Revisiting Ethical Guidelines for Research with Terminal Wean and Brain-Dead Participants

Abstract

Some research is too risky to be conducted on anyone with a life expectancy of more than a few hours. Yet under some circumstances, the research can still be carried out by using subjects who are either brain dead or are soon to undergo a terminal wean, and who have articulated values that inclusion in the study can honor. So argues a team of ethicists and researchers at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, where such research was recently undertaken.