Catholic ethicists decry lax brain-death standards [Exclusive] catholiccitizens.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from catholiccitizens.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
After Brittany O’Connor was declared brain dead, her father clashed with medical authorities. The battle shines a light on America’s legal definition of death – and the thousands waiting for organ donation
Proposed change to brain death laws draws criticism from some doctors, ethicists catholicworldreport.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from catholicworldreport.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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Some Catholic doctors and medical ethicists have raised concern about possible forthcoming changes to the legal definition of brain death used in most U.S. states. The issue of whether family consent should be required for brain death testing is of particular importance, especially since a determination of brain death can allow for patients organs to be harvested if they are registered as an organ donor. It s somewhat interesting that the church formally declared a human person begins at the moment of conception, but at the end of life they re kind of passing the buck, said Joseph Eble, president of the Tulsa, Oklahoma guild of the Catholic Medical Association and co-author of a March article in Homiletic & Pastoral Review expressing concern about potential Uniform Determination of Death Act changes.