NY pilot expands organ recovery to at-home deaths

[cory777]

Source: Associated Press

NEW YORK – Families choosing whether to donate a loved one's organs usually have days to grapple with their decision, all while the patient lies hooked up to machines in a hospital bed.

But they would have only about 20 minutes to make the choice in a new pilot program meant to recover organs from patients who die at home.

That's roughly how long a team of organ specialists will have after a cardiac-arrest patient is declared dead to arrive at the home, check a donor registry, determine medical eligibility, obtain a family member's consent and get the person into a specialized ambulance.

The program launching Wednesday — the first of its kind in the U.S., according to organizers and other experts — could eventually lead to thousands more organs donated each year nationwide. But the six-month trial, a collaboration between Bellevue Hospital and New York City's police and fire departments, could be declared a success without a single organ being recovered, organizers say.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101201/ap_on_sc/us_organ_wagon

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[hlthe2b]

1. Mixed bag there.... less info on the deceased patient...

and rapidity of the process means that some organs may not be fully screened for infection or other issues that might make them dangerous to transplant. But, given the number of people who die waiting for organs, the risk may be worth it... :shrug:

[masmdu]

2. This video sheds no light on the situation...yet....?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aclS1pGHp8o