Century: Signs of consciousness were ignored in cases of organ donors
Four years ago, an unconscious man from Kentucky began to wake up as he was to be removed from mechanical support so that he could donate his organs.
Although the man was crying, he was tightened his legs on his chest and shaking his head, the officials were trying to move on.
Now, a federal research has found that non -profit officials responsible for coordinating organ donations in Kentucky ignored signs of increasing alertness not only to this patient but also to dozens of other potential donors.
Doctors and procedure under investigation
The research has examined about 350 cases in Kentucky in the last four years, in which the plans for removal of organs were eventually canceled.
He found that in 73 cases, officials should have examined a stoppage earlier because patients had high or improved levels of consciousness.
Although surgeries were not performed, the study showed that many patients showed signs of pain or discomfort in preparation for the procedure.
Most of the patients eventually died, hours or days later. However, some have recovered enough to leave the hospital, according to a research by the Federal Administration of Services and Health Resources, whose findings were notified to the New York Times.
‘Donation after circulatory death’
The research focused on an increasingly common practice called « donation after circulatory death ». Unlike most organ donors who are brain dead, patients in these cases have some brain function but are in mechanical support and are not expected to recover. Often, they are in a coma.
The research began with the case of Anthony Thomas Hoover II, who had received overdose of drugs in 2021. Source photo: New York Times
If family members agree on donation, employees of a non -profit organization called an organ procurement organization begin to examine the patient’s organs and gather transplant surgeons and recipients.
Each state has at least one supply organization and often places staff in hospitals to help manage donations.
Usually, the patient is transferred to a surgery where hospital employees withdraw mechanical support and wait. The organs are considered viable for a donation only if the patient dies within one or two hours. If this happens, the Supplying Organization team waits for another five minutes and then begins the removal of organs.
Strict rules are supposed to ensure that no recovery begins before death or does not cause
Pressure to families to approve organ donation
The research criticized the Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates organization, which coordinated organ donations to the state. The organization, now called Network For Hope after merging, has stated that it always follows the rules and never removes organs until the death of a patient is declared by a hospital.
However, the research found that officials of the organization repeatedly pressured families to approve organ donation and tried to push the hospital staff to remove life support and allow surgery, even if there were any indications of increasing awareness.
Some employees did not understand that hospital tranquilizers or illegal drugs could cover the neurological condition of patients, which means they may be in better shape than they seemed.
In December 2022, a 50 -year -old victim of excessive dose began to move less than an hour after being disconnected from mechanical support and began to look around. The resuscitation attempt was not immediately ended, nor was any explanation to the patient.
« The patient had no idea what was happening, but he was becoming more and more realized with the minute, » the files said.
After 40 minutes – when the patient’s organs would no longer meet the conditions for donation – the effort was canceled and the patient was transferred to an intensive care unit. Later, he got up and spoke with his family before dying three days later, according to the survey.
Dozens of cases
Overall, the research recorded 103 cases as « alarming » and said the problems were more likely to occur in agricultural hospitals. He noted that more than half of the transplants organized by Kentucky’s organization came from patients with circulatory deaths above the national average.
At national level, officials recovered about 20,000 organs from this type of donor last year, almost twice as high as the total of 2021, according to the organ supply and transplant network, which oversees the transplant system.
Federal regulators told the network last week that Kentucky’s organization should increase staff training and conduct neurological evaluations in potential organs every 12 hours, including changes.
On Thursday, the Agency said it received a report on government research. « We will fully comply with all their proposed recommendations, » he said in a statement.
How did the investigation begin
The federal research began last fall, after a Congress committee heard testimonies of a man from Kentucky, Anthony Thomas Hoover II, who had received an overdose of drugs in 2021. He did not respond to his two days before his family agreed.
In the next two days, the procurement agency underwent surgery, although its neurological condition improved, according to the study. During an exam, the files show that it was « pounding in bed ». He was given a drug to prevent further movement.
Hospital staff « felt extremely uncomfortable with the amount of reflexes shown by the patient, » the case notes. « Hospital staff were constantly saying that it was euthanasia. » A coordinator of the Procurement Organization assured them that it was not.
When Mr Hoover was transferred to the recovery, according to the records, he cried, brought his knees to his chest and shook his head. A hospital doctor refused to withdraw mechanical support. Mr Hoover eventually recovered. Now, in his 36 years, he has persistent neurological traumas.
In interviews with the Times, two former procurement officials said that senior executives tried to push the doctor to continue recovering.
« If it weren’t for this doctor, we would have moved by 1,000%, » said one of them, Natasha Miller, who was in the room. Three other former Kentucky officials said they had seen similar cases.
