12/19/2012 // West Palm Beach , Florida, US // JusticeNewsFlash // Justice News Flash // (press release)
London – A 27-year-old cystic fibrosis patient died following an organ transplant in which she received the lungs of a heavy smoker. As reported by Good Morning America, the woman, Jennifer Wederell, died less than 16 months after the procedure after a malignant mass had been found in her lungs.
A number of hospitals reportedly accept less than perfect organs from donors. Dr. G. Alexander Patterson, surgical director of lung transplants at the Washington University and Barnes-Jewish transplant center in St. Louis, is quoted in the report as stating of the reason, “This is a necessity because there are far fewer donors than there are recipients and most patients who are on a waiting list would gladly accept a set of smoker’s lungs in exchange for the ones they have, which usually have little chance of carrying them through to long-term survival.”
Harefield Hospital in London has reportedly apologized to Wederell’s family for the smoking history of the donor not having been fully disclosed prior.
Justice News Flash delivers the latest in world medical malpractice news.
Media Information:
Address: 215 South Olive Suite 300 W. Palm Beach FL 33401
Phone: 866-598-1315
Url: http://justicenews.visionsmartnews.com/woman-dies-following-transplant-of-smokers-lungs_8377.html
