Age rationing for renal transplantation? The role of age in decisions regarding scarce life extending medical resources

The use of age as a selection criterion for scarce life extending medical resources is justified by some theorists and rejected by others. Qualitative research was conducted into age rationing in daily medical practice. Observations were made at two renal transplantation centres and people professionally involved in decision making about transplantation were interviewed. Age appeared to be an important factor in indication decisions concerning individual patients, because it is associated in several ways with both the risks and benefits of transplantation that are weighed against each other. This happens apart from scarcity of donor organs. However, age also appeared to be used as a selection criterion, though apparently to a slight degree. This happens in a covert, implicit way. This is possible because all the aspects of age that are important in indication decisions regarding individual patients may also be used as comparative selection criteria.