Schmid, a junior and business major at the University of Arizona, was critically wounded in an Oct. 19 car accident in Tucson, which took the life of his friend and roommate.
The 21-year-old's brain injuries were so severe that the local hospital could not treat him. He was airlifted to the Barrow Neurological Institute at St. Joseph's Medical Center in Phoenix, where specialists performed surgery for a life-threatening aneurysm.
As hospital officials began palliative care and broached the subject of organ donation with his family, Schmid began to respond, holding up two fingers on command. Today he is walking with the aid of a walker, and his speech, although slow, has improved.
THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF NEUROLOGIC TESTING FOR IRREVERSIBLE LOSS OF BRAIN FUNCTION NOT BEING PERFORMED CORRECTLY. THERE IS A MOVEMENT ACROSS THE UNITED STATES FOR STANDARDIZED NEUROLOGIC TESTING UTILIZING A CHECK-LIST TO ENSURE TESTING IS CONSISTENTLY PERFORMED ACCORDING TO GUIDELINES ESTABLISHED BY THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF NEUROLOGIST. IT IS UNFORTUNATE THAT THERE ARE MANY PHYSICIANS WHO DO NOT WANT TO BE 'TOLD' HOW TO PERFORM THEIR DUTIES OR DO NOT FEEL THE DIAGNOSIS OF DEATH IS IMPORTANT; CONSEQUENCES INCLUDE INCORRECT DIAGNOSIS OF DEATH SUCH AS THIS. THIS IS NO MIRACLE - JUST POOR MEDICINE.
2 COMMENTS:
Sorry, this is comment is not right. I agree that standardized testing for brain death needs to be established. No squabble there. And if you don't believe in miracles, your perogative. But to classify as "poor medicine" is not responsible. And can we be happy for this young man's family? I am a transplant recipient - I think it's wonderful that the family considered donation. But to dis this story is pretty insensitive.
I am a liver recip. There is more to the story that meets the eye. I know people that are joy donors because they think the plug will be pulled premature. I tell them no, they keep you alive longer....
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