Brain-dead man wakes up just as his organs were supposed to be removed

In 2021 36 year old man admitted due to drug overdose Kentucky Hospital. Unfortunately, nothing could be done to prevent the cardiac arrest that led to his brain death. The family decided donate your organstherefore, seeing that his brain was not responding, the life support system was turned off and the procedure to remove the bones began. organs suitable for donation. The patient was already lying on the operating table, ready to begin the intervention, when he suddenly began to cry and became very agitated. He was alive.

Now that the date is approaching, it may seem like a Halloween story. But in fact, this is a real event that is currently the focus of the law. Kentucky Organ Donation Organization (KODA is an acronym in English). Although everything happened in 2021, the story has come to light now after the organ curator at the said institution found the report and was shocked by what apparently seemed like a long time. chain of negligence.

KODA denies that anything was done wrong. The patient met the criteria for organ donation and his brain was left inactive for a set amount of time so that it was decided there was no turning back. But finally it happened. A few more minutes, and the man could lose his organs during his lifetime.

He could have donated organs, but he didn’t die

After the patient’s death, several tests were carried out to see if he could become an organ donor. During catheterization To check whether his heart was suitable for donation, the man seemed to move on a stretcher. This should have been his cue to wait a little longer for his brain to react. But, given the sanity of his heart, the donation procedure took place.

While everything was being prepared to begin the extraction procedure, the patient’s sister was next to his bed, accompanied by other family members. Everyone saw how the man opened his eyes and moved them around the room. However, when they asked at the hospital, they were told that this was a normal reflex in cases like theirs. That didn’t mean he was alive.

Thus, the organ donation operation began. Fortunately, nothing could be extracted, because the man He cried and turned around at the table operations. KODA insisted that he be examined by a doctor to see if the operation could proceed. But the surgeons flatly refused. This man was alive, no further evidence was required.

Three years later, the case began to be investigated.

The curator who reported this case Nicoletta Martindid it by letter US House Committee on Energy and Commerce. Thus, this gave rise to a procedure to look for possible negligence during the organ donation procedure.

KODA assures that everything was done correctly. And the truth is that the protocols were followed. However, this case cast doubt on the fact that protocols fit. The time limit for determining brain death does not take into account possible exceptions, such as the case of the Kentucky patient. What happens is: given low probability of occurrence, It is preferable to transfer the resources that keep these people alive to other patients who have better opportunities to move forward.

On the other hand, although the United States is a country with a good share of donors, the numbers could be even better. Over the past year 46,000 organs were donated.. This figure is quite high when compared to the 5,861 organs and 2,346 deceased donors that were in Spain. However, we must remember that Spain has 48.6 million inhabitants and the United States 345.4 million. This puts the share in Spain at 48.23 deceased donors per million people and in the USA it is slightly lower, in 44.5. So, although this is a good indicator, we always try to make it higher. You don’t want to waste any organs. But, of course, this should not endanger anyone’s life.

It should be noted that this patient did not come to life only to die immediately, like many of those people who they resurrect at his funeral. The patient is still alive today. But unfortunately, all that time he spent without life support left him with consequences. movement, speech and memory. He lives with his sister, who looks after him, just like the day he saw him moving his eyes near his bed. It wasn’t a reflection. Fortunately, everything was resolved before it was too late.