BMJ  2007;334:1179 (9 June), doi:10.1136/bmj.39234.422361.3A

Letters

Presumed consent

First address informed consent in organ donation

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

English's arguments in favour of presumed consent for organ donation ignore serious problems with the current system of organ transplantation.¹ People who sign organ donation cards claiming that they will be donating organs "after my death" may not realise that organ donors declared dead by brain based criteria are not dead in the usual sense. Their hearts are beating, their bodies are warm, and they do not seem to be dead. Family members may be understandably reluctant to sign a form authorising what they believe to be the killing of their loved one by removal of vital organs.

In addition, there has been widespread questioning of both the philosophical and scientific viability of brain death criteria.^{2 3} Such questioning of brain death criteria by reputable physicians and philosophers should not be taken lightly and shows that presumed consent for a practice that may involve doctors killing patients is premature.

Finally, before . . . [Full text of this article]

Methodist University, Fayettville, NC 28311-1498, USA

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