Mississippi State University Biology Lifestyle and Liver Transplants Discussion

Instructions: Use the references below from the Web to research the following problem. Then answer the questions below and decide how you would vote on the issue. You must answer all questions that are posted. Your answers must be in complete sentences and in paragraph form. Your responses should show a thorough knowledge of the articles/websites that were assigned.

The only cure for liver failure, regardless of its cause, is a liver transplant. A shortage of livers means many potential transplant recipients die while on the waiting list. How should these organs be allocated? Should people who invite liver failure by their own abusive lifestyles have a lower priority for transplants than those with failure brought on by a transfusion or a genetic disorder?

Visit the following Websites:

https://drugabuse.com/should-people-who-abuse-alcohol-qualify-for-liver-transplants/ (Links to an external site.)

You will also need to do additional research to find some of the information needed.

Question 1: Based on what you have read, would you support restricting the priority for a liver transplant to patients who have maintained healthy lifestyles? Why?

Question 2: What are the strongest arguments for prioritizing liver transplants to those who have maintained healthy lifestyles?

Question 3: What are the strongest arguments against establishing “healthy” versus “not-healthy” lifestyle criteria for liver transplants?