This American news item, in which a thirty-year-old was diagnosed as brain dead before waking up shortly before organ harvesting, has been widely publicized in recent days. Problematic consequence: this caused the number of people registered on organ donation refusal registers to drop in France. We explain to you why this situation is “impossible” in France.
“We have […] noted a clear increase in the number of registrations on the national register of refusals”, noted, with theAFPthe Biomedicine Agency. In question, a news item reporting a thirty-year-old having woken up shortly before organ harvesting. “The fact of conveying this information is very harmful and casts shame on organ donation and transplantation in France,” regrets the Biomedicine Agency which estimates that the number of registrations in the national refusal register is ten times higher than normal.
“For several days, a situation taking place in the United States has been reported in the press: a patient, diagnosed as brain dead, woke up during organ harvesting,” summarizes in a press release the French Society of Anesthesia and Intensive Care which emphasizes that if “this could cause understandable concern”elle “would be totally unfounded in France”. We’ll explain it to you.
— SFAR Anesthesia Resuscitation (@SFAR_ORG) October 23, 2024
Awakening during organ donation: what happened in the United States
To understand the cause, we must look at a case revealed by the average American NPR. According to them, in October 2021, a 36-year-old American man was rushed to hospital due to a drug overdose. Diagnosed as brain dead, he woke up shortly before his organs were harvested. The latter is still alive today.
To shed light on this matter, an investigation was opened across the Atlantic by the Kentucky state office.
But, for the Biomedicine Agency, whose comments are relayed by the’AFPthis information is “highly suspect from the point of view of French anesthesiologists”. Additionally, this information has not been independently confirmed by theAFP.
A situation “strictly impossible” In France
Asked by The Parisian in his October 21 edition, Professor François Dépret, medical manager of the surgical treatment center for severe burns at Saint-Louis hospital (AP-HP) believes that in France, this would be “strictly impossible”. Indeed, the protocol is very strict and enshrined in law.
As the French Society of Anesthesia and Resuscitation points out, “in France, the diagnosis of brain death is regulated by a decree. This diagnosis is based first of all on a set of clinical signs that any resuscitator anesthetist is able to recognize”. The entire procedure to ensure this state of brain death is “very strict, known to every resuscitation anesthetist and verified by hospital organ and tissue collection coordination, leaves no room for doubt”. Indeed, “a brain dead patient has no chance of waking up because he is dead and his death certificate is signed”.It is only in this case that organ harvesting can be undertaken.
In France, according to Health Insurance, 80% of French people are in favor of donating their own organs after their death. As of January 1, 2024, “21,866 patients were registered on the national waiting list for a transplant, all organs combined”.
Sources :
“Horrifing” mistake to take organs from a living person was averted, witness say – NPR – 17/10/2024
French Society of Anesthesia and Intensive Care
He wakes up before an organ harvest in the United States: why it would be “strictly impossible” in France – Le Parisien – 10/21/2024
June 22, a day to talk about organ donation – Health insurance – 06/19/2024
Journalist for the Health, Love, Children and Slimming sections, I joined the editorial team of Femme Actuelle in February 2023. I am keen to share with you the latest research in health, but also to collect advice from specialists to inform you about the different practices regarding physical activity and nutrition.
