TY - JOUR
T1 - Transplantation for alcohol-related liver disease
T2 - Is it fair?
AU - Mellinger, Jessica L.
AU - Volk, Michael L.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2017. Medical Council on Alcohol and Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.
PY - 2018/3/1
Y1 - 2018/3/1
N2 - Aims: Alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) is the second leading cause of liver transplantation performed in the USA and Europe. We aimed to provide a narrative review of the major ethical issues governing transplantation for ALD. Methods: We performed a narrative review of the ethical concepts in organ allocation for ALD, including alcoholic hepatitis. Results: Ethical concerns regarding organ allocation for ALD involve issues of urgency, utility and justice. Post-transplant outcomes for ALD patients are good and ethical considerations limiting organs solely because of alcohol etiology do not bear scrutiny. Conclusion: ALD will continue to be a major cause for liver failure. The main criteria for transplant in ALD should be the patient's risk of return to harmful drinking, alongside standard assessments of physical and psychosocial fitness for transplant.
AB - Aims: Alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) is the second leading cause of liver transplantation performed in the USA and Europe. We aimed to provide a narrative review of the major ethical issues governing transplantation for ALD. Methods: We performed a narrative review of the ethical concepts in organ allocation for ALD, including alcoholic hepatitis. Results: Ethical concerns regarding organ allocation for ALD involve issues of urgency, utility and justice. Post-transplant outcomes for ALD patients are good and ethical considerations limiting organs solely because of alcohol etiology do not bear scrutiny. Conclusion: ALD will continue to be a major cause for liver failure. The main criteria for transplant in ALD should be the patient's risk of return to harmful drinking, alongside standard assessments of physical and psychosocial fitness for transplant.
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U2 - 10.1093/alcalc/agx105
DO - 10.1093/alcalc/agx105
M3 - Review article
C2 - 29236944
SN - 0735-0414
VL - 53
SP - 173
EP - 177
JO - Alcohol and Alcoholism
JF - Alcohol and Alcoholism
IS - 2
ER -