Families are typically out of their depth in these situations and completely dependent on medical staff to guide them in decisions regarding their loved one. M

Families are typically out of their depth in these situations and completely dependent on medical staff to guide them in decisions regarding their loved one. Medical staff may confront the family with the question of organ donation before they have been able to internalize the decision to withdrawl life support. Without time to internalize the decision to withdraw life support families may feel that allowing organ donation may be bias medical staff and, even subconsciously, tip the scales. Families may be uncomfortable with yielding control of their loved ones body to the medical establishment. The question of organ donation is presented as a binary choice to families (all or nothing) and requires a significant degree of trust in the medical community. They may worry that they are unwittingly consenting to donations of germ cells; that part of their loved one may end up in a student lab or that organ donation may delay a funeral. Families may worry that donation will incur additional costs or that someone will profit from the deceased organs (see Henrietta Lacks and HeLa). Also making an opt-in decision in any complex situation that requires unanimous consent of what is essentially a committee is typically going to result in no-action.