Disposal of Viable Kidney Raises Questions about Surgical Room Communication

In a horrifying mistake, a nurse in Ohio mistakenly flushed a kidney that was ready for transplant into a hospital waste-collection system. The case, which has medical malpractice implications, has staggered the medical community across the country and  raised questions about the role of communication in the operating room.

The case involves a patient at the University of Toledo Medical Center who was in line for a kidney transplant. According to a report in the Toledo Blade, the kidney had been extracted from a living donor who happened to be the patient’s brother. The kidney had been placed in a bag of protective slush before the procedure.

The nurse had left the operating room for a lunch break. She says that when she returned, she carried the bag that contained the kidney and discarded of all its contents into a waste-disposal hopper. She says that she was unaware that the bag contained the kidney.

There are still far too many questions about exactly what happened here. There’s been a lot of finger pointing among the nurses and doctors in this case.

An investigation has been conducted, and according to the University of Toledo Medical Center, the error resulted from a lack of communication in the surgery room. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have been given a report on the investigation. The report clearly blames the incident on a lack of proper communication and failure to supervise.

If you have been injured by a health-care provider’s mistake, you may be entitled to compensation. A Washington State medical malpractice attorney can advise you on your best legal options. Submit your case for review today.