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Inside the Ethics Committee

Factual: Health & Wellbeing

Religion & Ethics

Joan Bakewell and a panel of experts wrestle with the ethics of a real-life medical case.

Joan Bakewell is joined by a panel of experts to wrestle with the ethics arising from a real-life medical case.

Inside the Ethics Committee: Series 9

Inside the Ethics Committee: Series 9: Episode 4: Lung Transplant Teenager

Episode 4

Episode 4: Lung Transplant Teenager

Series 9

Lung Transplant Teenager

BBC Radio 4 - Inside the Ethics Committee, Series 9, Lung Transplant Teenager

How much should a seriously ill 17-year-old know about his condition and its prognosis?

John had a lung transplant at 11, but a few years later his illness returned. Should he be given a second transplant? Joan Bakewell and guests discuss this real-life case.

At the age of 11 John was diagnosed with a condition called pulmonary hypertension. He suffers from shortness of breath, coughing up blood and swelling in the legs. He's seriously ill and is referred to a specialist hospital where he is advised that he needs a lung transplant.

John recovers well from the operation. He goes back home and lives like a normal teenager, albeit one who has to take medication every day to stop his body rejecting the new lungs. John passes his GCSEs and gets a place to study art and design at college.

But at a regular check up John and his family receive bad news. His body is rejecting the lungs and he is becoming ill again. The doctors suggest he needs a second transplant.

Joan Bakewell and her guests discuss the issues around whether John should be given a second transplant and be put through another long and complicated operation. How much should John at 17 years old be told about his condition and its long term prognosis?

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A panel of experts tackle the ethics involved in a real hospital case

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Inside the Ethics Committee

Series 9

Episode 4: Lung Transplant Teenager

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