Posted on 01/02/2014 1:08:18 PM PST by Anton.Rutter
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — A California hospital is unwilling to allow an outside doctor to fit a 13-year-old declared brain dead after tonsil surgery with the breathing and feeding tubes that would allow her to be safely transferred to another facility, its lawyer said Tuesday.
Children's Hospital Oakland will not permit the procedures to be performed on its premises because Jahi McMath is legally dead in the view of doctors who have examined her, lawyer Douglas Straus wrote in a letter to the girl's family.
"Performing medical procedures on the body of a deceased human being is simply not something Children's Hospital can do or ask its staff to assist in doing," he said.
The refusal appeared to reverse the position articulated Monday by a hospital spokesman. He said the hospital would allow a doctor retained by the family to insert a feeding tube and to replace the oral ventilator keeping Jahi's heart beating with a tracheal tube — surgical procedures that would stabilize Jahi if she is moved to a facility willing to keep caring for her.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
I’d have to double check, but I thought I read that a coroner did pronounce her.
bflr
Imagine the lawsuit if this child, through some miracle, recovers even to a small degree. This cannot be allowed.
I guess more to the story than I thought. I agree losing weight would be the first thing to try before any surgery. Any surgery has risk.
“It actually wasn’t routine tonsil surgery from what I’ve read on this. She was having extensive surgery on her throat as a result of her sleep apnea from her weight problem. Why her mother didn’t help her lose the weight instead of putting her through this risky surgery is something I haven’t seen addressed yet.”
I'm going to give the parents the benefit of the doubt and believe they are honestly driven by what they think is the best interest of their daughter.
And your medical degree is from where? Dishonest? Not hardly. I will refrain from calling you equally offensive names. Rigor Mortis? Only lasts 8 - 24 hours. Decomposing> Her brain is starting to liquefy. She is in fact decomposing. Just not the visible way that you would like to believe. If I am deliberately lying, shall I assume that you have the medical expertise to comment? I am most interested in your educated opinion. What supports what you say? I am supported by science, professional ethics, and morality. Your ignorance on the subject is astounding. I will wait to hear your reasoned response. Short of that, I will simply say you are more destructive to the conservative cause by promulgating opinion instead of dealing with fact. Please be advised that until you provide a reasonable answer, I will no longer discuss this issue with you.
I agree that this is their business, but also at their cost. If they want to pay privately they can, but should the insurance company be required to pay indefinitely. Should Medicare or Medicaid (you and I?) I believe that they should pay for this decision if they want this. But it is not grounded in reason or rationality
Organ donation?
The lawsuit over this because of the hospital’s non-cooperation and original screw-up is likely to be a dandy.
Off hand I’d say a physician from that hospital suggested it and is presumably the “expert” on the matter.
There has yet to be an indication of a screw up. The hospital is only requiring what they must by law: Paperwork and a facility. The family has neither filled out paperwork nor found a facility. They haven’t found a facility because none will take the body. The family is refusing to waive HIPPA rights so the hospital cannot talk to us about the procedure.
I am not sure what the 'other procedures' were, but dying of a tonsillectomy seems a tad, well, wrong.
I understand all operations have risk, but that one isn't real high on the list.
Ice water is shot into the ears, looking for a
response of the eyes.
Ouch!
She had her tonsils and adenoids removed and her uvula reduced to help her sleep apnea. Basically this obese girl had a pretty involved procedure to widen her throat so she could breath better, because mommy and daddy wouldn’t cook her healthy food or exercise with her.
I did not say the hospital was at fault.
Hospitals very often will settle even when the case is weak because of the overwhelming cost to litigate the case. Besides, the family does have a good case for pain and suffering.
The girl is dead, the hospital staff goofed,...
******
You don’t know that there was a “goof” by O.R. staff. She could have had an undiagnosed genetic clotting disorder or more likely, she was extubated and because of irritation to the swollen tissues she coughed so hard a clot was dislodged. Ergo, profuse bleeding.
I spent over 30 years in the operating room and have seen many strange things happen that had nothing to do with human error by the staff.
” Their child is in this situation due to something the personnel did or didn’t do.”
I interpreted this as you blaming the hospital.
It sounds odd that in cases of disputed death they won’t want to give the benefit of the doubt to a family if that family can come up with a way to deal with the body.
If they are so sure she’s dead... then for heaven sakes why do they not bring in the coroner.
Due to zipped lips all around (HIPAA etc.) about much of what’s going on, even our doctors here do not have enough data to do more than speculate.
Done shouting at everyone?
Think of a transplanted heart. It is not "hooked up" to the nervous system of the host. How does it know to keep beating? Because it has its own internal "pacemaker." (Although it may ned an actual pacemeker, too. depending.) Give a heart oxigenated blood and it will beat merrily away on its own.
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