There is concern on the part of the public body responsible for organ donation in France. In recent days, American media reported that, in 2021, a patient, considered brain dead, woke up before the sample was taken. An investigation has been opened, according to the local press.
“Transmitting this information is very harmful and brings shame to organ donation and transplantation in France,” lamented the Biomedicine Agency. Several French media collected this information over the weekend. But some claimed the man had woken up “while his organs were being removed”, prompting widespread concern, according to the Biomedicine Agency.
It is “impossible” for this to happen in France
“We have (…) observed a clear increase in the number of registrations in the national registry of refusals,” he reported, estimating that, since the publication of these articles, these registrations have been ten times more numerous than normal.
However, the situation of the American patient “would be impossible in France”, underlines the Biomedicine Agency. The procedures by which a patient is declared dead are actually very strict. Carried out by several doctors, they provide for a series of examinations, in particular using images, that leave no room for doubt.
Several anesthesiologists have also expressed doubts about the reliability of this information. “Thousands of people are waiting for a vital transplant in France, we cannot allow unverified information to circulate that is so harmful to these patients,” the public agency concluded.
In a separate press release, the French Society of Organ and Tissue Removal Medicine (SFMPOT) and the Francophone Transplant Society wanted to point out that the situation in France and the United States is “totally different.”
“The diagnosis of brain death is much safer in France, where a similar case would be absolutely impossible,” said Dr. Jean-Christophe Venhard, president of the SFMPOT.
Organ donation saves lives, but it is only practiced in two situations, regulated by law: “donation of living beings for the kidney (in the family circle or for loved ones)” and “donation of deceased people, after a rigorous process , safe and transparent”. diagnosis,” the scientific societies specified.
In France, 5,634 transplants were performed in 2023, or 139 more transplants compared to 2022.
Source: BFM TV