Posted by snoozin on February 28, 2005, at 18:22:57
In reply to (2) One or Six???, posted by alexandra_k on February 28, 2005, at 18:07:36
This is why I'm not a doc or a conductor. Yuck.
But I find this question fascinating.
I think that the doctor must operate and save the one man. The reason this differs from the first scenario is that there was no other option in the train situation. Someone was going to die.
In the physician situation, there are a few variables. One, the doc has a duty to his patient. The other folks on the donor list are *not* his patient and he has no ethical or professional duty to them. Two, the donor universe is not closed and those other people could possibly receive donations from others. Of course there's also the possibility the seriously injured guy isn't a match for the others. All that.
But I say again. Yuck. Not fun decisions to make.
S.
> Case Two:
>
> You are a surgeon. A person is brought in with severe injuries. If you do not operate on him then he will die. If you do operate on him then (let us say) he will live.
>
> You also know that there are many people on the waiting list for organ donations (heart, kidney, liver etc). Without a donar they will die and this man is a match and an organ donor. If you let the man die then you will be able to save 6 lives by harvesting his organs. Let us say that without doing this the 6 people will die because they will not get the organs they require in time.
>
> Should you let the man die to save 6 lives, or should you save his life (thereby - in effect killing 6)?
poster:snoozin
thread:464571
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20050224/msgs/464577.html