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Death of a living liver donor from illicit drugs
Author(s) -
Ringe Burckhardt,
Petrucci Ralph J.,
Soriano Humberto E.,
Reynolds James C.,
Meyers William C.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
liver transplantation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.814
H-Index - 150
eISSN - 1527-6473
pISSN - 1527-6465
DOI - 10.1002/lt.21240
Subject(s) - medicine , organ donation , liver transplantation , donation , liver failure , acetaminophen , living donor liver transplantation , intensive care medicine , surgery , transplantation , anesthesia , economics , economic growth
In children with acute hepatic failure, it has been suggested to offer living donor transplantation to all parents when a deceased donor organ can not be provided. Ethically, living related donation is coercive by its very nature, especially in emergencies. We report a 36‐year‐old woman who died from a drug overdose 57 days after living donor liver resection. The recipient was her 3‐year‐old son, who experienced acute hepatic failure as a result of acetaminophen intoxication. A deceased donor organ had not become available within 2 days after listing. Was the death of this living donor preventable or unpreventable? Certainly if the mother had decided not to take drugs, she would not have died from an overdose. One could argue that this was her personal choice, and beyond our influence. On the other hand, if we had not performed the surgery, the recipient might have died without receiving a liver transplant in time. Liver Transpl 13:1193–1194, 2007. © 2007 AASLD.