THE MARKET FOR BLOOD AND USED BODY PARTS Flashcards
What is a market?
the means by which the exchange of goods and services takes place as a result of buyers and sellers being in contact with each other
What is altruism?
the disinterested and selfless concern for the well being ion others
how many pints of blood do we have? after how many pints of blood loss do we need to give a transfusion?
8-10 pints
after 3 pints lost we need to think about a blood transfusion
how many pints of blood does the NHS need every day?
6000 pints
which blood groups are rarer?
O negative and some ethnic minority bloods
What are the 2 main risks of blood transfusion?
giving the wrong blood type and infections
how many blood donors do we have in the Uk every year? is this enough?
2 million
stock levels are usually adequate but if major incidents happen there is often a shortage
what about giving blood costs money?
storage and distribution
argue Richard Titmuss’ ethical case against the purchase and sale of blood?
buying and selling blood erodes a sense of community, represses altruism, can increase infection Risks and distributes blood from the poor to the rich.
Argue Cooper and Culyers case for blood donation?
they argue that blood is no different from any other tradable product, supply can be increased by removing obstacles and offering financial awards
last year how many people died from waiting on the transplant list?
400
where can we get organ donations from?
living donors or cadavers.
What are alternatives to kidney transplants?
haemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis
Why are kidney transplants better than dialysis?
quality of life is better after, it is overall cheaper, transplant is more clinically effective
How can we increase the organ supply?
opt out system
financial incentives
nudges
interventions e.g. when you apply for a drivers licence it asks if you want to opt n
