an organ donor. They are still allowed to harvest my skin and eyes.

 

I’m sorry the man died, but I believe the organ donor should expect that their gift of life be used in a responsible matter and not wasted needlessly.