Whose authorization governs postmortem tissue donation, and what is required if the donor’s authorization is not specified?

• A. Donor's authorization must be overridden by family consent
• B. Family consent always overrides donor authorization
• C. Donor's authorization must be respected; if the donor did not specify authorization, consent from next of kin is required
• D. Only institutional policy governs postmortem tissue use

Answer: (C)

Autonomy guides postmortem tissue donation. If the donor has given explicit authorization before death, that authorization must be respected and governs whether tissue donation occurs. When the donor did not specify authorization, a surrogate—typically the next of kin—provides consent to proceed. This respects the patient’s values by placing the decision with someone who represents them when they cannot decide themselves. Thus, the donor’s authorization governs, and if not specified, consent from the next of kin is required. Options suggesting removal of the donor’s wishes by family, or that only institutional policy controls tissue use, do not align with respecting the individual's autonomy and the role of surrogates in consent decisions.