Articles

Below you will find articles by rabbis, doctors and scholars about the halachic and medical issues surrounding brain-stem death and organ donation. Some articles are pro organ donation and some are con. We believe by showing all positions, we can allow the public to judge for themselves where they stand on these issues.

181. Title: Address of John Paul II to the 18th International Congress of the Transplantation Society
     

     Author: Pope John Paul II
     Publication: Libreria Editrice Vaticana
     Year: 2000~~
     Download: English

     HOD Comments:

      

182. Title: Correspondence on “The Diagnosis of Brain Death” (See preceding article)
     

     Author: Cranston, Truog, Broyde, et. al.
     Publication: New England Journal of Medicine
     Year: 2001
     Download: English

     HOD Comments:
     Note highlighted areas. Several doctors respond to the preceding article, “The Diagnosis of Brain Death,” which appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine in April, 2001.~~

      

183. Title: The Diagnosis of Brain Death
     

     Author: Wijdicks, M.D., Eelco
     Publication: New England Journal of Medicine
     Year: 19-Apr-01
     Download: English

     HOD Comments:
     This review focuses on the how doctors determine brain death, the potential confusing factors, and discusses valid confirmatory tests. Brain-stem death implies total loss of function to the part of the brain responsible for spontaneous breathing, maintaining blood pressure, cough reflex, pupil dilation, and to some extent heart rate. When these reflexes do not work, a spontaneous breathing test (apnea test) is performed. Finally, confirmatory tests proving a lack of blood flow to the brain-stem and absence of brain electrical activity are performed. At this time, the patient’s family should be told about their loved one’s hopeless condition and options for organ donation discussed. A few important notes: 1) reflex testing on infants and children is more complicated because their reflexes may not be fully formed 2) even after a patient fails reflex tests, spontaneous movements have been documented; these are spinal movements and not an indication of brain function 3) patients must be ruled out for locked-in syndrome (an almost total paralysis of a conscious patient with partial control of eye movements), hypothermia, drug intoxication, and, in some severe cases, Guillain-Barre Syndrome (a rare paralysis starting at the feet and rising over a few days).~~

      

184. Title: Neurological Determination of Death
     

     Author: Trillium Gift of Life Network
     Publication: www.giftoflife.on.ca
     Year: 2003
     Download: English

     HOD Comments:
     This is the protocol used in Ontario Canada by physicians to determine brain death.~~

      

185. Title: Introducing Incentives in the Market for Live and Cadaveric Organ Donations
     

     Author: Becker, Gary S.; Elias, Julio Jorge
     Publication:
     Year: 2002~~
     Download: English

     HOD Comments:

      

186. Title: Kidney Exchange
     

     Author: Roth, Alivin; Sonmez, Tayfun; Unver, Utku
     Publication: The Quarterly Journal of Economics
     Year: 2004, May~~
     Download: English

     HOD Comments:

      

187. Title: Human Values and the Market: The Case of Life Insurance and Death in 19th Century America
     

     Author: Zelizer, Viviana
     Publication: The American Journal of Society, Vol. 84, No. 3
     Year: 1978
     Download: English

     HOD Comments:
     University of Chicago Press~~

      

188. Title: The Case for Living Kidney Sales: Rationale, Objections, and Concerns
     

     Author: Matas, Arthur J.
     Publication: American Journal of Transplantation
     Year: 2004
     Download: English

     HOD Comments:
     Blackwell Munksgaard

      

189. Title: Communications: Brain Death
     

     Author: Reichman, Dr. Edward & Dr. Joshua Kunin
     Publication: Tradition
     Year: 2005~~
     Download: English

     HOD Comments:

      

190. Title: Don’t Pull the Plug on Brain Death Just Yet.
     

     Author: Reichman, Dr. Rabbi Eddie
     Publication: Tradition 2004, 28:4
     Year:
     Download: English

     HOD Comments:
     Rabbinical Council of America~~

      

191. Title: Brain Death: Revisiting the Rabbinic Opinions in Light of Current Medical Knowledge
     

     Author: Kunin, Dr. Joshua
     Publication: Tradition 2004, 28:4
     Year:
     Download: English

     HOD Comments:
     Rabbinical Council of America~~

      

192. Title: Determining Death and Comments on the Chief Rabbinate’s Ruling
     

     Author: Avraham, Dr Avraham
     Publication:
     Year: ~~
     Download: Hebrew

     HOD Comments:

      

193. Title: Determing the Moment of Death: Historial, Medical and Halachic Positions
     

     Author: Steinberg, Rabbi Dr. Avraham
     Publication:
     Year:
     Download: Hebrew

     HOD Comments:
     16 pages~~

      

194. Title: Avel Rabbati Chap 3 Halacha 1
     

     Author:
     Publication:
     Year:
     Download: Hebrew

     HOD Comments:
     Laws of Gosses~~

      

195. Title: Tzitz Eliezer Vol 25 Chap 25 Siman 4
     

     Author: Waldenberg, Rabbi Eliezer Yehuda
     Publication:
     Year: ~~
     Download: Hebrew

     HOD Comments: