| Abstrakt: |
To the Editor:—Organ transplantation is again receiving considerable attention. Recent donor hearts for heart transplantation have been offered by relatives of patients "dying" from central nervous system disease or injury. While these donors were chosen after considerable thought and planning, discussion of the brain's role in "death" needs to be reopened to assure that not merely reasonable, but extraordinary standards be set to protect the rights of prospective donors.There are many legal, moral, and religious as well as ethical considerations in organ transplantation; however, this discussion will be limited to a clinical definition of death and suggested standards for evaluation of death under this structure.Some clinical basis for the definition of life is necessary. Certainly life is present in molecular matter, cells, organ systems, and in the integrated individual which represents the human. The most basic definition of life is continued biological activity, and this property is |
