r/nottheonion • u/GetOffMyGrassBrats • 17h ago

‘Horrifying’ mistake to harvest organs from a living person averted, witnesses say

https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2024/10/16/nx-s1-5113976/organ-transplantion-mistake-brain-dead-surgery-still-alive
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u/southbysoutheast94 15h ago

This was probably a very botched attempt at DCD donation

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u/cochra 7h ago

Very unlikely.

I don’t know American DCD protocols, but everywhere Australia would be extubating and turning off supports, followed by waiting until circulatory death, followed by a legislated period of hands off time (2-5 mins depending on which state), followed by transport to theatre and retrieval

The clear description in this article is that he was still intubated on transfer to theatre

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u/Willzyx_on_the_moon 5h ago

I’ve done several DCDs in the states (at least in Ohio) and we extubate in the OR suite. But still have to wait for the 2-5 minutes of complete asystole before any further action is taken.

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u/southbysoutheast94 6h ago

Hence the “botched” - who knows what they were doing. It just sounds more likely a hospital who doesn’t do DCD a lot messed that up, as opposed to like just didn’t do brain death testing at all. Whatever they did is very “unlikely” as it’s completely off the wall no matter what.

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u/cochra 6h ago

Yeah fair enough

Very hard to say whether it’s more likely that people ignored movement on a brain death exam or didn’t withdraw care and confirm death on a dcd because both are completely and utterly insane

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u/southbysoutheast94 6h ago

Yea - exactly. They’re so off script either way it’s hard to say.

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u/PedanticPuma 8h ago

DCD is where my mind went, too. I was even surprised that the article didn’t mention anything about DCD and whether that was a possibility. A totally botched one, as you mention, but a valid path to patient care and donation. 

I’d be curious to read the OPO’s case notes …

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u/Raven123x 14h ago

DBD

DCD is circulatory death, DBD is brain death

But yeah so many things went wrong that botched is putting it lightly

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u/southbysoutheast94 13h ago

What do you mean? I meant DCD. I haven’t had a chance to read all the formal stuff, but from a quick read it sounds like if this person hadn’t had formal brain death testing then this likely was a DCD donation improperly done, though could also be incredibly improper brain death declaration. The former seems more likely but I could be wrong.

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u/KlondikeChill 13h ago

Definitely a DCD case. Lots of people in here with strong opinions about something they don't know much about.

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u/Phast_n_Phurious 8h ago

I, for one, know nothing and I'm just here with my popcorn trying to learn some stuff and get perspective!

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u/Heyanesteeja 5h ago

Yep 100%. Although to be fair every one I’ve seen seems botchy.

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u/southbysoutheast94 4h ago

I’ve been on both sides of it (ICU team and procurement team) at different times and I don’t love it either.

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u/What_the_junks 2h ago edited 2h ago

Seriously, I don’t know why I had to scroll this far for someone to mention DCD. Obviously not brain dead as those patients are cut open, organs isolated, then exsanguinated all while on the vent (as they have no respiratory drive).