TITLE:
Posthumous Sperm Retrieval after Brain Death from Anaphylaxis-Induced Cardiac Arrest: An Ethics Case Report
AUTHORS:
Palak Grover, Bipneet Singh
KEYWORDS:
Posthumous Sperm Retrieval, Anaphylaxis, Ethics
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Biosciences and Medicines,
Vol.14 No.9,
September
10,
2026
ABSTRACT: Posthumous sperm retrieval (PSR) is a technically feasible but ethically complex procedure that arises most often after the sudden death or brain death of a young man. This case report describes a 27-year-old male who suffered anaphylaxis to peanut ingestion, resulting in a prolonged ventricular fibrillation cardiac arrest, subsequent brain death, and central diabetes insipidus. His surviving spouse requested posthumous sperm extraction for the purpose of future assisted reproduction, citing the couple’s active efforts to conceive. Urology confirmed the technical feasibility of the procedure and noted that retrieved sperm would require cryopreservation for subsequent use via intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). However, the hospital ethics committee ultimately deemed the request inappropriate in the absence of prior written consent from the decedent. This report reviews the clinical course, the ethical and legal frameworks governing posthumous gamete procurement, and the existing literature on this evolving topic.