Medical Ethics

Intro

• complex and diverse issue
• advice of medics
• religious and ethical principles
• "Science without religion is dumb and religion without science is blind! - Einstein

Paragraph 2 - general facts

• First successful transplant was of a cornea in 1905 in Czech Republic
• 10,500 people in the UK currently need a transplant
• 3,706 organ transplants were carried out in the UK Marxch 2009-April2010
• 1,000 people die on average every year waiting for an organ transplan in the UK
• 18 people die a day in the US
• 1/4 of transplants are from living donors
• Children wait an average of 93 days for a heart transplant in the UK

Paragraph 3 - new developments

• stem cell development into specific organs - April 9th 2013 - youngest trachea stem cell replacement - Hannah Warren 
• Xenotransplantation - first was 'Baby Fae' in 1984 - she recieved a heart transplant from a baboon
• Anencephalic infants are born with a large part of their brain missing 
• Baby Theresa - parents wanted her to donate her organs - took it to Florida Supreme Court - baby dies at 10 days old and her organs could no longer be used 1992
• 1992 capmaigns to change the brain dead criteria
• 1994 revised opinion - "it is ethically acceptable to transplant the organs of anencephalic neonates before the neonates die as long as there is parental consent"

Paragraph 4 - SofL

• religious approach
• life is sacred and of intrinsic value
• Imago Dei
• Strong - absolute, vitalism, pro-life - 'god is the…