TV and Movies

[SilleeMee]

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@Teddixat wrote:

@SilleeMee    Tests can be run to determine viability of the organs.  They would not give compromised organs to anyone.  

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@Teddixat 

Yes, I know that. But there are organs still being discarded b/c of the stigma attached to certain populations of donors. The system is changing, however, especially with the improvements in infectious disease testing and treatments for the living.

[qualitygal]

Was she still with the boy's father?  I don't know anything about that. 

[qbetzforreal]

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@qualitygal wrote:

Was she still with the boy's father?  I don't know anything about that. 

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@qualitygal- no, they split in 2018.

[BoopOMatic]

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@Teddixat wrote:

@SilleeMee    Tests can be run to determine viability of the organs.  They would not give compromised organs to anyone.  

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They would and they have.......report:

  "Process failures in the collection, screening and transplantation of donated organs in the U.S. have been responsible for at least 70 deaths and the development of 249 avoidable disease, the Senate Finance Committee revealed in a report Wednesday.

  The full report, which was obtained by the Washington Post, cites failures to identify diseases lying within organs that would cause issue for the next host, failures to properly match blood types and perfectly good-to-use organs being lost or discarded after mismanagement in the transport chain.

  These cases include a man in South Carolina who received transplanted lungs that were incompatible with his body - killing him the next day. On heart transplant patient in Wisconsin was told they would die in three years after it was discovered the heart they just received came from a person with brain cancer."

  Title of story on Daily Mail is: 

At least 70 deaths and 249 developed diseases tied to failures to properly screen for and keep track of donated organs, US Senate reports: Cases include SC man who received incompatible lungs and died next day

[phoenixbrd]

@ruthbe  @qualitygal Anne lost custody of her first son at a young age.  Of course, she is his mother and a difficult time.  He was raised by his father.

[chickenbutt]

I think sometimes organ transplants happen when there is something negative that would not have even been contemplated, as far as screening.

I still watch a show called Scrubs.  It was a truly brilliant show and that's why I keep watching the episodes over and over.  Anyway, I was reading about it a while back and learned that the stories are all  true stories.

One storyline was about a young-ish woman who died and they had a few patients needing various organs.   They transplanted the organs and all the patients ended up dying.  Turned out that the donor had rabies!   That was pretty shocking.

[hyacinth003]

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@SilleeMee wrote:

Abuse of the body from addiction can leave some organs damaged and not suitable for donation.  Then there are risks to be taken by the person(s) receiving damaged organs. Desperate times (the need for organs) has its downfalls.

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@SilleeMee 

As a nurse who has worked with potential organ donors, you also have to consider if the person's organs are viable due to their condition prior to brain death.  If the person spent time in medical shock, for example, the organs can be damaged due to lack of adequate blood flow to them for the time.  This woman had many serious injuries to different body systems. 

When brain death occurs, it doesn't perform "normal" functions for the body.  So it is quite a balancing act to try to keep organs healthy for donation.  I once took care of a young lady who also was in a car accident.  The shock her body went through (low blood pressure, etc.) damaged one of her kidneys.  So she was only able to donate one kidney, sadly.  A lot of my work was keeping her blood pressure high enough and a lot of fluids though her healthy kidney.

As to Ms. Heche's drug use, if her organs are deemed suitable, I guess a potential recipient may choose to take the chance after testing is done.  Transplants are pretty complex.

Hyacinth

[SilleeMee]

@hyacinth003 

I also worked in the healthcare field, in a hospital where organ harvesting and transplant surgery was done. I am a retired lab specialist. I did testing on donors/ specimens to get them ready for transplant and/or transport.