The truth about organ donation • Hacker News Board

Re: The truth about organ donation

#31

Post by thebigshane » Wed, Sep 12, 2012, 8:22 PM UTC

robbiep wrote: post #22

thebigshane wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

While I agree with you overall, I have to nitpick your wording... Being brain-dead, it is also very unlikely that you feel pain Very unlikely? This seems like something that should demand complete[0] confidence. [0]: Ok, ok, maybe not 100% provability, but I want to know more about this surely subjective determination by the doctors. Or is there an automated reading from some machine that can objectively say "Patient…

If you are brain dead you cannot feel pain because your brain is not there to receive the signals. In computer speak, imagine you had a sensor that had external power and continued transmitting input to the CPU- the signals keep coming in, but the CPU is switched off. No processing of pain, no sensation of pain. End of story

Let me re-phrase...

If I'm brain dead and there is zero chance of me feeling pain, they can take my organs. I just want them to be sure I'm brain dead. How is that determined?

(oh and my brain is not an electrical cpu, I understand your analogy but I'm not sure it applies given the complexity of a human brain, for example certain parts of a brain can be "off" while the others are "on")

Re: The truth about organ donation

#32

Post by TheAmazingIdiot » Wed, Sep 12, 2012, 8:27 PM UTC

hypersoar wrote: post #10

This article is terribly manipulative. If there are valid points to be made here, I'm not going to be convinced by an essay that is full of phrases like "an ivory tower decision made by a bunch of men playing God at Harvard". The cited sources are either questionable (as in the website with the statue depicting crucifiction dominating the banner) or do not support the author's conclusions (as in the NEJM article).

The big detection of 'bullshit' was at the end of the article, in 2 places.

1. " As to all the rest, I cannot but conclude that they are nothing but legal euthanasia, and should be opposed by anyone who identifies themselves as pro-life."

Pro-life? As in Christian anti-abortion buzzword? That's awfully strange to see in a "fact based policy paper".

2. Dr. Paul Byrne, a Christian doctor trying to raise public awareness of this issue. (links to renewamerica.com )

So now we get to the root of the matter. Non-religious (cough CHRISTIAN) superPAC sponsoring messages. It even mentions of a strong Christian bent towards policy discussion.

I dismiss this whole article with extreme prejudice.

Re: The truth about organ donation

#33

Post by tresta » Wed, Sep 12, 2012, 8:28 PM UTC

skizm wrote: post #14

I'm not an organ donor mostly because I think that some Doctor somewhere might give me up for dead since there are 3 people waiting for organs even though there is a slim chance I will live. That might not even be a bad decision on the part of the doctor (1 cripple vs 3 healthy people) but I don't want him to make that choice for me. If I'm alive and explained the situation for myself there is a good chance I would s…

I don't know how it works elsewhere but here in sweden they don't check if you're a donor until they have already taken the decision to take you off the respirator ("killing" you either way).

So it's not like the surgeon walks into the ICU, scalpel in hand, looking for anyone too slow to run away.

Re: The truth about organ donation

#34

Post by ChuckMcM » Wed, Sep 12, 2012, 8:33 PM UTC

thebigshane wrote: post #31

robbiep wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you are brain dead you cannot feel pain because your brain is not there to receive the signals. In computer speak, imagine you had a sensor that had external power and continued transmitting input to the CPU- the signals keep coming in, but the CPU is switched off. No processing of pain, no sensation of pain. End of story

Let me re-phrase... If I'm brain dead and there is zero chance of me feeling pain, they can take my organs. I just want them to be sure I'm brain dead. How is that determined? (oh and my brain is not an electrical cpu, I understand your analogy but I'm not sure it applies given the complexity of a human brain, for example certain parts of a brain can be "off" while the others are "on")

When your brain is 'working' it gives off signals, these are measured by an electroencephalograph (EEG). When those signals stop, you know the brain isn't functioning.

Re: The truth about organ donation

#35

Post by jmsduran » Wed, Sep 12, 2012, 8:37 PM UTC

digitalsushi wrote: post #6

What a brave author. I have to commend their duty to publish this, since there is a good chance it will be quite unpopular. There's been such a homogeneity to Internet published articles recently (whichever factor you wish to interpret, if you agree with this claim). It was refreshing to read someone's perspective on this touchy subject from a completely different perspective. Bravo, author.

At the very least the author insinuated some wildly inaccurate claims regarding organ donation. That's not my definition of bravery.