Organ Donation: A View from the ICU

Abstract Transplantation provides the opportunity of a virtually normal life for patients with potentially fatal diseases. The alternative is often chronic disability and premature death. Transplantation is also cheaper for the State, as it minimizes the medical needs of patients who might otherwise require complex procedures, such as haemodialysis for renal failure (see Raftery, page 100) or portocaval shunting for liver disease.