Open AccessEthical issues in access, listing and regulation of pediatric heart transplantation
Author(s) -
David W. Bearl
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
translational pediatrics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.702
H-Index - 13
eISSN - 2224-4344
pISSN - 2224-4336
DOI - 10.21037/tp.2019.08.01
Subject(s) - beneficence , medicine , autonomy , referral , equity (law) , economic justice , transplantation , listing (finance) , liver transplantation , scarcity , organ transplantation , heart transplantation , intensive care medicine , ethical issues , engineering ethics , family medicine , law , political science , finance , business , economics , microeconomics , engineering
Organ scarcity often drives ethical discussion in pediatric heart transplantation. There are questions about autonomy and equity in the referral patterns. There are questions about beneficence in how referral centers are established and operate. There are questions about fairness in how patients are listed and evaluated for listing exceptions. Finally, there are questions about beneficence, maleficence, and justice when it comes to the regulatory oversight of transplantation. This review will serve as a brief review of some of the more pressing ethical matters in pediatric heart transplantation and, where possible, offer potential solutions.