These past years, the media have focused public attention on malpractice in the field of organ donation, with the risk of forgetting that organ donation provides an extraordinary hope of saving lives and gives a splendid example of human solidarity. Transplantation was made possible by the development of scientific and medical knowledge together with the dedication of skilled teams throughout Europe. The shortage of organs and tissue is the key factor for all the problems within the system: the size of the European Union will help to deal with this reality and requires the cooperation of medical teams, dispatching organisms and public health authorities at the European level. The transparency of a faultless organization, from the technical and ethical points of view will increase the public's support of organ donation and decrease organ shortage. The development of the European Union, resulting in free movement within the international market, makes harmonisation of the donation system unavoidable. From the Introduction by Magda de Galan, Belgian Minister of Health.

Rates of organ donation lag far behind the increasing need. At the start of 2006, more than 90,000 people were waiting to receive a solid organ (kidney, liver, lung, pancreas, heart, or intestine). Organ Donation examines a wide range of proposals to increase organ donation, including policies that presume consent for donation as well as the use of financial incentives such as direct payments, coverage of funeral expenses, and charitable contributions. This book urges federal agencies, nonprofit groups, and others to boost opportunities for people to record their decisions to donate, strengthen efforts to educate the public about the benefits of organ donation, and continue to improve donation systems. Organ Donation also supports initiatives to increase donations from people whose deaths are the result of irreversible cardiac failure. This book emphasizes that all members of society have a stake in an adequate supply of organs for patients in need, because each individual is a potential recipient as well as a potential donor.

This guide provides state-of-the-art information in order to maximise the quality and minimise the risks during donation, procurement, testing, processing, preservation, storage and distribution of tissues and cells. As with all transplanted material of human origin, tissues and cells carry risks of disease transmission, which must be controlled by the application of scrupulous donor selection criteria (including testing) and comprehensive quality systems. The idea behind this guide is to help professionals on a practical level by providing generic guidance that will help improve the rate of successful clinical application of tissues and cells. The guide makes reference to EU mandatory requirements where appropriate and describes generally-accepted good practice. It has been divided into two parts. Part A contains general requirements applicable to all establishments involved in the donation, procurement, testing, processing, preservation, storage and distribution of tissues and cells. Part B contains specific guidelines and requirements for the different tissue and/or cell types

Xenotransplantation involves the transplantation of cells, tissues, and whole organs from one species to another. Interest in animal-to-human xenotransplants has been spurred by the continuing shortage of donated human organs and by advances in knowledge concerning the biology of organ and tissue rejection. The scientific advances and promise, however, raise complex questions that must be addressed. This book considers the scientific and medical feasibility of xenotransplantation and explores the ethical and public policy issues surrounding the possibility of renewed clinical trials. The volume focuses on the science base of xenotransplantation, public health risks of infectious disease transmission, and ethical and public policy issues, including the views of patients and their families.

A contextual analysis of the internal logics of EU health law through four themes: consumerism; (human) rights; interactions between equality, solidarity and competition; and risk. Leading authors in the emergent field explain the interactions and implications of EU health law through thematic reinterpretation of the law in context in key substantive areas, such as the regulation of health research, access of patients to high quality care, health care professional regulation, organisation and funding of health care services, and public health. This book offers a fresh perspective and thorough understanding of EU health law through individual and collective or systemic perspectives, and covers health law both within the EU and globally. Essential reading for anyone interested in health law in any EU Member State or in global health law.

One of the most interesting and at the same time most challenging fields of medicine and surgery has been that of organ donation and transplantation. It is a field that has made tremendous strides during the last few decades through the combined input and efforts of scientists from various specialties. What started as a dream of pioneers has become a reality for the thousands of our patients whose lives can now be saved and improved. However, at the same time, the challenges remain significant and so do the expectations. This book will be a collection of chapters describing these same challenges involved including the ethical, legal, and medical issues in organ donation and the technical and immunological problems the experts are facing involved in the care of these patients.The authors of this book represent a team of true global experts on the topic. In addition to the knowledge shared, the authors provide their personal clinical experience on a variety of different aspects of organ donation and transplantation.