Medicine and Morality - Discussion of varying definitions of death, organ

Medicine and Morality

Write essay responses to both of the following 3-part questions. Write 1-2 paragraphs for each part (a., b., and c.) of the questions; meaning you should write 5-8 paragraphs total for each essay. The exam will be available

· You may refer to your book and notes throughout the exam.

· You may NOT confer with others while taking the exam.

· You may NOT pull information from the internet while taking the exam.

Any suspected plagiarism or cheating with be thoroughly investigated and established cases will result in the guilty student(s) failing the class.

1. Consider our discussion of varying definitions of death, organ donation, organ procurement, and organ transplantation. Write an essay addressing the following questions and ideas:

a. Explain the four definitions of death as discussed in class.

b. Explain the ethical issues associated with each of each of the above definitions with respect to organ procurement and organ donation.

c. Why are there challenges in donation after cardiac death (DCD) that are not present in cases where patients are brain dead? (Note: you should have noted the challenges in part b., above. If you didn’t, you need to explain the challenges here.)

2. Consider the various criterion used in organ allocation. Write an essay addressing the following:

a. There are two primary places/times at which rationing and allocation decisions are made in organ transplantation. What/where are these places and how are they different?

b. What criteria are used to make decisions in each place? Are social biases involved in these decisions? If so, how? If not, why? Explain and justify your answer fully.

c. Is the system of organ allocation in the U.S. fair? Why or why not? Explain and justify your answer.