Very Important Organs That Are Not Vital Organs

Name some very important organs that are not vital organs.
List the functional description of all the normal vital organs, including today’s exceptions.
Is it possible to live without a vital organ? Why? Example?
Distinction between assisting or substituting vital organs. Bioethical analysis.
Do the following practices assist or substitute the vital organ? Why?
- Dialysis
- Respirator
- Ventilator
- Tracheotomy
- CPR
Read and summarize ERD PART FIVE Introduction. (Ethical and Religious Directives (ERD) for Catholic Health Care Services (6th ed.). (2018).
Unconscious state: Definition.
Clinical definitions of different states of unconsciousness: Compare and contrast
Benefit vs Burden: bioethical analysis.

Very Important Organs That Are Not Vital Organs

Important but Non-Vital Organs: These organs are significant for quality of life but not absolutely necessary for survival:

Spleen – Supports immune function.
Gallbladder – Stores and concentrates bile.
Appendix – May support gut immunity.
One Kidney – Two are ideal, but one suffices for survival.
One Lung – A person can live with a single lung.
Reproductive Organs (e.g., ovaries, testes, uterus) – Important for reproduction but not survival.
Eyes, Ears, Limbs – Critical for function, not life.

Functional Description of All Normal Vital Organs (Including Exceptions)

Vital Organ	Function
Heart	Pumps oxygenated blood to the body and returns deoxygenated blood to the lungs.
Brain	Controls all bodily functions, consciousness, and coordination.
Lungs	Facilitate gas exchange—oxygen in, carbon dioxide out.
Liver	Detoxifies blood, produces bile, and regulates metabolism.
Kidneys	Filter blood to produce urine, regulate electrolytes and blood pressure.
Intestines (especially small intestine)	Absorb nutrients from food.
Pancreas	Produces insulin and enzymes for digestion.

Exceptions today:

Some brain functions can be replaced temporarily (e.g., artificial ventilation).
A person can survive with one kidney, partial liver, or part of an intestine.
Artificial hearts and mechanical ventilation can substitute temporarily.

Is It Possible to Live Without a Vital Organ? Why? Example?

Answer: Partially, yes. While most vital organs are essential, some can be compensated for temporarily or partially by medical interventions.

Examples:

Kidney: One can live with one kidney, or survive on dialysis if both fail.
Liver: Partial liver donation is possible; the liver regenerates.
Lungs: One lung can be sufficient.
Heart: An artificial heart (total artificial heart or TAH) can support life temporarily.

However, without a functioning brainstem, life is not possible even if the heart is beating, because the brainstem controls essential functions like breathing.

Distinction Between Assisting or Substituting Vital Organs (Bioethical Analysis)

Assisting = Supporting the organ to function (organ still contributes).
Substituting = Taking over the organ’s entire function because the organ has failed.

Bioethical Principles to Consider:

Proportionality – Does the treatment’s benefit outweigh its burden?
Dignity – Is human dignity preserved in the intervention?
Ordinary vs Extraordinary Means – Is the intervention obligatory (ordinary) or optional (extraordinary), especially if burdensome?

Do These Practices Assist or Substitute Vital Organs? Why?

Practice	Assist or Substitute?	Why?
Dialysis	Substitute	Takes over kidney’s filtration function entirely.
Respirator	Assist	A broader term—can mean anything helping breathing (oxygen mask, etc.). Usually assists.
Ventilator	Substitute	Replaces natural breathing when lungs or brain cannot manage.
Tracheotomy	Assist	Creates airway access, but does not replace lung function.
CPR	Assist (temporarily substitute)	Temporarily replaces heart and lung function until restored or replaced.

Summary: ERD Part Five Introduction (2018, 6th ed.)

Title: “Issues in Care for the Seriously Ill and Dying”

Summary: The introduction to Part Five emphasizes the Catholic Church’s view of health care as a ministry that upholds human dignity, especially at the end of life. It acknowledges death as a part of human life but insists that patients must not be abandoned, treated as burdens, or hastened to die. While aggressive treatment is not always obligatory, compassionate care and moral discernment are essential. The Directives advocate for the balance of preserving life and accepting natural death, using medical interventions in proportion to the expected outcome and the person’s dignity.

Key Themes:

Dignity of the human person.
No moral obligation to use overly burdensome treatments.
Spiritual and palliative care are essential.
Life must not be intentionally ended (against euthanasia or assisted suicide).

Unconscious State: Definition

An unconscious state is a condition where a person is unaware of themselves and their environment, typically lacking wakefulness or responsiveness.

Clinical Definitions of Different States of Unconsciousness: Compare and Contrast

State	Definition	Key Features	Recovery Potential
Coma	Deep unconsciousness, unresponsive to stimuli	No wakefulness or awareness	Possible but variable
Vegetative State	Sleep-wake cycles without awareness	Eyes may open, no purposeful behavior	Often poor, but not hopeless
Minimally Conscious State (MCS)	Some evidence of awareness	Inconsistent but reproducible responses	Better prognosis than vegetative state
Brain Death	Irreversible cessation of all brain activity	Legally and clinically dead	No recovery possible

Benefit vs Burden: Bioethical Analysis

Principle of Proportionality:

A treatment is ethically acceptable if benefits outweigh burdens.
If a treatment prolongs suffering without reasonable hope of benefit, it may be ethically withdrawn.

Examples:

Feeding tube in end-stage Alzheimer’s may be burdensome with no real benefit.
Ventilator for short-term respiratory failure may be beneficial.

Ethical Tools:

Consider patient autonomy, family wishes, medical prognosis, and Church teaching on the dignity of life and natural death.