Which ethical issue is primarily concerned with the risk to living donors in organ transplantation?

• A. Fair allocation
• B. Donor risk
• C. Consent
• D. Confidentiality

Answer: (B)

Donor risk in living organ donation is the central concern. Living donors are healthy individuals who undergo major surgery to help another person, so the ethical focus is on the harms they may suffer—surgical complications, anesthesia risks, and potential long-term health effects. This aligns with nonmaleficence, which obligates clinicians to avoid causing harm and to minimize risk, as well as autonomy, ensuring donors are fully informed and free to decide without coercion. While consent and confidentiality matter, they address different aspects: consent ensures understanding and voluntariness, confidentiality protects privacy, and fair allocation deals with who should receive organs. The duty to protect donors from preventable harm makes donor risk the best answer.