Many more people are on waiting lists for lung transplants than there are available lungs.
As a consequence many patients die with terminal illnesses such as cystic fibrosis while they wait for a donor.
One suggestion is that in more instances a broader criteria for donating organs is used, including the lungs of heavy smokers and lungs of much older people.
Despite an increase in the risk of the recipient getting cancer and for the lungs to be poor quality, at least more people currently on waiting lists and facing death would be given the chance of some extra years of life.
Rather than waiting for healthy lungs to become available should consideration be given to the recycling of 'sub-optimal' lungs from smokers?
Is this a good use of health care resources? How do we measure the benefit of extra years of life? Is any lengthening of life worthwhile?
Read more here and here
What do you think?
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It is proposed that the lungs of heavy smokers should be used more often as donor organs for the terminally ill