For Profit Tissue and Organ Donations?

Nurses Activism

Published

  1. Are you currently an organ donor?

    • 4
      Yes, and carry a card
    • 0
      No, I don't believe in this.
    • 1
      Yes, but only my family knows.
    • 0
      No, but I want to become one.
    • 1
      Not interested in this topic.

6 members have participated

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/icij/tissue-donation_b_1676671.html

I have always been an advocate for organ donation. I carry my driver's license with the heart symbol that indicates donation upon death.

I never heard of a for profit business involving donated organs. Am I very naive? Can any of you enlighten me about current organ donation and use of organs and tissue?

Thanks in advance.

Specializes in Critical Care, Capacity/Bed Management.

I'm sure there are some people here involved in Organ and Tissue Donation that could enlighten you a little more than I can, but I'll just give you a few of my observations.

After working ICU for a few years I believe that these organizations sometimes (not always) are organ/tissue hungry, the length at which they will try to obtain consents is ridiculous. I understand the need for viable organs for transplantation but sometimes aggressiveness is not always best. If you would like to read a little bit more about it I recommend "The Undead" by Dick Teresi. It is an excellent book written by a scientific journalist on the topic.

Also, while the organizations that harvest the tissues and bones of cadavers are non-profit those that handle and treat the retrieved specimens are actually for profit. They routinely award and congratulate those who retrieved the most skin, or bone.

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