# Best way to commit suicide and preserve organs for donation? (do not need answer fast, heh) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 24, 2011, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-commit-suicide-and-preserve-organs-for-donation-do-not-need-answer-fast-heh/575855 "2011-03-24T16:34:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2013, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-commit-suicide-and-preserve-organs-for-donation-do-not-need-answer-fast-heh/575855/61 "2013-01-27T18:22:45Z")
I think it’s pretty important to note that only a relatively small number of people are eligable for the kind of organ donation the OP is interested in. Most organs need to be harvested from a body where the heart is still beating, or the blood is being moved around the body artificially. When the blood stops, most (not all, but most) of the organs are quickly rendered useless for transplantation. “Quickly” meaning, within minutes. This means that most organ donation comes from bodies which are “brain dead” (which is dead), but the heart is still beating. Trauma, like car accidents, is a primary source of these bodies. Strokes are another. The person is brought in still more or less “alive” and put on a ventilator while doctors and nurses do their godsdamned best to save them. Then damage to the brain becomes apparent and they realize they’re never going to get the person off the respirator alive. That’s when the conversations with transplant centers and family members begin. So suicide, as a practical matter, is largely incompatible with organ donation by modern technology, unless you’re committing suicide \*inside \*a hospital. [http://www.organdonor.gov/about/organdonationprocess.html](http://www.organdonor.gov/about/organdonationprocess.html) ---
**Author:** ![Shmendrik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Shmendrik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shmendrik)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2013, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-commit-suicide-and-preserve-organs-for-donation-do-not-need-answer-fast-heh/575855/62 "2013-01-27T19:17:42Z")
> [@pendgwen](#): > > I know of one case in which a young man was in an accident that left him quadriplegic and dependent on mechanical ventilation. He decided he did not want to live like that so got everything in order for donation, including speaking with the surgeons/transplant services, making everything kosher with the hospital ethics committee, and had the vent turned off. Depending on your perspective this may not fit the premise of the OP since this was withdrawal of life sustaining treatment rather than true suicide. I find this story hard to understand. Other than kidneys, most organs need to be obtained from a brain-dead donor with a beating heart - in other words, they wheel the donor into an OR on life support and then remove their organs. Kidneys can be obtained from a non heart beating donor but that’s not optimal. Turning off a ventilator and allowing the patient to die before beginning the organ harvest process would probably render his organs unsuitable for transplant. This doesn’t even address the incredible ethics issues involved, of course. I’m curious about whether you have first-hand knowledge of this case and whether anything was published about it. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2013, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-commit-suicide-and-preserve-organs-for-donation-do-not-need-answer-fast-heh/575855/63 "2013-01-29T15:55:00Z")
> [@drastic\_quench](#): > > …if one went deep enough - totally severing arteries and cutting into the esophagus, there’s no way to save the patient in time. Again, it’d be physically and psychologically difficult but, short of a guillotine, it offers a clean death for organ harvesting – plus it’s portable. > > ETA: One would need a serious knife, I imagine. A highly sharpened chef’s knife would make it a lot more achievable than your average pocket knife. It is extremely difficult to cut one’s own throat fatally cutting into the esophagus; I’ll hazard impossible. There’s a lot of cartilage there. > [@ecseas](#): > > …Natural is not sitting in a freezer, pumping yourself full of gas, freezing yourself… Good point. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2013, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-commit-suicide-and-preserve-organs-for-donation-do-not-need-answer-fast-heh/575855/64 "2013-01-29T16:23:45Z")
> [@Ranchoth](#): > > One might try a [Captive Bolt Pistol](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captive_bolt_pistol), in lieu of an actual firearm—some are gunpowder-driven, so it’s not like you’d have to haul an air compressor into the ER with you. It might be better to use than a gun if you want to end up alive-but-brain-dead enough to end up on life support, rather than an unusable corpse with an exploded head.\* > > \*Band name. That was my first thought. ---
**Author:** ![sullenvamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3be4f8/32.png) [@sullenvamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sullenvamp)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2015, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-commit-suicide-and-preserve-organs-for-donation-do-not-need-answer-fast-heh/575855/65 "2015-02-16T19:35:55Z")
Cut your wrist, or neck. Just get a vein. Or better yet an artery. Make sure you leave a note. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2015, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-commit-suicide-and-preserve-organs-for-donation-do-not-need-answer-fast-heh/575855/66 "2015-02-16T23:26:12Z")
I could have sworn it was a \*\*Chicago Hope \*\*where a Donal Logue/Michael Rapaport type took the ER hostage at gunpoint to force them to work on his brother, and when that was failing, he took out his organ donation card and shot himself in the head so his bro could have his heart. I did not see that coming – because you’re watching thinking, well, there’s no way he can donate his heart… But now I can’t find such an ep. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2015, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-commit-suicide-and-preserve-organs-for-donation-do-not-need-answer-fast-heh/575855/67 "2015-02-16T23:29:52Z")
Budd Dwyer gave out organ donation cards before shooting himself in the head. By the time they got him to the hospital his organs weren’t good anymore. ---
**Author:** ![IrisWinters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7ab992/32.png) [@IrisWinters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IrisWinters)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2015, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-commit-suicide-and-preserve-organs-for-donation-do-not-need-answer-fast-heh/575855/68 "2015-07-04T16:32:26Z")
well this is a pretty gruesome conversation, but anyway… I guess strangling/hanging yourself or drowning would probably be the best ways, but the problem then is getting your organs to the hospital in time. The only thing I can think of is to slit your wrists and literally bleed to death, but only alert emergency services that you are dying when you are sure you’re going to go. Not sure how this will affect the body, but it doesn’t do any direct damage to organs. if you did hang or drown, you would probably be best calling 999/911 (whatever it is in your country) and letting them know where you are right before you do whatever it is you’re going to do. that way they reach you pretty quickly, but you’re dead by the time they do. apparently though a very common case of organ donor deaths/ brain deaths is that they’ve been in a car crash. if you’re really desperate, i suppose you could always drive a car into a wall at high speed or something. not really guaranteed but… ---
**Author:** ![Whatever4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@Whatever4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whatever4)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2015, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-commit-suicide-and-preserve-organs-for-donation-do-not-need-answer-fast-heh/575855/69 "2015-07-04T23:52:35Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > It is extremely difficult to cut one’s own throat fatally cutting into the esophagus; I’ll hazard impossible. There’s a lot of cartilage there. > Good point. In her book, Understanding Suicide, Dr. Kay R. Jamieson includes the story of an unhappy husband who got in bed next to his sleeping wife, turned on an electric carving knife, applied the blade to his throat, and bled to death all over her. ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2015, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-commit-suicide-and-preserve-organs-for-donation-do-not-need-answer-fast-heh/575855/70 "2015-07-05T00:37:26Z")
For bonus badass points, collect a bunch of freezer bags with hospital address labels, get a sharp Ginsu knife, and harvest your own organs manually, one by one. Make sure FedEx is standing by to deliver the packages when you’re done. I recommend removing the heart last. ---
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2015, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-commit-suicide-and-preserve-organs-for-donation-do-not-need-answer-fast-heh/575855/71 "2015-07-05T06:21:40Z")
> [@EvilTOJ](#): > > I’ve read that the Chinese shoot political dissidents in the back of the neck to preserve the organs for donation. Methinks you are confusing timeline. The old practice of taking the prisoner outside the courthouse and putting a bullet into his medulla was quite effective, but did not facilitate organ harvest. The story goes that they now jail the condemned and feed them a drug which promotes transplantibilty (new word!) before execution - they make/made a tidy profit on kidneys, for instance. The swallow-the-muzzle is a good way to insure a fatal wound, but it does stop the heart instantly, rendering the organs useless. Here, a shot to the upper brain is indicated. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2015, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-commit-suicide-and-preserve-organs-for-donation-do-not-need-answer-fast-heh/575855/72 "2015-07-05T07:35:52Z")
I would like to petition a mod to remove the ‘do not’ from the thread title. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2015, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-commit-suicide-and-preserve-organs-for-donation-do-not-need-answer-fast-heh/575855/73 "2015-07-05T12:22:03Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > I could have sworn it was a \*\*Chicago Hope \*\*where a Donal Logue/Michael Rapaport type took the ER hostage at gunpoint to force them to work on his brother, and when that was failing, he took out his organ donation card and shot himself in the head so his bro could have his heart. I did not see that coming – because you’re watching thinking, well, there’s no way he can donate his heart… > > But now I can’t find such an ep. “Life Support”, Season 1, Episode 14. Guest starring Chris Penn as the shooter. I think. ---
**Author:** ![Angy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/da6949/32.png) [@Angy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angy)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2015, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-commit-suicide-and-preserve-organs-for-donation-do-not-need-answer-fast-heh/575855/74 "2015-09-21T21:22:36Z")
Hanging with short fall, call 911 prior to event, have a DNR tattoo, with organ donar status and blood type. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2015, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-commit-suicide-and-preserve-organs-for-donation-do-not-need-answer-fast-heh/575855/75 "2015-09-24T23:52:06Z")
> [@Angy](#): > > Hanging with short fall, call 911 prior to event, have a DNR tattoo, with organ donar status and blood type. Better yet, do so in front of the hospital. Find one that is having major renovations and has scaffolding outside. > [@WhyNot](#): > > … > This means that most organ donation comes from bodies which are “brain dead” (which is dead), but the heart is still beating. Trauma, like car accidents, is a primary source of these bodies. Strokes are another. The person is brought in still more or less “alive” and put on a ventilator while doctors and nurses do their godsdamned best to save them. Then damage to the brain becomes apparent and they realize they’re never going to get the person off the respirator alive. … So basically, something that causes an instant, massive stroke and brain death. How about this: get a large-bore IV into your carotid artery. Go to the ER (I expect you’ll be seen VERY quickly when you go up to the desk and point to the large tube hanging from your neck). Then inject something that would occlude the artery and go up a bit into the brain, but would “set up” somehow before circulation took it to much of the rest of the body. I don’t know what that something might be - caulk would be TOO viscous, I imagine. Would talc (as used to seal up pleura; a friend had that done after lung surgery) do the job? Now, this has the drawback that you have to manage to get an IV into your own carotid (or find some medical person and persuade them this is needed!!) without making yourself keel over right then. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2015, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-commit-suicide-and-preserve-organs-for-donation-do-not-need-answer-fast-heh/575855/76 "2015-09-25T00:32:14Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > Better yet, do so in front of the hospital. Find one that is having major renovations and has scaffolding outside. > So basically, something that causes an instant, massive stroke and brain death. > > How about this: get a large-bore IV into your carotid artery. > > Go to the ER (I expect you’ll be seen VERY quickly when you go up to the desk and point to the large tube hanging from your neck). > > Then inject something that would occlude the artery and go up a bit into the brain, but would “set up” somehow before circulation took it to much of the rest of the body. > > I don’t know what that something might be - caulk would be TOO viscous, I imagine. Would talc (as used to seal up pleura; a friend had that done after lung surgery) do the job? > > Now, this has the drawback that you have to manage to get an IV into your own carotid (or find some medical person and persuade them this is needed!!) without making yourself keel over right then. If you can get a large enough gauge in there, you might be able to simply open the clamp at the right moment. Negative pressure should cause a pretty big embolism which will block the blood to the brain. Ooh! I got it! Get the biggest syringe you can find with a luer lock, and just fill it with air. Attach, unclamp, push fast, and Bob’s your (mourning) uncle. 60cc should do nicely. Gonna be real grizzly if it doesn’t work, though. Major brain damage. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2015, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-commit-suicide-and-preserve-organs-for-donation-do-not-need-answer-fast-heh/575855/77 "2015-09-25T00:40:31Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > I’m pretty sure the drugs will render the organs unfit for transplant. Any drug that can kill you is not benign. > > ER lobby-gunshot to the head. Use a suppressor so you don’t disturb others. Yeah, I’m sure the guys that have to mop up your brains won’t be disturbed by it at all. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2015, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-commit-suicide-and-preserve-organs-for-donation-do-not-need-answer-fast-heh/575855/78 "2015-09-25T00:45:35Z")
> [@Angy](#): > > Hanging with short fall, call 911 prior to event, have a DNR tattoo, with organ donar status and blood type. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/09/24/michelle-carter-can-face-manslaughter-charge-for-allegedly-encouraging-boyfriends-suicide-judge-rules/](http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/09/24/michelle-carter-can-face-manslaughter-charge-for-allegedly-encouraging-boyfriends-suicide-judge-rules/) > [@](#): > > “Michelle Carter can face manslaughter charge for allegedly encouraging boyfriend’s suicide, judge rules” Now that we have precedent, maybe we can stop having threads like this. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2015, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-commit-suicide-and-preserve-organs-for-donation-do-not-need-answer-fast-heh/575855/79 "2015-09-25T03:17:22Z")
> [@EvilTOJ](#): > > I’ve read that the Chinese shoot political dissidents in the back of the neck to preserve the organs for donation. I’ve seen a video where it is suggested that a fetus can be aborted in such and such manner for the same goal. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-commit-suicide-and-preserve-organs-for-donation-do-not-need-answer-fast-heh/575855.md?page=3)