Strict guidelines for selection mean that thousands of people die each year.
Each year, tens of thousands of people living in the United States sit on a waiting list, ready to receive a life-saving kidney transplant.
They would love to have a new organ. Sadly however, not all receive one. In fact, some die waiting. But more patients could certainly be active recipients.
According to a recent report on CNN, around 3,500 donated kidneys aren’t used and are actively discarded, each year.
Why? They don’t fit the bill. These kidneys have been donated, but reports indicate they aren’t in perfect shape according to medical standards and guidelines, and thus, aren’t accepted as transplantable organs by those who evaluate such things.
Related: These Are the Life Threatening Side Effects of Miracle Mineral Solution
But then there’s this. According to the National Kidney Foundation, a study done in 2016 found that about half of all the kidneys deemed to be unacceptable for transplant were actually found to be OK for transplant, according to a certain panel of experts.
So, is this a case of one person’s trash being another person’s treasure, to be crass?
Here are some other kidney facts. Over 37 million individuals living in the U.S currently have chronic kidney disease. About 5,000 patients die annually waiting to receive a kidney transplant.
Maybe there’s room for some change. Perhaps the strict guidelines in place in the U.S are needed, but it could be that a different perspective could save lives.
For more on this issue, click here.
