Lung transplant controversy

[Dinosaur]

There is a controversy relating to the recipient of a lung transplant for a 12 year old girl. I am not sure that there is a court action.

The parents of a 12 year old child are insisting that their daughter should be placed on the same list as adults, which would improve her chances of getting a transplant. Currently, there is a separate list for children, requiring them to wait for a lung from another child. There are many more adult than children lungs available.

I think the medical authorities are correct in the use of two lists.

An adult lung transplanted to a child must be trimmed to fit, making transplant success less likely due to the extra surgery.

When a lung is given to one person needing a transplant, it probably results in the death on somebody else on the waiting list.

It seem to me that the medical view is an attempt to result in a higher probability of success & thus the likelyhood of more people being saved. This seems like a worthwhile goal.

While I sympathisize with the parents of the young girl, I think the medical experts are taking the correct POV.

What do otheres here think?

 

[AlexG]

A judge ruled that the girl should be placed on the adult list, against the express judgments of every doctor involved in transplants.

When a judge can dictate a medical treatment, people will start dying.

 

[Buddha12]

I'd think that there's a valid reason, medically speaking, as to why there are two lists and for that, to me, it is enough to listen to the doctors as they should know more about this sort of thing better than a judge. I think that having to large of a lung from a adult and try to force it to be put into a child could and would cause that lung to be compromised and could end up with the lung damaged to much that it might not be able to be used by anyone.

 

[leopold]

Currently, there is a separate list for children, requiring them to wait for a lung from another child.
. . .
I think the medical authorities are correct in the use of two lists.
. . .
While I sympathisize with the parents of the young girl, I think the medical experts are taking the correct POV.
. . .
What do otheres here think?

i also feel the medical community is correct.
at 12 years old this girl hasn't went through puberty yet.
as you know, puberty makes some drastic changes to your body.

 

[arauca]

i also feel the medical community is correct.
at 12 years old this girl hasn't went through puberty yet.
as you know, puberty makes some drastic changes to your body.

I agree with all of you , but perhaps the Magistrate goes on the assumption the lung lobes can be trimmed to fit, but then if the girl grows up the trimmed lung will be to small

 

[Dinosaur]

I think it is outrageous that a judge considers his POV more authoritative than medical experts. There have been other examples of daffy court decisions going against expert opinion due to some litigant with a weird theory.