And as we mark United Nations Day today, here's a googly bowled up in the local media: old kidneys for old folks.
I must admit that I hitherto had been under the impression that a donor's age had no real bearing in the allocation of donor kidneys. Potentially, so I believed, an "old" kidney that was otherwise healthy could tick over quite well in a young recipient.
Maybe this article suggests that kidneys with identified issues up to a certain threshold would be considered for elderly patients.
It could also suggest that
- My previous understanding was wrong.
- The newspaper didn't quite get it right - and general newspapers are notorious for getting transplant stories wrong. Like most of the general population, most journalists do not 100% understand what they are dealing with here. I can excuse this in most people, but journalists have a professional responsibilty to get things right. (I am not suggesting that the journalist who wrote this story is off the mark.)
Well, I don't quite know what to make of this. Should "old folks" be grateful for a chance at a transplant? I know at least one older person who is quite happy to keep chugging along with peritoneal dialysis.
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- Article in the Sydney Morning Herald
- I tried to lead this post off with a picture as per my usual practice, but alas I am stumped.
