Does the Revised Uniform Anatomical Gift Act Still Take Care of Organs before Patients?
Authors: Joseph L. Verheijde, Mohamed Y. Rady, Joan L. McGregor
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2008)

Letters1 July 2008Does the Revised Uniform Anatomical Gift Act Still Take Care of Organs before Patients?Joseph L. Verheijde, PhD, MBA, PT, Mohamed Y. Rady, MD, PhD, and Joan L. McGregor, PhDJoseph L. Verheijde, PhD, MBA, PTFrom Mayo Clinic Arizona, Phoenix, AZ 85054, and Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287.Search for more papers by this author, Mohamed Y. Rady, MD, PhDFrom Mayo Clinic Arizona, Phoenix, AZ 85054, and Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287.Search for more papers by this author, and Joan L. McGregor, PhDFrom Mayo Clinic Arizona, Phoenix, AZ 85054, and Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-149-1-200807010-00016 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail TO THE EDITOR:We disagree with DeVita and Caplan, who say in their recent article (1) on the Revised Uniform Anatomical Gift Act that the amended text of Section 21(b) has resolved the real ethical concerns about end-of-life care. Section 14(c) still creates a default rule to permit the application of life-support systems and ignores contraindications to appropriate end-of-life care. The decision on life-support systems for organ preservation remains the exclusive authority of procurement organizations evaluating potential donors. Section 21(b) applies only if the procurement organization determines that a potential donor is a prospective donor (2). Furthermore, in Section 21(b), ...References1. DeVita MA, Caplan AL. Caring for organs or for patients? Ethical concerns about the Uniform Anatomical Gift Act (2006). Ann Intern Med. 2007;147:876-9. [PMID: 18087059] LinkGoogle Scholar2. Verheijde JL, Rady MY, McGregor JL. The United States Revised Uniform Anatomical Gift Act (2006): new challenges to balancing patient rights and physician responsibilities [Editorial]. Philos Ethics Humanit Med. 2007;2:19. [PMID: 17850664] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Childress JF, Liverman CT, eds. Organ Donation: Opportunities for Action. Washington, DC: National Academies Pr; 2006. Google Scholar4. Bernat JL, D'Alessandro AM, Port FK, Bleck TP, Heard SO, Medina J, et al. Report of a National Conference on Donation after cardiac death. Am J Transplant. 2006;6:281-91. [PMID: 16426312] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. Bernat JL. Are organ donors after cardiac death really dead? J Clin Ethics. 2006;17:122-32. [PMID: 16913146] MedlineGoogle Scholar6. Grasser PL. Donation after cardiac death: major ethical issues. The National Catholic Bioethics Quarterly. 2007;7:527-44. CrossrefGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: Joseph L. Verheijde, PhD, MBA, PT; Mohamed Y. Rady, MD, PhD; Joan L. McGregor, PhDAffiliations: From Mayo Clinic Arizona, Phoenix, AZ 85054, and Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287.Disclosures: None disclosed. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoCaring for Organs or for Patients? Ethical Concerns about the Uniform Anatomical Gift Act (2006) Michael A. DeVita and Arthur L. Caplan Does the Revised Uniform Anatomical Gift Act Still Take Care of Organs before Patients? Michael A. DeVita and Arthur L. Caplan Metrics Cited byOrgan donation performance in critical care* 1 July 2008Volume 149, Issue 1Page: 63KeywordsConflicts of interestHeartTransplantation ePublished: 1 July 2008 Issue Published: 1 July 2008 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2008 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...