Official report about overdose patient who awoke in OR just before surgeons harvested her organs

Several days ago TPR posted  about a distressing case from Syracuse (NY), in which an overdose patient woke up in the operating room just as surgeons were about to harvest her organs. There were some details in the Syracuse Post-Standard story. An astute reader sent a comment pointing out that the report investigating this case — produced by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services — noted that the patient was on baclofen (in addition to Xanax and diphenhydramine. Baclofen is notorious for producing prolonged coma and a clinical syndrome indistinguishable from brain death in overdose. Papers by Sullivan et al and Ostermann et al have reported quite similar cases involving this drug. There were a number of other interesting details contained in the Dept. of Health report, which is absolutely must-reading. The patient was brought to the emergency department on October 16, 2009, after she was found at home unresponsive. Apparently, empty bottles of Xanax, Benadryl, and baclofen were found at the seen. In the ED blood tests revealed acetaminophen, salicylates, and ethanol; a urine drug screen was positive for benzodiazepines and opiates. Although the working diagnosis seems to have been anoxic encephalopathy secondary to cardiac arrest, the patient never had documented loss of vital signs. In addition, no follow-up brain imaging was done after several days to document changes consistent with this diagnosis. The repot goes on:< . . . per nursing and physician ...
Source: The Poison Review - Category: Toxicology Authors: Tags: Best of TPR Medical baclofen brain death organ donation Source Type: news